Advertisement

News

Now Tories really put screws to tenants

Rating: NNNNN


TENANTS

Ever since the Tories’ landlord-friendly Tenant Protection Act was passed, an average of 500 tenants a week have gotten eviction notices in Toronto alone.

But apparently the government can’t turn tenants served with the notices out on the street quickly enough.

The housing ministry is looking to give not just adjudicators but staff at the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal the power to issue default orders when the issue in dispute is non-payment of rent. Critics say the change would make a system stacked against tenants even more intolerable.

The Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA) reports that eviction orders have climbed 15 per cent since 1997. According to CERA, 80 per cent of those hauled before the tribunal for failure to pay rent are evicted.

Kevin Sullivan, manager of the province’s housing policy branch, says the changes are intended to improve administrative efficiencies. He says tenants will still have 10 days to appeal staff decisions.

Advertisement

Exclusive content and events straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Recently Posted