After years of uncertainty, Ontario has sent a clear signal to the rental market.
With the introduction of Bill 60, the province has made one of the most meaningful updates to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) in years. The changes are designed to improve efficiency, reduce prolonged disputes, and restore balance between landlords and tenants.
While Bill 60 applies only in Ontario, updates of this scale rarely stay isolated. When Ontario adjusts its housing framework, the rest of the country tends to watch closely.
What Is Bill 60 - And Why Does It Matter?
At its core, Bill 60 focuses on efficiency, clarity, and accountability.
For years, landlords faced long delays, rising arrears, and procedural uncertainty when enforcing basic lease obligations. Bill 60 shortens timelines, limits unnecessary delays, and provides more predictability for housing providers - while maintaining core tenant protections.
This isn’t about removing protections for tenants.
It’s about restoring confidence in the rental system so responsible investment in housing supply can continue - something Canada continues to need.
Summarizing it:
Key RTA Changes Landlords Need to Know
Here are the most impactful amendments under Bill 60:
Faster non-payment action
N4 notices for unpaid rent are shortened from 14 days to 7 days, allowing landlords to file with the LTB sooner.
Quicker final decisions
Review requests drop from 30 days to 15, reducing endless delays and improving resolution times.
Limits on delay tactics
Tenants raising counter-claims (repairs, harassment, etc.) must now prepay 50% of arrears before doing so.
Changes to personal-use evictions (N12)
One-month rent compensation is removed when pa poper 120-day notice is provided or aligned with the lease end.
New “persistently late” rent grounds
Upcoming regulations will address chronic late payments - a long-standing issue for landlords.
These changes dramatically reduce uncertainty and cash-flow risk.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
Imagine a landlord running a duplex. One tenant falls three months behind, owing $9,000.
Before Bill 60, the landlord could wait months - sometimes longer - while disputes dragged through the LTB.
Now?
Day 7: N4 is issued
Same week: L1 application is filed
Any counter-claim requires 50% of the arrears upfront
Appeals are limited
Resolution happens faster
That’s not punishment. That’s predictability - and predictability is what allows people to invest responsibly.
Why This Matters for Housing Supply
Landlords aren’t villains - they’re housing providers.
Buying a rental property requires capital, risk, compliance, and ongoing responsibility. When the system becomes unworkable, investors step back. When confidence returns, supply follows.
Bill 60 sends a message:
Ontario wants ethical landlords to stay in the game.
And that matters at a time when rental housing shortages remain one of Canada’s biggest challenges.
How Tenants Are Affected
Bill 60 does mean faster timelines and less tolerance for chronic non-payment.
For tenants who consistently pay rent and communicate responsibly, this creates a more stable rental environment. Issues are addressed faster. Bad actors exit sooner. Supply improves over time.
For vulnerable renters, the changes highlight the importance of early communication, payment plans, and professional guidance - because delays are no longer automatic.
Balance cuts both ways.
Why Investors Outside Ontario Should Care
Ontario often sets the tone.
Provinces like BC, Quebec, and Nova Scotia still maintain stronger tenant-leaning frameworks, but pressure is mounting everywhere to address supply constraints.
A more efficient, investor-friendly system in Canada’s largest province increases confidence nationally , especially for investors who’ve been sitting on the sidelines due to regulatory uncertainty.
This could be the start of a broader shift.
The Bigger Picture
For the first time in years, investment housing is being actively encouraged instead of penalized.
Bill 60 doesn’t remove responsibility, it restores fairness.
And fairness is what allows long-term, ethical investors to build housing, stabilize communities, and contribute to a healthier rental market.
For landlords, investors, and real-estate professionals, understanding these changes isn’t optional - it’s essential.
