RTA Changes And How They Benefit Tenants
When it comes to renting a property, there are always two sides to the equation. The tenants are on one side, and the landlords are on the other. Recently, Bill 184 was passed as a RTA legislation. There are a few different changes brought on by this bill that address both sides. In addition, the proclamation also targets fairness and jurisdictional rules surrounding housing in the area. Oracle Legal Services wants to discuss each Landlord and Tenant Law and how they may affect you.
Jurisdictional Changes From Bill 184
The bill was initially thought to favor landlords in regards to post-move out rent, utilities, and damage charges. What it actually did was give landlords a time limit of one year to make a claim at the Board. The Landlord-Tenant Board should have upgraded to a single place to bring up all issues since 1998, but at least it is now. Tenant’s have always had the right to sue even a year after leaving the property, the changes from Bill 184 simply allow landlords the same rights.
Tenant Changes From Bill 184
Tenants also have seen some positive changes from the passage of Bill 184. Landlords will need to provide compensation for bad faith notices, renovation and conversion eviction applications, and demolitions. There have always been fines in place to help keep landlord behavior in check, many of these fines will be increased. N12 eviction notices will come with a compensation requirement for whoever purchases the property in addition to the landlord themselves. Landlords will need to file their intent about how they plan to use these notices when they obtain them which can help reduce tenant abuse and reduce coercing.
Landlord Changes From Bill 184
Landlord changes are less clear, mainly they assist with allowing the Landlord Tenant Board and the Ministry to speed up adjudication more than anything. There are also changes that help landlords stay out of the newspaper, which can be embarrassing in the least. Tenants will need to give notice to the landlord if they plan to file an application. On paper, this is a good thing, but in reality, adjudicators still have to hear any cases about landlord breaches according to section 83(3), even without notice. There have been good changes that allow landlords to file eviction notices without notifying the tenant in cases of a serious breach.
Fairness Changes From Bill 184
Fairness has always been a challenge for both tenants and landlords. Bill 184 has addressed some issues that will hopefully make things easier for both sides. In the past, landlords had no way to recover anything other than physical damage to the property. Now, if a tenant leaves behind fines, past due utilities, or other bills, the landlord will be able to seek them as part of their recovery efforts. Though actually renting out space has technically been illegal since 2007, the bill has also fixed this legislative drafting error. Getting access to judicial production orders is now much easier which will make things fairer for landlords and tenants alike.
How We Can Help
If you are interested in learning more about Bill 184 and how it affects you Oracle Legal Services can help. Our Landlord and Tenant Legal Services can assist you in navigating the often confusing process of bringing an application or defending against one. Give us a call at (416) 990-9299 today to find out more.