A tenant or former tenant can ask the Board for help if their landlord did any of the following things:

1. Broke a promise they made in the rental agreement or in the law

2. Did not give the tenant important things like water, heat, or food that they were supposed to give, or purposely stopped giving them

3. Made it difficult for the tenant to use or enjoy the rental unit

4. Harassed, threatened, or interfered with the tenant in any way

5. Changed the locks on the rental unit without giving the tenant a new key

6. Entered the rental unit without permission

The tenant can only ask the Board for help within one year of the incident happening.

If the Board determines that a landlord has breached any of the obligations mentioned in the previous answer, the Board can order one or more of the following remedies:

1. Terminate the tenancy

2. Order a reduction in the rent

3. Authorize repairs or replacements and order the landlord to pay for them

4. Order the landlord to do specific repairs, replacements or other work within a given time frame

5. Order the landlord to pay the tenant a specified amount for the reasonable costs incurred in repairing or replacing any damaged property or other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of the landlord’s breach

6. Prohibit the landlord from charging a new tenant rent that is higher than the last lawful rent charged to the previous tenant, until the landlord has fixed the issues or completed the specified repairs.

7. Prohibit a landlord from providing a notice of a rent increase

ONT RTA Pt III s.29(1)