Proposed changes aim to streamline hearings, improve technology, and reduce delays that hurt landlords and tenants
The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) is calling for reforms to Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) to address a backlog of over 53,000 unresolved cases.
In its newly released report, "Breaking the Backlog: Restoring Fairness and Justice to Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board," TRREB outlined inefficiencies within the system that have created prolonged hardships for both landlords and tenants.
Ontario’s housing market is already strained by affordability challenges and a lack of rental supply, and the inefficiencies at the LTB are compounding these issues. TRREB president Jennifer Pearce emphasized the importance of reforming the tribunal to restore confidence among landlords and tenants.
“Ontario is facing a housing affordability crisis and a real shortage of rental housing,” Pearce said in the report. “The province is taking important steps to improve the operations of the LTB, but further action is needed. We must fix the problems at the LTB to give landlords more confidence to bring rental units to market and support tenants.”
The backlog has made it difficult for landlords to resolve disputes efficiently, discouraging them from entering or remaining in the rental market. Tenants, meanwhile, face long delays that can lead to financial uncertainty and prolonged instability.
TRREB’s report laid out 10 recommendations to improve the LTB’s efficiency and accessibility. Among these proposals are reinstating in-person hearings, strengthening digital infrastructure, and enforcing stricter timelines for hearing and resolving cases.
"With a major backlog of cases at the LTB, we see an urgent need for meaningful reform that ensures fair and swift resolutions for landlords and tenants alike," said TRREB chief executive John DiMichele.
Read more: Ontario's housing affordability tied to fixing landlord-tenant disputes
One key recommendation is to ensure hearings and decisions are completed before a tenancy’s termination date. This would prevent disputes from continuing for months or years. Another proposal is upgrading the LTB’s technological systems to make processes smoother for all parties involved.
The Ontario government has already signalled its intention to act on two of TRREB’s recommendations as part of its Fall 2024 Red Tape Reduction Package. The proposed changes would allow the LTB to overlook minor errors in applications and streamline the reassignment of cases to new adjudicators, reducing delays.
“TRREB has long been a champion of reform at the LTB to make the tribunal more efficient for both rental property owners and tenants. We’re proud to be working with Minister Downey and his team on the latest round of reforms to the LTB,” DiMichele added.
Make sure to get all the latest news to your inbox on Canada’s mortgage and housing markets by signing up for our free daily newsletter here.
