RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES ACT

The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 ("RTA") is the legislation that governs all residential tenancies in Ontario, regardless of whether or not the tenant pays market rent or receives a rent-geared-to-income subsidy. The RTA sets out the responsibilities of both landlords and tenants and created an adjudicative body called the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants.  Non-profit housing staff must simultaneously meet their responsibilities under the RTA as well as their responsibilities under other pieces of legislation, such as the Social Housing Reform Act, 2000 and the Human Rights Code, 1990.

To assist staff and Board Members to better understand their roles, responsibilities, and obligations under the RTA, as well as those of their tenants, ONPHA has created RTA Online, an online education course.

It is vital that all non-profit housing staff be familiar with the RTA and its regulations (Ontario Regulation 516/06 and Ontario Regulation 517/06) and it is recommended that Board Members also familiarize themselves.

ONPHA's Member Support Team can help answer your RTA and LTB related questions. Call 1-800-297-6660 or email us at membert.support@onpha.org.

The Landlord and Tenant Board ("LTB")

As mentioned, the LTB is an adjudicative body that enforces the RTA. The LTB website contains helpful information for landlords and tenants. It outlines the steps that landlords and tenants must take in order to bring the other party before an Adjudicator at the LTB, as well as the forms that must be used. Further, the LTB website contains copies of select decisions made by the LTB in the past that can help you to prepare your case.

Have you appeared before an LTB Adjudicator with an interesting or note-worthy case? Do you think other ONPHA members would benefit by learning from your experience?

If so, send a copy of that decision to ONPHA's Member Support Team and we will add it to our growing library. We will remove all identifying and personal information from the decision and potentially post it in our growing decision library.

For more information visit the Housing Resources section of the ONPHA website. There you will find helpful information for members who have questions about the RTA, its application, and tips on taking your case to the LTB.

2013 Rent Increase Guideline

The 2013 Rent Increase Guideline is 2.5%.  The Rent Increase Guideline is the amount that landlords are able to raise market rents without applying for special permission from the LTB; however, non-profit housing providers are exempt from this requirement.

Even though a non-profit housing provider can legally increase market rents above the rent increase guideline without making an application to the LTB, it may not make sense to do so.  Depending on local rental market conditions, it may result in a vacancy loss in market units if tenants think they can get a better deal elsewhere.  Also, if the non-profit is committed, in its mission statement, to house low-and moderate-income households, it may not want to have market rents track those in the area. As a result, it is recommended that non-profits increase their market rents by only the rent increase guideline each year.

If it is your policy to collect a last month's rent deposit from incoming tenants then this is also the amount of interest that will be payable to the tenant on that deposit each year.

Click here to see the Rent Increase Guideline for previous years and more information on calculating the interest owed on last month's rent deposits.

ONPHA's Member Support Team can help answer your RTA and LTB related questions. Call 1-800-297-6660 or email us at membert.support@onpha.org.