Bradford council is looking for help walking a fine line between supporting independent landlords and protecting the rights of tenants.
In light of the province’s push for more accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and the town’s efforts to update their regulations in response, council is calling on the province to implement reforms that protect both tenants and small-scale landlords to ensure fairness in the rental market. That’s thanks to a motion spearheaded by Ward 4 Coun. Joseph Giordano approved during the March 4 meeting.
“We need action. We have a housing crisis,” he said. “This is not fair for Ontarians.”
In order to ensure enough rental units are made available, Giordano wants the province to put in place measures that reduce the risk for potential landlords and encourage them to invest without fear of “professional tenants.” That refers to people who are able to avoid paying rent or being evicted by taking advantage of backlogs at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) — a provincial tribunal for resolving disputes between landlords and tenants.
“I have residents crying — they’re losing their homes because people are not paying and they can’t get them out months after months after months,” he said, explaining that sometimes cases can drag on as long as two years, and as a result landlords could lose not only their investment properties but also their primary residence as well.
Ward 7 Coun. Peter Dykie agreed, and said that he has been a landlord and seen first hand that there’s a mix of good and bad when it comes to both landlords and renters that can lead to some “real disasters.”
“The province has to get involved,” he said.
Since provincial changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, delays at the tribunal have impacted people across the province, with some recent examples in Ramara and Collingwood.
In a report from May 4, 2023, the Ontario ombudsman called the LTB “moribund,” as the average wait time to hear a case was eight to 10 months, and in an update from June 26, 2024, reported that while some improvements have been made, issues remain.
At the time, they confirmed the LTB still had a backlog of about 36,000 cases waiting more than 90 days to be scheduled, with an average wait time of four to eight months from when applications were made to when matters were heard.
While the tribunal had increased the number of adjudicators to 133 from 78, the ombudsman found an increase in the number of complaints over hearings being restarted after adjudicators left the tribunal or were on leave. In one example, they found two adjudicators on leave with a combined 184 cases on hold between them.
While Giordano admitted he was initially “hyper focused” on protecting small-scale landlords, he thanked other members of council for helping improve the motion to support “good faith” tenants as well.
“If you want to help the housing market and the rental supply, let’s take away the barriers preventing good people from renting and good people from creating those rental units,” he said.
Specific reforms proposed in Bradford’s motion include:
- Accelerating dispute resolution for ADUs and secondary rentals at the LTB within 30 days
- Introducing mediation services to resolve disputes quickly and reduce reliance on hearings
- Providing both landlords and tenants with enhanced tools for clear communication, such as standardized rental agreements and better screening practices
- Strengthening protections for tenants against unfair eviction while enforcing stricter penalties for tenants withholding rent in bad faith
- Ensuring law enforcement access to properties only under appropriate circumstances, respecting tenants’ rights while supporting landlords in the resolution of unpaid rent issues
- Establishing a hardship relief fund for landlords impacted by unpaid rent, while ensuring tenants are also supported in cases of financial distress
- Offering free or low-cost legal assistance to both landlords and tenants to navigate disputes fairly
The motion joins similar calls from County of Simcoe council as well as the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board and is to be sent to Premier Doug Ford, the Municipal Affairs and Housing minister, York-Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and all Ontario municipalities.
Council approved the motion unanimously, though Ward 6 Coun. Nickolas Harper was absent.