Published 2 November 2026 · By Jatin Dua, Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty
File at the Landlord and Tenant Board for most problems: a T2 for harassment, illegal entry, lockouts or cut services, a T6 for repairs. The fee is $53, or $48 online, and you have one year. Report offences such as lockouts to the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit, and in Toronto call 311 about heat or building standards.
This guide is for Ontario tenants who have a real problem with a landlord and want to know who to complain to. You will get a map of every option, from the Landlord and Tenant Board to the City of Toronto, with the right form, fee and deadline for each, plus what each one can actually do for you.
How do I report a landlord in Ontario?
It depends on the problem. There is no single complaints office. The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) makes orders that fix your situation and can award you money. The province’s Rental Housing Enforcement Unit (RHEU) deals with offences. Your city enforces local bylaws on heat and property standards. The Human Rights Tribunal handles discrimination.
Start with the table below to find your route. Most tenants end up using more than one.
| Problem | Where to go | Form | Fee | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harassment, illegal entry, lockout, cut-off heat or water | LTB | T2 | $53, or $48 online | 1 year |
| Repairs and maintenance | LTB | T6 | $53, or $48 online | 1 year |
| Illegal rent or charges | LTB | T1 | $53, or $48 online | 1 year after the money was collected |
| Bad-faith N12 or N13 notice | LTB | T5 | $53, or $48 online | 1 year after moving out |
| Denied the right to return after renovations | LTB | T5 | $53, or $48 online | Later of 2 years after moving out or 6 months after work ends |
| Lockout, cut services, harassment as an offence | Rental Housing Enforcement Unit | Phone or online | None | Act quickly |
| No heat, poor maintenance (Toronto) | City of Toronto 311 | Service request | None | After 24 hours for heat |
| Discrimination | Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario | Application | Check with the Tribunal | 1 year after the last incident |
Source: Tribunals Ontario LTB fees page; Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, ss. 29, 57, 57.1, 135; Human Rights Code s. 34; City of Toronto.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the right route and deadline for your own case with the LTB, a licensed paralegal or a lawyer.
What is the difference between the LTB and the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit?
The LTB is a tribunal. You file an application, both sides get a hearing, and an adjudicator makes an order. That order can give you money back, stop the landlord’s conduct, or let you back into your unit.
The RHEU is an enforcement office at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. It deals with offences under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (the RTA), such as illegal lockouts, cutting off vital services, harassing a tenant to leave, or entering without proper notice. The LTB’s lockout brochure says an officer may call the landlord to explain the law. If the landlord does not cooperate, the unit may investigate and take the landlord to court.
The two work in parallel. The RHEU will not get you a rent abatement, and the LTB will not prosecute. On conviction, a court can fine an individual up to $100,000 and a corporation up to $500,000, under amounts in force since July 1, 2026.
How do I file a T2 complaint with the LTB?
The T2, Application about Tenant Rights, is the main complaint form. It covers illegal entry, lock changes without new keys, serious interference with your reasonable enjoyment, withheld vital services, and harassment, coercion or threats. Here is the short version:
- Describe each problem on the form with dates, or approximate dates if you are unsure.
- Choose the remedies you want, such as a rent abatement or an order to stop.
- File online through the Tribunals Ontario Portal to pay the lower $48 fee, or file on paper for $53.
- If it is urgent, such as a lockout, file a Request to Shorten Time with your application.
- Send your evidence to the LTB and the landlord at least 7 days before the hearing.
My full guide to the T2 application covers fee waivers and free legal help. For repairs, use the T6 maintenance application instead.
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What can the LTB order against my landlord?
On a T2, the LTB can:
- order a rent abatement, which is a full or partial refund of rent for a period
- order the landlord, superintendent or agent to stop the conduct
- order payment for damaged or lost property and other reasonable out-of-pocket costs
- order an administrative fine paid to the LTB, up to the greater of $10,000 and the Small Claims Court limit, now $50,000
- end the tenancy, if you ask for that
- if the landlord’s conduct pushed you to move out, order up to a year of any increased rent plus moving and storage costs
When it decides on repair cases, the Act tells the LTB to consider whether you told the landlord about the problem before you applied. Always complain in writing first. My post on what to expect at an LTB hearing explains how the day runs.
Can I sue my landlord in Ontario?
Usually not in court for RTA issues. Section 168 of the RTA gives the LTB exclusive jurisdiction over matters the Act covers. Your claim goes to the LTB, which can order up to $50,000, matching the current Small Claims Court limit.
If your claim is bigger, the Act lets you start a proceeding in court instead. The T2 instructions warn that once the LTB issues an order on your claim, you lose any right to amounts above $50,000. Decide before you file. Claims outside the RTA, such as a personal injury claim, may belong in court. Get legal advice on those.
Can I raise my complaints if my landlord is evicting me for unpaid rent?
Yes, but the rules tightened on September 21, 2026. At a hearing on an L1 application for unpaid rent, you can raise issues you could have filed yourself, such as repairs or harassment. For L1 applications filed on or after that date, you must do two things:
- give the landlord written notice of the issues within the time the LTB’s Rules set, and
- pay the landlord half of the arrears claimed in the application, at least seven days before the hearing.
The LTB says the payment goes straight to the landlord, not into the LTB’s trust account, so keep a receipt. The LTB has a form called Issues a Tenant Intends to Raise at a Rent Arrears Hearing. If you have serious complaints, file your own T2 or T6 early rather than waiting for the landlord’s case.
Do not withhold rent to force repairs. Since September 21, 2026, an N4 for unpaid rent can end your tenancy after just 7 days’ notice. Withholding rent also makes it harder to raise your own issues at the hearing. Keep paying, keep records, and use your deadlines. Most tenant applications must be filed within one year.
How do I complain to the City of Toronto about my landlord?
Call or submit a request to 311. The City enforces its bylaws on heat, vital services and property standards. For heat, the City says to speak to your landlord first. If the problem is not resolved within 24 hours, contact 311 and the City will investigate.
If you live in a rental building with three or more storeys and ten or more units, it falls under RentSafeTO, the City’s apartment building standards program. You can look up your building’s evaluation score and any active violations online. Condos, townhomes and units in a private house, such as a basement apartment, are not part of RentSafeTO, but other City bylaws still apply. Outside Toronto, contact your own city’s bylaw or property standards office.
Can my landlord punish me for complaining?
No. It is an offence under section 233 of the RTA to harass, hinder, obstruct or interfere with a tenant who is trying to secure a right, seek relief under the Act or in a court, or take part in an LTB proceeding. It is also an offence to interfere with a tenant who is organizing or joining a tenants’ association. If retaliation happens, it can go on a T2 and be reported to the RHEU.
Where do I complain about rent, deposits or an illegal eviction?
Money problems go on a T1, the Tenant Application for a Rebate. That covers rent above what the law allows, fees the Act bans, and unpaid interest on a last month’s rent deposit. You have one year from when the landlord collected or kept the money. My posts on an illegal rent increase and Ontario rental deposit rules explain what counts.
If your landlord is trying to remove you without an LTB order, that is both an LTB matter and an offence. Use a T2, call the RHEU, and call the police if you need help getting back in. My guide on whether a landlord can evict you without the LTB covers the legal process a landlord must follow.
The tenants who win are rarely the angriest. They are the most organized. Before you file anything, build a simple timeline: date, what happened, who was involved, and proof. Send your landlord one clear written complaint and give a fair deadline. If nothing changes, file. A clean paper trail helps you at the LTB, with the City and with the RHEU at the same time.
What to do next
- Write to your landlord describing the problem and asking for a fix by a set date.
- Match your problem to the table above and note your deadline.
- For safety issues in Toronto, call 311. For a lockout or cut-off service, also contact the RHEU.
- File the right LTB form online to pay the lower fee, and ask for a fee waiver if you qualify.
- Get free advice from a community legal clinic or Tenant Duty Counsel before your hearing.
Need help with this? Talk to me.
I’m Jatin Dua, Broker of Record at RE/MAX Quantum Realty, and I’m the best agent to do this kind of work for you in Toronto and across the GTA. Over $100 million in GTA sales and 100+ families helped sell. Feel free to contact me any time: call or text 833-330-1925 or email [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
How do I report a bad landlord in Ontario?
It depends on the problem. In Ontario, file at the Landlord and Tenant Board for harassment, illegal entry, lockouts or cut services (T2), repairs (T6) or illegal charges (T1). Report offences such as illegal lockouts to the province’s Rental Housing Enforcement Unit. In Toronto, call 311 about heat or property standards. Discrimination goes to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
Can I take my landlord to court in Ontario?
Usually you apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board instead. The LTB has exclusive jurisdiction over Residential Tenancies Act matters and can order up to $50,000. If your claim is larger, you can go to court. Once the LTB rules on your claim, you lose any right to amounts above $50,000, so decide first. Get legal advice for large claims.
How much does it cost to file a complaint against a landlord in Ontario?
The LTB fee for a tenant T1, T2, T5 or T6 application is $53, or $48 through the Tribunals Ontario Portal. Fees are non-refundable, and low-income tenants can ask for a fee waiver. Calling the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit or making a 311 complaint in Toronto costs nothing. Multi-tenant applications cost $53 plus $5 per additional unit, to a maximum of $450.
How long do I have to file a T2 against my landlord in Ontario?
One year. Under section 29 of Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act, a tenant or former tenant cannot apply more than one year after the landlord’s conduct happened. The same one-year limit applies to T6 maintenance applications. For ongoing problems, file sooner rather than later, and keep dated records so you can show when each incident happened.
What is the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit in Ontario?
It is the provincial office that enforces offences under the Residential Tenancies Act, part of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. It handles issues such as illegal lockouts, cut-off vital services and harassment. An officer may call the landlord to explain the law and can investigate. Courts can fine individuals up to $100,000 and corporations up to $500,000.
Can my landlord evict me for complaining to the LTB?
No. Under section 233 of Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act, it is an offence to harass, obstruct or interfere with a tenant for seeking relief under the Act, taking part in an LTB proceeding or joining a tenants’ association. A landlord still needs a valid legal reason and an LTB order to end a tenancy. Retaliation can be raised on a T2.
Who do I call if my landlord won’t fix the heat in Toronto?
Call 311 if your landlord has not fixed it within 24 hours. The City of Toronto treats no heat as urgent and says landlords must respond within 24 hours. Toronto landlords who pay for heat must keep units at 21°C from October 1 to May 15. You can also file a T2 or T6 with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Can I raise repair issues at my eviction hearing for unpaid rent in Ontario?
Yes, but with conditions. For L1 applications filed on or after September 21, 2026, an Ontario tenant must give the landlord advance written notice of the issues and pay half the claimed arrears directly to the landlord at least seven days before the hearing. Keep a receipt. Filing your own T6 or T2 early avoids relying on this route.
What can the LTB make my landlord pay in Ontario?
On a tenant application, the Ontario LTB can order a rent abatement, compensation for damaged property and reasonable out-of-pocket costs, and an administrative fine of up to $50,000. If the landlord’s conduct pushed you out, it can order up to one year of increased rent plus moving and storage costs. Total claims are capped at $50,000.
Sources
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, ss. 29-31, 57, 57.1, 82, 135, 168, 207, 233, 238 (Ontario e-Laws, consolidated September 21, 2026)
- Tribunals Ontario: LTB forms, filing and fees
- LTB: Form T2 Instructions, Application about Tenant Rights
- LTB brochure: If You are Locked out of Your Unit, Information for Tenants
- Tribunals Ontario: LTB operational update, legislative changes effective September 21, 2026
- Ontario: Rental housing offences
- Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, ss. 2 and 34 (Ontario e-Laws)
- City of Toronto: RentSafeTO for Tenants
Related reading
- Can My Landlord Enter Without Notice in Ontario?
- Can a Landlord Evict You Without Going to the LTB in Ontario?
- Can My Landlord Raise the Rent Every Year in Ontario? 2027 Rules
- Can a Landlord Put Security Cameras in or Outside a Rental in Ontario?
About the author — Jatin Dua, Toronto and GTA real estate broker
I am Jatin Dua, Broker of Record and co-founder of RE/MAX Quantum Realty Inc., Brokerage, Unit 101, 799 The Queensway, Toronto. I work with buyers and sellers across Toronto and the GTA and have helped more than 100 families sell. Four-plus years of active GTA transactions and over $100 million in sales volume.
Reach me at [email protected] or 833-330-1925, or book a call.