The Investigation and Enforcement Unit responds to complaints from landlords or tenants about alleged offences under the new Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (the Act), which took effect January 31, 2007. The Act regulates the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants in residential properties in Ontario.Where compliance with the Act cannot be achieved, the Unit’s mandate extends to enforcement, which may involve formal investigations leading to prosecutions of alleged offenders in the Ontario Court of Justice (Provincial Offences Court).The Unit also has responsibility to enforce the provincial Maintenance Standards. These Standards, which are set out in Ontario Regulation 517/06 under the Act, apply in municipalities that do not have their own municipal maintenance standards by-laws. In these situations, if IEU receives complaints from tenants related to rental property maintenance issues, provincial inspectors are dispatched to inspect properties and, if necessary, issue Work Orders to ensure premises are brought up to the provincial Standards.The IEU has a provincial Call Centre staffed by Compliance/Customer Service Officers (CCSOs). The Call Centre is open from Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. Our CCSOs answer questions and take complaints, create files and intervene with the alleged offending party to try to achieve compliance with the Act. The IEU also has a team of investigators that conduct further investigation if compliance is not achieved.
