Recently, Ontario’s Bill 60 has been in the news since the Progressive Conservative government introduced Bill 60. The bill passed in November has made some changes in appeals, non-payment evictions, and more. While the government says this bill is passed to avoid delays, improve efficiency, reduce backlogs, and increase housing supply, this bill also impacts responsibilities and rules for tenants and landlords. Let us understand in detail what it is and how it affects both:
What is Bill 60?
Bill 60, officially named the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act 2025, was introduced by the Progressive Conservative Government of Ontario. It’s an omnibus bill intended to reduce red tape, speeding up construction, and helping tenants and landlords. The bill was passed with the aim of reducing the delays in Ontario’s housing and overall development systems. It’s been one of the most debated sections under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), which governs eviction, tenant-landlord objections, and rent rules.
Key Changes in Bill 60
The recent bill has made some changes in the section under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA). These include
- Previously, eviction for non-payment was 15 days, which is now reduced to 7 days.
- When landlords give 120 days’ notice, there is no compensation for a personal use eviction.
- Tenants have to give advanced notice before bringing any new issues to the hearing.
- Previously, the appeal window was 30 days, which is now reduced to 15 days.
- Overall, the bill changes offer higher turnarounds, less stability, and high pressure on both tenants and landlords.
How Do These Changes Affect Landlords?
The changes in Bill 60 have their own impact on landlords but offer more administrative flexibility for new challenges. Here are some of the best ways landlords can benefit from the bill:
- Faster dispute resolution and eviction: With the new rules and changes in Bill 60, landlords can act on unpaid rents. This can help in improving cash flow predictability, reducing the wait times for hearings, and removing chronic non-payers.
- Higher Vacancy Risk: The biggest reason for insurance risk is vacancies; this bill helps landlords to reduce this risk. With faster timelines for eviction, the vacancy rates increase. The frequent turnover increases exposure to theft, wear and tear from constant move-in and move-out, water damage, and property hazards that may go unnoticed. Many insurance policies for landlords have a 30-day timeline. They suspended coverage after 30 days of vacancy. So, with higher vacancies, the risk of insurance increases.
- Regulatory and Compliance Pressure: With continuous eviction, public criticism of this can result in more scrutiny from regulators. This might bring community backlash and hamper the brand image of landlords with multiple units. Tenants, when searching for homes, often look for reviews online. Community backlash will lead to bad reviews and eventually impact the business.
- Enhanced Liability and Legal Expense Protection: The appeal window in the bill, which was previously stated to be 30 days, is now reduced to 15 days. This can increase the disputes and wrongful eviction claims, and landlords will end up facing more legal scrutiny. This makes it important to handle the legal expense coverage and insurance to navigate this risk.
How Does Bill 60 Affect Tenants?
Tenants will face the brunt of this bill, as they are most affected by reduced timelines for different rules. Here is how tenants are likely to be affected after Ontario’s Bill 60 changes:
- Less Time to Respond: When eviction issues arise, the tenants will have only 7 days in case of non-payment and 15 days to appeal. This will lead to financial stress for tenants as they will end up having a limited time frame to arrange funds. In fact, unexpected emergencies like job loss or medical issues can be risky. Overall, this will lead to risky housing stability for tenants in the long run.
- High Financial Stress: The reduced timelines will make it difficult for tenants to arrange money, negotiate, or seek any help. Thus, pushing them into unexpected debts, credit card loans, emergency loans, and most importantly, sudden displacement.
- Importance of Tenant Insurance: Tenant insurance becomes crucial after the bill implementation. The insurance policy will cover tenants from liability for accidental damage to the rental unit, any loss or damage to belongings, and additional living expenses for temporary housing.
How Can Both Tenants and Landlords Navigate Through This?
The Ontario Bill 60, Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act 2025, has an impact on both tenants and landlords. Here are some ways both can navigate through challenges:
- Before renting, go through the bill’s policies to avoid any issues later.
- Read through the contract carefully with each detail that connects with the bill.
- Make sure you have insurance that helps you cover any damage.
Conclusion
Ontario’s Bill 60 adds pressure and more restricted timelines for landlords and tenants. This leads to faster eviction and the need for insurance in both cases. The bill was passed with the aim of avoiding delays, but this also adds risk in the real estate market in Canada. The rental market will always be under stress to fulfill timelines to avoid legal implications. Overall, this bill has brought some changes that help landlords avoid delays but also added more risk.
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Source: ola.org – Bill 60
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long do tenants have to appeal an eviction under this bill?
Tenants have 15 days to appeal for eviction under Bill 60.
Can a landlord evict a tenant without compensation?
If a tenant has received notice of 120 days, landlords can evict without compensation for personal use.
How does this bill change the eviction process?
The earlier bill provided enough time for tenants to arrange money to avoid eviction. Now, this has been reduced to just 7 days, reducing the timeline and increasing the eviction.
