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Français LAO Client Portal
Français LAO Client Portal
  • Services
    • Temporary service changes due to COVID-19
    • COVID-19 and the courts: Answers to frequently asked questions
    • Our services
    • Criminal legal issues
    • Domestic Violence
    • Family legal issues
    • Mental health legal issues
    • Refugee and immigration legal issues
    • Legal clinics
    • How to apply
    • Find a lawyer
      • Finding the right legal aid lawyer
    • What do you think about our services?
  • For legal professionals
    • COVID-19: Ongoing list of supports for lawyers
    • LASA 2020 process updates for lawyers
    • Changes to policies and certificate coverage
    • Roster resources
      • Audit & Compliance
      • Billing
      • Case management
      • Forms library
      • Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 policies
      • Legal Aid Online
      • LAO LAW
      • More resources
    • Do legal aid work
    • Mentoring
    • Test case funding
    • News for lawyers
    • B3 Newsletters
    • Contacts for lawyers
  • Corporate
    • About
    • Rules and policies
    • By-laws
    • Board of Directors
    • Executive Team
    • Board Advisory Committees
    • Our clients
    • Sidney B. Linden Award
    • French Language Services
    • Consultations
    • Open Government
    • Reports
    • Publications
    • News
    • Social media
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • FAQ

Tenant legal issues

Important notice:
Some of our services have temporarily changed due to the COVID‑19 crisis. The information provided on this page may no longer be accurate. Please visit our COVID‑19 client page to learn how this may impact you.

COVID-19

Important changes are being made to government programs such as employment insurance (EI) and housing rights. Information is changing daily, please check often.

  • Steps to Justice for answers to questions you might have.
  • Call the legal clinic in your catchment area for hours of operation, services, information, and to how to schedule an appointment.
  • Visit the Ontario Government and Government of Canada websites for updates.

If you have a problem with your landlord, you may qualify for free legal help.

Some reasons you may need legal help:

  • the home or the building where you live has pests
  • your home does not have basic services like heat or electricity
  • Your landlord wants to:
    • raise your rent in fewer than 90 days
    • raise your rent by more than what the law allows
    • ask you to pay for something you do not think you should have to pay for
    • evict you

How to get help

You can get help from a legal clinic. The clinic will not charge you for legal advice, but they may ask you to pay for certain fees such as court filing and medical record fees.  Find your clinic.

You can also speak with a lawyer at a Landlord and Tenant Board office.  They are called duty counsel. You do not need an appointment but it is first come, first served. Priority is given to people facing an eviction hearing.

For more information about landlord and tenant issues, visit Tribunals Ontario’s website.
 

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Need legal help?

Call us toll free at 1‑800‑668‑8258 Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST) for help in over 300 languages.

Current wait time: 5 minutes

Wait times: Monday is our busiest day. For faster service, try calling Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Legal Aid Ontario is a safe and respectful space for our clients and employees. Verbal or threats of physical abuse will not be tolerated. Abusive behaviour may result in refusal of service.

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