Bill 187 explained in plain English
Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Vital Services), 2011
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill 187 amends the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, to establish new rules for the provision of vital services to rental units, particularly where municipal by-laws do not apply.
This bill, the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Vital Services), 2011, makes changes to Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. It aims to ensure that essential services, like heat and water, are provided to rental units, especially in areas without municipal by-laws for vital services. The bill outlines responsibilities for landlords and vital service suppliers, and it gives the Ministry the power to intervene if these services are not provided.
- Requires landlords to provide adequate and suitable vital services to rental units, unless a tenant has agreed to obtain these services themselves.
- Requires suppliers of vital services to provide notice to the Ministry before ceasing service due to a landlord's breach of contract.
- Allows the Ministry to arrange for the provision of vital services if a landlord fails to do so.
- Authorizes the Ministry to direct tenants to pay rent to the Ministry in situations where the Ministry has arranged for vital services.
- Establishes a lien in favour of the Ministry against a property for the costs incurred in providing vital services, plus an administrative fee.
- Specifies when municipal vital services by-laws may not apply to a rental unit, allowing the provisions of this bill to take precedence.
- Grants the Lieutenant Governor in Council the authority to establish criteria for when these new rules apply.
- Prohibits interference with the director or designated persons acting under this new part of the Act.
- Amends existing provisions related to the enforcement of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, to include contraventions of these new vital services rules.
- Landlords
- Tenants
- Suppliers of vital services (e.g., utilities)
- The Ministry (responsible for appointing a director and potentially arranging services)
- Municipalities (required to provide by-laws to the Ministry)
- Occupiers of rental units
- Owners and encumbrancers of property subject to liens
- Landlords have a duty to provide adequate and suitable vital services.
- Tenants may be directed to pay rent to the Ministry if the Ministry arranges for vital services.
- Suppliers of vital services must provide notice before ceasing service due to a landlord's breach.
- The Ministry has the power to arrange for vital services and recover costs.
- Tenants have the right to receive vital services.
- Landlords have the right to interrupt services for necessary repairs, with proper notice.
- A tenant may agree to obtain and maintain a vital service, exempting the landlord from that specific obligation.
- This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- The Ministry may incur costs arranging for vital services.
- The Ministry can recover costs plus a 10 per cent administrative fee through a lien on the property.
- Rent paid by tenants to the Ministry will be used to cover the costs of provided vital services and the administrative fee.
- Contravention of certain sections related to vital services can lead to penalties under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006.
- Failure to supply a vital service in compliance with a director's order is a contravention.
- Hindering or obstructing the director or a designated person is prohibited.
- The bill does not specify what constitutes 'vital services' beyond the context of the Act.
- The specific 'prescribed criteria' that determine when the bill's provisions apply instead of municipal by-laws are not detailed in the bill text and would be set out in regulations.
- The definition of 'rental unit' or 'residential complex' is not explicitly provided within the context of this bill's amendments.
- The bill grants authority to the Lieutenant Governor in Council and the Minister to make certain specifications (e.g., prescribed criteria), which are not included in the bill text itself.
- The exact form for notices and the specific criteria for the director's decisions are not detailed in the bill.
This bill adds a new Part (Part XIII.1) to the Act concerning vital services in rental units, establishes new duties for landlords and service suppliers, and introduces new enforcement mechanisms. It also amends specific sections (216, 234, 241) to support these changes.
Source: Bill 187, Section 1, 2, 3, 4
Requires local municipal councils to promptly provide a copy of any vital services by-laws or amendments to the director appointed under the Act.
Source: Bill 187, Section 1
Adds new contraventions related to the failure to provide vital services or comply with orders concerning vital services under the new Part XIII.1.
Source: Bill 187, Section 3
Allows for the creation of regulations prescribing criteria for when municipal vital services by-laws do not apply to a rental unit and for specifying how the new vital services provisions will apply in those cases. It also allows for regulations prescribing criteria for when the Ministry can arrange for vital services.
Source: Bill 187, Section 4
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Vote Summary
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Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
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