Bill 58 explained in plain English

Bill 58 amends Ontario's rental housing laws to add stricter rules around "no-fault" evictions (when landlords evict tenants for personal use, repairs, demolition, or conversion), includes mandatory compensation for illegal evictions, and provides free legal representation to affected tenants.

Bill 58, the Protecting Renters from Illegal Evictions Act, 2022, changes how Ontario landlords can evict tenants for reasons not related to the tenant's conduct. These are called "no-fault" evictions and include situations where a landlord wants to occupy the unit themselves, a family member wants to move in, the property is being sold to someone who wants to occupy it, or the property needs major repairs, renovation, demolition, or conversion to non-residential use. The bill makes several key changes: 1. **Stricter Notice Rules**: Landlords must use official Board-approved forms when giving these types of notices. If they don't, the notice is invalid and the Board will not accept eviction applications. Notice periods are extended (from 1 year to 2 years for personal occupation, from 60 days to 6 months for certain situations). 2. **Documentation Requirements**: For repairs, renovations, demolitions, or conversions, landlords must provide tenants with copies of all necessary approvals (like building permits) that authorize these work. 3. **Penalties for Illegal Evictions**: If the Board finds that a landlord gave a no-fault eviction notice in bad faith (meaning they lied about their reasons), the landlord must pay the tenant compensation equal to either 12 months of rent or $35,000, whichever is greater. The Board can also allow tenants to return to vacant units or require landlords to offer them the next available unit at the same rent. 4. **Free Legal Help**: Tenants who receive no-fault eviction notices can now get free legal representation from Legal Aid Ontario before the Landlord and Tenant Board, without having to meet regular eligibility requirements or contribute to costs. 5. **Tracking and Monitoring**: The Landlord and Tenant Board must keep a registry of all no-fault eviction applications and publish annual reports (without tenant names) showing how many applications were filed, where, and what happened. The Board must notify the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing of all no-fault eviction orders issued. 6. **Ministry Oversight**: The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing must investigate no-fault evictions to verify they were made in good faith. If the Minister finds evidence that a landlord violated the rules during a certain time period after the eviction, the Minister must notify the former tenant that they may have been illegally evicted and can apply to the Board for compensation within two years. The law comes into force when it receives Royal Assent.