Provisions in the RTA encourage landlords to maintain their buildings and provide more remedies to tenants who are living in poorly maintained buildings.
- If a building has serious maintenance issues or serious outstanding work orders, the following remedies are available to tenants:
- A tenant can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board to stop all rent increases, including annual rent increases and above guideline increases, until all the serious maintenance issues are resolved.
- If there are serious outstanding work orders or serious maintenance issues, the Board may refuse some or all of an above guideline increase application, until these issues were resolved.
- In special circumstances, the Board member may allow tenants to pay some or all the rent to the Board, instead of to the landlord, until the serious maintenance issues are resolved.
- Landlords can inspect rental units for maintenance problems. They are required to give their tenants 24-hour notice of this inspection. This helps landlords fix maintenance issues before they became serious.