NDP: Silence from Ford while corporate landlords hike rent unfairly

TORONTO — Ontario NDP Shadow Housing Minister Catherine McKenney (Ottawa Centre) and Shadow Finance Minister Jessica Bell (University-Rosedale) are calling on the Ford government to ban above-guideline rent increases in buildings of six units or more, closing loopholes in the Residential Tenancies Act that allow corporate landlords to abuse the system and raise rents beyond the yearly maximum.

“The Ford government has continuously failed to protect Ontario’s tenants,” said McKenney. “Thanks to his elimination of rent control, disinterest in creating affordable housing, and willingness to let wealthy corporate landlords game the system, tenants are falling through the cracks.

“Protections for tenants aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on if corporations can use loopholes to hike already sky-high rent prices. Doug Ford must ban AGIs in buildings of six units or more and commit to making housing affordable for all Ontarians.”

“Ontarians are already grappling with Ford’s jobs disaster. 800,000 people are out of work in our province, and many are precariously employed,” said Bell. “The Conservatives have already made life unaffordable. Allowing large corporate landlords to offload basic repair and maintenance costs onto tenants while raking in profit is insult to injury.

“Ford has had seven years to address this issue, and somehow housing has never been more expensive in Ontario. He needs to tell corporate landlords that rent is more than enough to cover the costs of maintenance and close these loopholes that are used to hurt Ontarians.”

BACKGROUND:

• Canada’s biggest and most profitable landlords are most frequently applying to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) for AGIs.
• The Residential Tenancies Act states that landlords have an obligation to keep their properties in a state of good repair, using rent to pay for maintenance. However, many tenants complain of landlords ignoring their maintenance requests. Once the problems can no longer be avoided, the landlord applies for an AGI.
• AGIs often prioritize work like lobby renovations that increase the overall value of the building, without improving its living conditions.
• Fighting an AGI is extremely difficult for tenants. Corporate landlords have teams of lawyers and staff at their disposal. Tenants often do not have the resources to hire a paralegal or lawyer. Instead, they must organize on their own time and navigate confusing administrative procedures.
• The overwhelming majority of AGI applications are approved, leaving tenants feeling defeated and eventually priced out. A 2024 analysis by CBC found that of the 2,253 AGI applications they reviewed, 88% were granted.