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New tenant protections from Ontario government

tenant protections | Thomas Desormeaux
tenant protections | Thomas Desormeaux

Doug Ford's government announced this week more tenant protections for Ontario's residential renters. The coronavirus pandemic has been bad news for people trying to keep up with rent as they struggle financially.

Oakville and all of Halton Region enters Stage 3 of the re-opening today, July 24, 2020. This means most of Ontario's businesses can resume operations with restrictions, allowing more people to get back to work.

However, every worker will continue to feel the effects of financial downturn for quite awhile.

Thomas Desormeaux
Thomas Desormeaux

The new tenant protections address illegal evictions or ones that don't abide by current rules. They won't force landlords to forgive any back rent, but the protections encourage them to consider repayment plans rather than immediate eviction.

Click image for contact information for MPP Clark

Click image for contact information for MPP Clark

"By making these changes, we are trying to keep people in their homes, and at the same time, helping landlords receive payment through a mutual repayment agreement. It's a better approach, especially during these difficult times," says Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Although these moves may prevent unlawful evictions, they might not prove an effective solution for financially strapped tenants.

The announced changes also means that disputes between landlords and tenants don't have to be brought to formal hearings to be resolved. The Ford government claims this will speed up the process, while critics believe it will deny tenants the right to their day in court.

The Landlord Tenant Board announced today that it would be reviewing its rules to make sure they work with the new legislation.

"The LTB is committed to providing fair, effective and timely dispute resolution services to the people of Ontario," it read.