Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) is sounding the alarm about Ontario’s rental market, which it says is leaving families, students, and seniors struggling to find safe, affordable housing.
A new report from OREA warns that without urgent reforms, the provincial rental system will continue to fail both tenants and landlords.
In A Fair Rental Market for a Stronger Ontario, OREA lays out 20 “action-ready” recommendations aimed at creating a more balanced, inclusive rental system. The report calls on the provincial government to modernize outdated laws, fix the dysfunctional Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), and expand supply to ease mounting pressures.
Key proposals include:
- Overhauling the Residential Tenancies Act (2006) to reflect today’s market and improve affordability.
- Restoring in-person hearings at the LTB while keeping a virtual option.
- Expanding mediation services to reduce backlogs, using B.C.’s tenancy model as a guide.
- Mandating equal treatment under the Condominium Act (1998) to support diverse families.
- Offering tax incentives to responsible small landlords who create new rental units.
“Ontario needs a rental market that is fair, efficient, and keeps the door to homeownership open to everyone who wants to achieve that dream,” said OREA president Cathy Polan. “That means we need more accessible and affordable supply across the housing spectrum so families of every size can find a great place to thrive. Improving Ontario’s rental landscape to make housing more affordable is a key step towards that goal.”
According to a July 2025 survey by Abacus Data, 56 per cent of Ontarians say the rental market is unbalanced. Top concerns include high rental costs (82 per cent), limited availability (62 per cent), and poor unit conditions (49 per cent). Only 32 per cent are satisfied with dispute resolution at the LTB.
“As both a landlord and father of renters, I know a fair, balanced rental market is key to housing affordability across the spectrum, and the policy solutions Ontario Realtors put forward today will do just that,” said OREA CEO Luigi Favaro.
OREA stresses that these reforms would strengthen tenant protections, support responsible landlords, and ultimately stabilize Ontario’s housing market.
