Important Changes for Landlords and Tenants with Bill-60
I've spent the last decade watching landlords in Burlington, Oakville, and Hamilton wait a year, sometimes longer, for an LTB hearing while a tenant in arrears racked up debt. I've also seen tenants get blindsided by a landlord who knew the paperwork better than they did. Bill 60 changes both realities. It's Ontario's biggest change of landlord-tenant law in years, and it's rolling out in pieces. Some already law, some coming in September, some still just ink on paper.
Quick translation before we start: the "LTB" is the Landlord and Tenant Board - basically small claims court for rentals. An "N4" is the notice you serve when rent hasn't been paid. An "N12" is the notice you serve when you or a family member wants to move into the unit yourself. Remember these terms while reading on.
What's Already Law (Don't Wait On This)
Since July 1, 2026, if you get a decision from the LTB, landlord or tenant, you now have 15 days to ask for a review instead of 30. Think of it like a return window at a store. It used to be a month. Now it's two weeks. Miss it, and the decision is permanent. If you get any kind of LTB order in the mail, mark the date and circle 15 days later on your calendar.
What's Coming September 21, 2026
The rent-arrears notice speeds up. Right now, if a tenant misses rent, a landlord serves an N4 and then has to wait 14 days before filing with the LTB. Starting September 21, that wait drops to 7 days. Picture it this way: rent's due the 1st, tenant doesn't pay, you serve the N4 on the 2nd. Today, you can't file with the Board until the 16th. After September 21, you can file on the 9th, a full week faster.
Personal-use evictions get a financial trade-off. If you're evicting a tenant because you or a family member wants to move in (the N12), you currently owe that tenant one month's rent in compensation, no matter what. Starting September 21, if you give the tenant at least 120 days' notice, instead of the usual 60, you don't owe that compensation. Say rent is $2,400 a month in your Hamilton unit. Give four months' notice instead of two, and you keep that $2,400 instead of handing it over. It's a real, deliberate choice landlords will need to make: less notice and pay up, or more notice and pocket it.
Important: bad-faith evictions are still illegal and now cost more. If you claim you're moving in and then just re-rent the unit at a higher price, you're looking at fines up to $100,000 for individuals and $500,000 for corporations.
What's Passed But Not Yet in Law
Two more changes are written into the bill but have no start date yet, so don't act on them: a rule requiring tenants to pay at least 50% of what they owe before they can raise unrelated complaints (like maintenance issues) at a rent hearing, and a rule requiring both sides to share their evidence ahead of time instead of surprising each other at the hearing. Both make sense on paper. Neither is law yet. Ignore anyone telling you otherwise until Tribunals Ontario confirms a date.
Who Wins, Who Loses
Landlords gain speed and a bit more leverage. Faster filing on unpaid rent, a real financial reward for planning a personal-use move-in further ahead, and quicker finality once a decision is made. If you're a small landlord in Burlington or Oakville who's been stuck for months waiting on the system, this is genuine relief.
Tenants lose breathing room. Less time to catch up on rent before a landlord can start the eviction process. Less time to challenge a decision you think is wrong. Tenant advocacy groups like ACTO have raised real concerns that this tips hearings toward landlords before a tenant can build a defence.
Both sides benefit from one thing everybody agrees on: a Landlord and Tenant Board that acts efficiently is better than one frozen in a 14-month backlog. Nobody wins when a hearing takes over a year to get scheduled.
What To Do With This
If you're a landlord with a rental in Burlington, Oakville, or Hamilton: keep a clean, up-to-date rent ledger you could hand over in five minutes if asked. If you're planning a personal-use eviction, run the math on 120 days' notice versus the compensation cost before you serve anything.
If you're a tenant: know your dates. Fifteen days to challenge an LTB order, starting now. Seven days on a rent notice instead of fourteen, starting September 21.
If you're weighing whether to hold a rental or sell it in this market, this changes the math on both sides of that decision. I'm happy to walk through what it means for your specific property.
Give me a call to see your options!
Quick Glossary: Landlord-Tenant Terms
LTB (Landlord and Tenant Board) - Ontario's tribunal for rental disputes. Think of it as small claims court for landlords and tenants.
N4 - The notice a landlord serves when rent hasn't been paid. Starts the clock on the eviction process for arrears.
N12 - The notice a landlord serves to end a tenancy because they, or a family member, want to move into the unit.
L1 - The application a landlord files with the LTB after an N4 to formally request an eviction order for unpaid rent.
L2 - The application a landlord files with the LTB after an N12 if the tenant doesn't move out by the termination date.
Arrears - Rent that's owed and unpaid. The amount a tenant is behind.
RTA (Residential Tenancies Act) - The Ontario law that governs almost everything about renting: notices, evictions, rent increases, tenant rights.
Review (LTB order review) - A formal request to have the Board reconsider a decision it already made. Time-limited - currently 15 days.
