Bill 60 & the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA)
What Ontario Landlords and Tenants Need to Know
Ontario’s rental landscape just shifted in a big way. With the passing of Bill 60, Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, the province introduced one of the most significant updates to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) in years.
These changes directly affect evictions, notices, compensation, defence requirements, and the overall speed of the process at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). Whether you are a landlord, tenant, or investor, understanding these updates is crucial.
1. Faster Eviction Process for Non-Payment of Rent
Before Bill 60, tenants typically had around 14 days before a landlord could issue an eviction notice. Landlords can now begin the eviction process as early as 7 days after rent becomes overdue.
Why it matters:
Landlords: Faster recovery when rent is not paid.
Tenants: Much less buffer time — missing even one payment can escalate quickly.
2. New Requirements for Tenants Using Maintenance Issues as a Defence
If a tenant wants to argue that repairs or maintenance problems justify withholding rent or affect arrears, Bill 60 adds a major new requirement:
Tenants must now pay 50% of the outstanding rent upfront before raising these issues in a non-payment eviction hearing.
Impact:
(1) Helps prevent abuse of the “maintenance defence” to delay evictions.
(2) Makes it harder for tenants who genuinely face repair issues but cannot afford upfront payment.
3. Big Change to “Landlord’s Own Use” Evictions (N12 – Personal Use)
Before Bill 60, landlords evicting a tenant for personal use (Form N12) had to pay one month’s rent compensation.
Now, if a landlord gives at least 120 days’ notice and ends the tenancy at the end of a term or rental period, they no longer have to pay the one-month compensation.
What this means:
Landlords: Reduced financial cost for personal-use evictions.
Tenants: Loss of a key protection and financial cushion during displacement.
4. Mandatory Use of Prescribed Forms
All eviction and termination notices must now be issued strictly on LTB-approved or prescribed forms.
Why this matters:
(1) No more improvised or partially modified notices.
(2) Even minor deviations could invalidate a landlord’s notice in the past; this update brings more clarity and standardization to the process.
5. Shorter Deadlines to Challenge LTB Decisions
Bill 60 cuts the window to request a review or appeal of an LTB order to 15 days (down from 30).
Effects:
(1) Appeals move faster.
(2) Tenants and landlords must act immediately if they want a decision reviewed.
(3) Less room for delays or procedural stalling.
Overall Impact
For Landlords:
Bill 60 strengthens enforcement, reduces waiting times, and closes loopholes often used to prolong cases. The eviction process is now faster and more predictable.
For Tenants:
The changes significantly tighten timelines. There’s less flexibility around late rent, fewer options for delaying hearings, and reduced compensation in personal-use evictions.
For the Market:
The goal is to reduce LTB backlogs and speed up turnover — potentially encouraging more investment in rental housing. But the changes also raise concerns about affordability and tenant vulnerability.
If you are unsure how these updates affect you, feel free to reach out. I am here to help landlords, tenants, and investors navigate the changing landscape with clarity and confidence.
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