By Adam Frisk

The provincial government recently passed the “Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act” (Bill 60), a major piece of legislation that changes several provincial laws, including the Residential Tenancies Act, which governs rental agreements in Ontario. These changes are expected to affect both local tenants and property owners.

The Doug Ford government claimed Bill 60 was designed to cut down on bureaucratic delays and “red tape” to encourage the construction of more affordable housing and improve infrastructure.

Rob Flack, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, stated that the aim is to build a stronger economy by fighting delays that slow down the delivery of homes and roads. The government also believes the bill will help reduce the backlog of cases at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) and boost the supply of rental units.

“Our government is building a more prosperous, resilient, and competitive economy by fighting costly delays and regulatory burdens that slow the delivery of homes, roads, and infrastructure that communities need,” he said in a statement late last month. “With tariffs and economic uncertainty taking aim at our economy, we’re working with municipal leaders and homebuilders to get shovels in the ground faster so we can build more homes and keep workers on the job.”

While the core rules about lease agreements and renewals remain the same, the bill introduces significant procedural changes, particularly concerning evictions.

Landlords and tenants must now only use an official, LTB-approved form when serving a notice of tenancy termination.

The time a landlord must give a tenant for an eviction notice has been cut dramatically, shortening the period from 14 days to just one week in most cases. The new law is also designed to speed up evictions for tenants who are behind on their rent.

If a tenant wants to request a review of an eviction decision they believe was made in error, they now have only 15 days to do so, down from the previous 30-day window.

Landlords who evict a tenant because they or a family member wants to move into the unit must still give four months’ notice. However, they are no longer required to provide the tenant with one month’s rent compensation or help them find a new unit.

In one of the most significant shifts, tenants who are facing an eviction hearing for alleged overdue rent must now pay at least 50 per cent of the rent allegedly owed before they are allowed to raise their own issues about the property or the landlord at the LTB hearing. Previously, tenants could withhold rent due to maintenance issues and present their case at the hearing without making payment upfront.

Places for People (P4P), a charitable housing provider in Haliburton County dedicated to providing and advocating for affordable housing, expressed broader concerns about the local rental crisis in light of Bill 60, despite the legislation having a “minimal” direct impact on their own operations.

P4P, while holding the title of landlord, asserts that its core mission is to support tenants and the well-being of the community.

“Well, first of all, since we’ve been around, which has been, well, 20 years since Fay Martin got the idea of forming Places for People, in those 20 years, we’ve only evicted one person,” P4P board of directors president Susan Tromanhauser said in a telephone interview.

The single eviction was for a tenant who refused to pay rent for a “considerable length of time,” rather than one who was simply unable to pay. P4P emphasized its purpose is to work with and support its tenants if they encounter difficulties.

“Because the purpose of Places for People is to support our tenants. And if for any reason they couldn’t pay, we would work with them and find out why and help them.”

While the bill may not significantly alter the organization’s day-to-day operations, the charity is concerned about its potential effect on the broader Haliburton County housing market.

“But in the broader picture, we’re concerned because we’re supporting tenants throughout the

county, and we want the community of Haliburton to succeed,” Tromanhauser said. “And I know a lot of employers are struggling to find employees because they’re struggling to find housing.”