In Ontario, where rents are skyrocketing, landlords filing for evictions have surged in the past three years.
More than 5,550 tenant eviction applications were received in Ontario last year, according to the Landlord and Tenant Dispute Resolution Board. This is a 41% increase from 2019.
In Ontario, you can evict a tenant if the landlord or the landlord’s immediate family intends to live directly in the unit being rented.
This phenomenon was notable outside of Toronto. In Toronto, the city’s own data showed little change but a 59% jump in the rest of the region.
In response, the Tenants’ Rights Advocacy Group points out that the surge in eviction applications is no accident, as landlords can get higher prices if they rent to new tenants.
Ontario sets an upper limit on rent increases to protect tenants. Because of this policy, landlords cannot arbitrarily raise rents from existing tenants. The maximum rate increase allowed this year is 2.5%.
However, once a home has been vacated, landlords often apply for an eviction order because they or their families live in it because they can demand rent from new tenants at the market rate regardless of these restrictions.
“It’s hard to believe that there has been a sudden increase in landlords trying to move into homes they’ve rented in the past three years,” said Benjamin Reese, executive director of South Etobicco Community Legal Services. It should have made a profit.”
Even if they believe the landlord’s eviction motion is unreasonable, tenants must personally prove that the landlord does not intend to live in it, and resolving disputes is costly and time consuming.
On the other hand, rents are soaring every year due to chronic housing shortage in Ontario. According to rental analysis site Rentals.ca, the average monthly rent for a two-bed in Toronto has risen 17% over the past year to about $3,200.