Bill 25 explained in plain English
Rent Stabilization Act, 2022
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 43rd Parliament, 1st 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 25 amends Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act to limit rent increases for new tenants, strengthen landlord repair obligations, establish a rent registry, create enforcement mechanisms for lease compliance, and provide free legal aid to tenants facing above-guideline rent increases.
Bill 25, the Rent Stabilization Act, 2022, is a private members' bill that amends Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 to introduce measures intended to stabilize rental housing. The bill makes several key changes to how rent is set and how landlords must maintain rental properties. It strengthens landlords' repair obligations by making it clear that failure to maintain a residential complex is a breach regardless of landlord efforts. It limits the rent that can be charged to new tenants by tying it to the previous tenant's rent or allowing landlords to charge only what would have been permitted if the unit had remained occupied. It establishes a new rent registry that the Landlord and Tenant Board must create and maintain, requiring landlords to file statements about their rental units and any rent changes. The bill also creates a new mechanism allowing tenants to apply to the Board if a landlord fails to complete repairs or other work specified in a settlement or prior order. It amends the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 to ensure that tenants receive free legal representation before the Landlord and Tenant Board if they are directly affected by a rent increase application that exceeds the rent increase guideline. The bill comes into force six months after receiving Royal Assent.
- Strengthens landlord repair and maintenance obligations by clarifying that landlords are in breach if they fail in any way to maintain a residential complex in good repair and compliance with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards, regardless of efforts undertaken
- Removes section 6 from certain provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act that previously exempted certain rental units from rent increase guidelines
- Repeals paragraph 6 of subsection 30(1) of the Residential Tenancies Act, which previously allowed the Board to order a rent increase
- Creates a new mechanism (section 31.1) allowing tenants to apply to the Board without notice if a landlord has failed to complete repairs or work specified in a settlement or prior order, with potential remedies including administrative fines, rent abatement, or cost coverage
- Changes rent rules for new tenants by limiting the lawful rent for a new tenant to: the last lawful rent charged to the previous tenant if the unit was rented in the last 12 months; a calculated amount based on what would have been permitted if the unit had remained occupied; or the rent first charged if the unit was never previously rented
- Expands when tenants can apply to the Board for an order determining maximum lawful rent and requires the Board to order rebates if the landlord charged more than the maximum lawful amount
- Allows landlords to take rent increases without notice under certain conditions after completing work orders related to serious breaches, if a prohibition order has been issued against them
- Prevents landlords from increasing rent for a rental unit until they have filed a required statement with the rent registry
- Establishes a rent registry to be maintained by the Landlord and Tenant Board containing information from landlord statements, rent notices, and Board orders related to rent increases
- Requires landlords to file a statement with the Board within 30 days of entering into a lease, containing landlord information, unit address, current rent details, and other prescribed information
- Requires landlords to file notice of any rent changes with the Board within 30 days of the change taking effect
- Allows landlords to refuse or stay Board applications if a landlord applicant has not filed the required statement or owes money to the Board
- Makes the rent registry publicly available online and by request, disclosing unit addresses and rent amounts with effective dates
- Allows tenants to apply to the Board to challenge the accuracy of information in registry statements or notices within 60 days of receiving a copy
- Allows certain individuals (landlord, tenant, prospective tenant, or authorized representatives) to access detailed registry information about specific rental units
- Creates penalties for landlords who provide false information in registry statements or fail to file required statements
- Amends the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 to require the Legal Aid Services Corporation to provide free legal representation to tenants before the Landlord and Tenant Board if they are directly affected by an application for a rent increase exceeding the guideline, without income or cost-sharing requirements
- Changes the Board's obligation from 'monitor' to 'ensure' compliance with various standards
- Tenants in Ontario renting residential units covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006
- Landlords of residential rental units in Ontario
- New tenants entering into lease agreements
- The Landlord and Tenant Board of Ontario
- Legal Aid Services Corporation and its clients
- Prospective tenants applying for rental units
- Tax authorities (Government of Canada and Ontario ministries administering income tax laws)
- Landlords must maintain rental units in good repair, fit for habitation, and in compliance with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards; failure in any way constitutes a breach regardless of landlord efforts (Section 4)
- Tenants may apply to the Board without notice if a landlord fails to complete repairs or work specified in a settlement or prior order (Section 6)
- Rent charged to a new tenant is limited to: the previous tenant's lawful rent if rented in last 12 months; a calculated amount if vacant for 12+ months; or the first charged rent if never rented (Section 8)
- Tenants have the right to apply to the Board to determine maximum lawful rent they may be charged (Section 10)
- If the Board determines a landlord charged more than maximum lawful rent, the landlord must rebate the overpayment to the tenant (Section 10)
- Landlords must file a statement with the rent registry within 30 days of entering into a lease (Section 14/182.3.2(1))
- Landlords must file a notice of rent changes within 30 days of the change taking effect (Section 14/182.3.2(3))
- Landlords cannot increase rent for a unit until the required registry statement has been filed (Section 12)
- Tenants and certain other individuals have the right to access detailed information about their rental unit from the registry (Section 14/182.3.3)
- The public has the right to access rental unit addresses and rent amounts from the registry (Section 14/182.3.3(3)-(4))
- Tenants may apply to the Board to challenge the accuracy of registry information within 60 days (Section 14/182.3.2(5))
- Tenants have the right to receive a copy of any statement or notice their landlord files with the Board (Section 14/182.3.2(4))
- Tenants directly affected by above-guideline rent increase applications have the right to free legal representation before the Landlord and Tenant Board without income requirements (Section 20)
- The Act comes into force six months after receiving Royal Assent (Section 21)
- Landlords must file an initial statement with the Board within 30 days of entering into a lease (Section 14/182.3.2(1))
- For landlords with existing tenants when the Act comes into force, they must file a statement within 30 days after the commencement date (Section 14/182.3.2(8))
- Landlords must file notice of rent changes within 30 days after the change takes effect (Section 14/182.3.2(3))
- Tenants may challenge accuracy of registry information within 60 days of receiving a copy (Section 14/182.3.2(7))
- Potential for landlords to face daily administrative fines up to $1,000 per day for non-compliance with settlements or prior orders
- Potential for landlords to face rent abatement orders, reducing income from rental units
- Potential for tenants to receive rebates of overcharged rent from landlords
- Tax authorities may access rent registry information for income tax administration purposes
- Landlords who fail to complete repairs or work specified in a settlement or prior order may be ordered to pay administrative fines not exceeding $1,000 per day until compliance is satisfied (Section 6/31.1(3))
- Landlords who fail to complete required repairs or work may face rent abatement orders until compliance (Section 6/31.1(3))
- Landlords who fail to complete required repairs or work may be ordered to pay the reasonable costs the tenant will incur to complete the work (Section 6/31.1(3))
- Landlords who provide false information in a statement filed with the rent registry commit an offense (Section 17/233(g.1))
- Landlords who fail to file a required statement with the rent registry commit an offense (Section 18/234(r.1))
- The Board may refuse to file a landlord's application if the landlord has not filed a required statement or owes money to the Board (Section 15/196(1)(a))
- The Board may stay a proceeding and potentially discontinue an application if it learns during the application that a landlord has not filed a required statement or owes money (Section 15/196(1)(b)-(c))
- The Board will not issue an order on an application if a landlord has not filed a required statement or owes money (Section 15/196(1)(c))
- The bill text does not specify the monetary amount or nature of the administrative fine details in Section 31.1(3), stating only that it does not exceed $1,000 per day, leaving the specific fine calculation to Board discretion
- The specific content of 'any prescribed information' required in landlord statements (Section 14/182.3.2(2)) is not defined in the bill and is left to regulation
- The bill text does not clearly explain what paragraph 6 of subsection 30(1) previously allowed or why it is being removed
- Section 37(7) amendments refer to removing 'clause (c)' but the bill text does not specify what clause (c) contained or its significance
- The 'Form approved by the Board' for landlord statements (Section 14/182.3.2(1)) is not specified in the bill text
- The rules and circumstances for the Board's discretion in refusing or staying applications (Section 15/196(1)) are stated to be 'specified in the Rules' but are not detailed in the bill
- The bill text does not specify the process or criteria the Board shall use to 'verify' individuals requesting registry information (Section 14/182.3.3(2))
- The bill does not specify what 'reasonable steps' the Board must take to ensure registry accuracy (Section 14/182.3.1(3))
- The commencement date is set as 'six months after Royal Assent,' but no Royal Assent date is specified in the provided text
- It is unclear whether the rent registry provisions apply to units exempted under sections 7 and 8 of the Residential Tenancies Act, though the bill states the registry applies to 'all rental units to which this Act applies'
- The bill does not specify penalties or enforcement mechanisms for landlords who fail to comply with the duty to provide a copy of statements or notices to tenants (Section 14/182.3.2(4))
Multiple sections amended including provisions on exemptions from rent guidelines, landlord repair obligations, rent rules for new tenants, tenant applications to the Board, rent increase procedures, and the addition of a new Part XI.1 establishing a rent registry
Source: Sections 1-19
Removes reference to section 6, so that only sections 7 and 8 now apply to certain exemptions from rent increase guidelines
Source: Section 1
Updates cross-references to remove section 6 from exemptions from rent increase guidelines
Source: Section 2
Clarifies that Part VII exemptions apply but paragraph 6 of subsection 30(1) exemptions no longer apply
Source: Section 3
Restates landlord responsibility to maintain residential complexes in good repair and fit for habitation, and adds clarification that a landlord is in breach if they fail in any way to maintain the complex regardless of efforts, eliminating any defense based on attempting to maintain the property
Source: Section 4
Removes the Board's authority to make a certain type of order (the specific nature of this order is not detailed in the bill text)
Source: Section 5
Creates a new mechanism allowing tenants to apply to the Board if landlords fail to complete repairs or work specified in a settlement or prior order, with potential remedies including administrative fines, rent abatement, and cost coverage
Source: Section 6
Updates clause structure to remove certain subsection references
Source: Section 7(1)
Updates cross-references to clauses to align with changes to section 37(7)
Source: Section 7(2)
Changes rules for rent charged to new tenants by limiting rent to the previous tenant's lawful rent, a calculated amount based on permitted increases/decreases if the unit had remained occupied, or the first charged rent if never rented
Source: Section 8
Updates cross-references to remove section 6 from exemption provisions
Source: Section 9
Expands the circumstances in which tenants can apply to the Board for an order determining maximum lawful rent, and specifies how the Board must address rent increase prohibition orders and overpayment rebates
Source: Section 10
Allows landlords to take rent increases without notice in certain circumstances after completing work orders or repairs related to serious breaches, subject to specific conditions
Source: Section 11
Prevents landlords from increasing rent until they have filed a required statement with the rent registry
Source: Section 12
Removes reference to a previous type of Board order no longer available
Source: Section 13
Establishes a new rent registry to be maintained by the Landlord and Tenant Board, requires landlords to file statements and rent change notices, allows access by authorized individuals, makes certain information public, and creates penalties for non-compliance
Source: Section 14
Allows the Board to refuse, stay, or not issue orders in applications if the applicant has not filed a required statement or owes money to the Board
Source: Section 15
Changes the Board's obligation from 'monitor' to 'ensure' compliance
Source: Section 16
Adds a new offense for landlords who provide false information in a statement filed with the Board under the rent registry provisions
Source: Section 17
Removes one offense provision and adds a new offense for failing to file a required statement with the rent registry
Source: Section 18
Removes three paragraphs and adds a new paragraph allowing regulations to govern the rent registry established under Part XI.1
Source: Section 19
Adds a new section requiring the Legal Aid Services Corporation to provide free legal representation to tenants before the Landlord and Tenant Board in applications for above-guideline rent increases, without income eligibility requirements or cost-sharing obligations
Source: Section 20
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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