Getting legal help
Housing (tenant/landlord)
Tenants can get help with housing issues at most community legal clinics.
At community legal clinics, lawyers and legal workers provide information and legal advice, and can represent low-income people on housing issues.
Community legal clinics do not charge legal fees. However, they may ask clients who have the money to pay some or all of the expenses of a case, such as court filing fees and medical expenses.
Not all tenant/landlord issues are covered, and you must be financially eligible to qualify for these services.
Find a community legal clinic near you.
Tenant duty counsel
Tenant duty counsel are lawyers and community legal workers who can assist you at most Landlord and Tenant Board locations across the province. You may have to prove that you can’t afford your own lawyer. Tenant duty counsel can:
- give advice about legal rights, obligations and the tribunal process
- review documents, and help prepare forms
- provide referrals for other services
- assist tenants at hearings with procedures, such as urgent review applications and requests for adjournments.
If tenant duty counsel is available at your Landlord and Tenant Board location, you can see them when you arrive for your hearing. You do not need to make an appointment. Tenant duty counsel gives priority to tenants with eviction hearings.
Other resources:
Please note that these are external links and Legal Aid Ontario is not responsible for their content.
Tenant resources
- The Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO)
Defends Ontario’s low-income renters, co-op members and the homeless. Much of ACTO’s advocacy involves test-case litigation, lobbying the government and developing housing policy. - The Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations
Runs a hotline for tenant issues. They also publish information brochures, including the Tenant Survival Manual, and have a tenant outreach program. - Housing Law
Read about eviction, rental agreements, maintenance and more. From CLEONet. - Landlord and tenant
Publications from CLEO.
Resources for tenants and landlords
- Landlord and Tenant Board
Resolves disputes between landlords and tenants and provides information about the The Residential Tenancies Act and rights and obligations under the Act. Requests can be made to review an order under certain conditions. - Human Rights Legal Support
The Human Rights Legal Support Centre offers free legal services to people throughout Ontario who believe their human rights under the Code have been violated and who want to file an application to the Tribunal. The Centre’s services range from legal advice and assistance in filing an application, to representation at mediations and hearings before the Tribunal. - Ontario Human Rights Commission
The Commission is an agency established to administer Ontario's Human Rights Code, which protects people against discrimination in employment, accomodation, goods, services and and facilities, and membership in vocational association and trade unions. - Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Ensures availability, accessibility and choice of housing funding to Canadians. The key Canadian source of reliable and objective housing information.
