SOLO Update to MPPs: Issue #6
Every few weeks, SOLO sends landlord stories to Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) to raise awareness of issues in the residential housing system in Ontario, and to advocate for change.
Here’s What’s Happening Now
Every day, your constituents face hardship and injustices within the residential housing system in Ontario. Their stories highlight the urgent need for reform and targeted solutions to protect Ontario tenants and landlords alike.
Etobicoke Small Business Owner Unable to Live in Own Property When Laws Changed After Purchase (MPP Lee Fairclough)
My Le and her family own a small family business named 1925Workbench making handmade doors and furniture in Etobicoke. In 2016, they purchased a small building that would become their workshop (ground floor) with an apartment (second floor). At the time, their lawyer recommended they purchase the property under their corporation. They decided to rent the apartment while they established the workshop and built the business.
In 2017, laws changed preventing corporations from filing N12 Notice to End your Tenancy Because the Landlord Requires the Rental Unit. When My Le was ready to move her family into the apartment on the second floor in 2023, she was shocked to discover that her N12 was not valid given changes to the law.
Since then, she has filed numerous times at the LTB and even offered the tenant money to move, but the tenant, who works at a law firm, asked for 4 times the amount offered instead, and the LTB application was denied. Now, My Le, her husband, and their two children live together in a basement apartment, still waiting to get their property back.
My Le says, "All of our money and all of our hard work is in there. It's not fair the laws changed after we had already purchased the property."
MPP Lee Fairclough, can you help?
Brant Landlord and Small Business Owner Faces Severe Financial and Personal Stress Due to the Slow LTB (MPP Will Bouma; MPP Brian Riddel)
Michael Hilborn purchased a commercial building in February 2023, including a house next door with tenants, without knowing the history. Later, he discovered the previous owners had been forced to sell because of continual threats, harassment and distraction from their primary business by the tenants.
Michael then faced the same situation with police involvement and incurred significant financial loss due to the tenants’ mischief. As part of the harassment, the tenants also filed with the LTB that Michael did not maintain the unit but he had receipts for every claim, except a basement issue which cannot be fixed.
They say they will sue in Superior Court, but now Michael will demolish the house due to deficiencies identified by the Grand River Conservation Authority. Unfortunately, the "60-day" N13 notice has taken 18 months instead, causing financial hardship.
Michael says, “I've lost $300,000 due to the tenants' harassment, incurred $7,000 in legal fees and $30,000 in property repairs related to tenant damages. I discovered too late that landlords have no rights. This is the most costly financial mistake of my life. I will never be a landlord again.”
Sudbury Landlord Emotionally Distressed Watching his Property Destroyed While Waiting for the LTB (MPP Raymond Chow)
Ahmed Qureshi worked hard to purchase his investment property in 2021. He rented the property in July 2023 and had a good relationship with the tenant. But in March 2025, the tenant decided to stop paying rent and began to destroy the property.
Ahmed is not clear on what happened to his tenant, but he knows the tenant's girlfriend and a child left the property due to abuse. Also, the police have been called to the property multiple times, leading his neighbours to question what is happening. The tenant also began to damage the property with garbage piling up around the outside, and abusing utilities by leaving windows open and the water running.
Ahmed has been unable to access his property despite asking for police support. Since then, the utility bills have doubled. He hired a paralegal to file with the LTB and has a hearing scheduled four months after filing. Meanwhile, his neighbours do not feel safe, and the tenant continues to damage the property.
Ahmed says, “The property is getting destroyed. I am in financial difficulties, deeply stressed, and mentally depressed. Please help me.”
MPP Raymond Chow, can you help?
Small Ownership Landlords in Ontario (SOLO) represents over 8,500 members. Our mission is to promote the fair treatment of Ontario small-scale housing providers and tenants by advocating for policies that encourage long-term investments in affordable and healthy residential housing.
According to Statistics Canada, there are 695,000 “mom and pop” housing providers (with one investment property) who provide 30% of rental housing in Ontario.
The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) has a backlog of 53,000 cases according to the latest LTB report. 60% of LTB cases are regarding rental arrears.
We are calling for your support to streamline the process for uncontested cases of non-payment of rent. Specifically, we propose handling these cases administratively, without requiring a full hearing—similar to systems already in place in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. This would significantly reduce the backlog at the LTB, and contribute to a fairer residential housing system for tenants and landlords in Ontario.
