- Housing Providers Demand Reform for Small Landlords and Tenants A coalition of housing providers in the province is urging the Ford government to implement reforms aimed at assisting small-ownership landlords and ensuring the rights of responsible tenants.
- SOLO Rally at Queen’s Park Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario (SOLO) staged a rally outside Queen’s Park on Saturday, advocating for improved measures to safeguard small landlords from tenants who default on payments.
- Kevin Costain Shares Experience Kevin Costain, a board member of SOLO, recounted a distressing incident: “My tenant stopped paying rent, amounting to $26,000, and later set fire to my property.”
- Addressing Professional Tenants Costain highlighted the issue of “professional tenants,” who exploit loopholes in the system, leading to theft, extortion, violence, and property damage.
- LTB Delays and Injustice SOLO raised concerns about prolonged delays at the Landlord Tenant Board (LTB), exacerbating the plight of landlords. Costain emphasized the need for swifter resolutions and fair treatment.
- Calls for Expedited Evictions The group proposes expedited eviction procedures for tenants with documented non-payment of rent. If rent is not paid within two months after eviction application, eviction should proceed without a hearing.
- LTB Statistics According to LTB data, over 73,000 applications were received in 2022-2023, with more than 53,000 cases unresolved by year-end. SOLO attributes a majority of these cases to rent disputes, leading to significant delays.
- Impact on Small Landlords Small landlords, typically owning one to two properties, lack resources to offset financial losses. Some are forced to sell their properties, exacerbating the housing supply shortage in a high-demand market.
- Urgent Intervention Needed SOLO emphasizes the urgent need for intervention to address injustice and preserve housing supply. Costain stresses the importance of collective action in effecting change.
