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OntarioDid not become law (session ended)42nd Parliament, 2nd Session

Bill 90 explained in plain English

No COVID-19 Evictions Act, 2022

Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Ontario Legislature
Legislature / Parliament
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Session
42nd Parliament, 2nd Session
Bill number
Bill 90
Full title
No COVID-19 Evictions Act, 2022
Current status
Did not become law (session ended)
Latest event
Carried
Last updated
Mar 1, 2022

Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 42nd Parliament, 2nd Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.

Chamber
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Current Stage
Carried
Latest Activity
Mar 1, 2022
Plain-language explanation
In plain English (our explanation)

Our plain-language take, written for civic education.

Source: By PoliticalData.ca

AI-assisted, reviewed before publishing
Short Version

Bill 90 prevents the Landlord and Tenant Board and Superior Court from issuing or enforcing eviction orders and writs of possession during the COVID-19 pandemic period, with a limited exception for health and safety purposes.

What It Means

Bill 90 amends Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 to restrict evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill creates a new legal rule that says the Landlord and Tenant Board cannot issue orders to evict tenants, the Superior Court of Justice cannot issue writs of possession (court orders forcing people to leave their homes), and no one can enforce these orders or writs during the COVID-19 pandemic period. However, the Board or Superior Court can still issue or enforce these orders if they determine it is necessary for health and safety reasons. The "COVID-19 pandemic period" begins when this bill becomes law and ends 12 months after the Chief Medical Officer of Health declares that COVID-19 risks in Ontario have decreased enough that the pandemic has ended. The bill comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent (approval from the Lieutenant Governor).

What This Bill Does
  • Adds new section 7.1 to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 that prevents the Landlord and Tenant Board from issuing eviction orders during the COVID-19 pandemic period
  • Prevents the Superior Court of Justice from issuing writs of possession (court orders removing someone from their residence) during the COVID-19 pandemic period
  • Prevents any person from attending a residential premises to enforce eviction orders or writs of possession during the COVID-19 pandemic period
  • Creates a limited exception to these restrictions: the Board or Superior Court can still issue or enforce eviction orders and writs of possession if they determine it is necessary for health and safety purposes
  • Defines the COVID-19 pandemic period as starting when this bill becomes law and ending 12 months after the Chief Medical Officer of Health declares the pandemic has ended
  • Requires the Chief Medical Officer of Health to make a written declaration when they believe COVID-19 risks in Ontario have decreased enough to end the pandemic
  • Establishes the bill's short title as the No COVID-19 Evictions Act, 2022
  • Makes the bill come into force on the day it receives Royal Assent
Who Is Affected
  • Tenants in Ontario who may face eviction during the COVID-19 pandemic period
  • Landlords seeking to evict tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic period
  • The Landlord and Tenant Board, which is restricted from issuing eviction orders during the pandemic period
  • The Superior Court of Justice, which is restricted from issuing or enforcing writs of possession during the pandemic period
  • Bailiffs, law enforcement, or other persons who would normally enforce eviction orders or writs of possession
  • The Chief Medical Officer of Health, who must declare when the pandemic has ended
  • Residents of Ontario
Rights, Duties, Or Obligations
  • The Chief Medical Officer of Health must make a written declaration when they believe COVID-19 risks in Ontario have decreased such that the pandemic has ended
  • The Landlord and Tenant Board must not issue eviction orders during the COVID-19 pandemic period, except for health and safety reasons
  • The Superior Court of Justice must not issue writs of possession during the COVID-19 pandemic period, except for health and safety reasons
  • No person may enforce eviction orders or writs of possession during the COVID-19 pandemic period, except in cases determined to be for health and safety purposes
  • Tenants have protection from eviction during the COVID-19 pandemic period, except in health and safety situations
Important Dates
  • The bill comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent (the exact date is not specified in the bill text)
  • The COVID-19 pandemic period begins on the day the bill comes into force
  • The COVID-19 pandemic period ends 12 months after the Chief Medical Officer of Health makes a written declaration that the pandemic has ended
Financial Or Tax Impacts
  • The bill does not mention any financial impacts, costs, or tax implications
Enforcement Or Penalties
  • The bill does not specify penalties or enforcement mechanisms for violations of the restrictions on issuing or enforcing eviction orders during the pandemic period
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The bill does not specify when Royal Assent will occur, so the exact commencement date is unknown
  • The bill does not define what 'health and safety purposes' means, leaving interpretation to the Board and Superior Court on a case-by-case basis
  • The bill does not specify the process or criteria the Chief Medical Officer of Health must follow to determine when COVID-19 risks have decreased sufficiently to declare the pandemic ended
  • The bill does not address what happens to eviction proceedings that are paused during the pandemic period once the pandemic period ends
  • The bill does not specify what constitutes a 'declaration' by the Chief Medical Officer of Health (e.g., formal notice requirement, publication requirement, or timing)
  • It is unclear whether the bill applies retroactively to eviction orders or writs issued before the bill received Royal Assent
Laws Or Regulations Affected
Residential Tenancies Act, 2006
amended

New section 7.1 is added to create restrictions on issuing and enforcing eviction orders and writs of possession during the COVID-19 pandemic period, with a limited exception for health and safety purposes.

Source: Section 1

Health Protection and Promotion Act
referenced

The Chief Medical Officer of Health, as defined in this Act, is given authority to declare when the COVID-19 pandemic has ended in Ontario.

Source: Subsection 7.1(3)

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.

Official text

Process Snapshot

Step 1
First reading
Mar 1, 2022
Step 2
Second reading
Not reached yet
Step 3
Committee review
Not reached yet
Step 4
Third reading
Not reached yet
Step 5
Royal assent
Not reached yet

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.

Sponsor
Jessica Bell
New Democratic Party of Ontario | University—Rosedale
Jurisdiction
Ontario Legislature

No published representative vote breakdown

This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.

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.

How this data is sourced