Ontario shelves rent reform review after public backlash

The Ontario government has dropped its plan to consult on ending rent control and indefinite leases after backlash from renters and their advocates.

In late October, the province said it was exploring changes to lease expiry rules that could have given landlords more control over who occupies their units, and for how long.

Currently, renters enjoy “security of tenure” – the right to stay in their units indefinitely as long as they follow their lease and the Residential Tenancies Act.

The government announcement was met with immediate criticism. Tenant advocates warned that opening the door to shorter or more conditional leases could put vulnerable renters at risk and make housing insecurity worse.

Within days, Housing Minister Rob Flack confirmed on social media that the government would not move forward with the consultations, and that their focus would instead remain on “restoring balance” at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).

But Boubah Bah, chair of the Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario (SOLO), believes reviewing lease expiry rules could have helped achieve that goal much quicker.

“The way the system [at the LTB] is right now is not helping good landlords or good tenants,” Bah says. “It’s only helping those who abuse the process.”

For now, rent control and indefinite leases are here to stay.

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