The NDP says the proposed legislation to strengthen the Residential Tenancies Act is too weak.
That bill adds measures that allow tenants to install air conditioning and provide protection for tenants told to vacate for renovations.
Housing Critic Jessica Bell says the bill is too weak on halting illegal convictions.
“Bill 97 does nothing to address the fact that Ontario’s eviction protection rules are not enforced by anyone,” says Bell. “Not by the police, not by the Landlord Tenant Board, not by the provincial government or municipal governments in Ontario.”
“If you are illegally evicted, your landlord is almost certainly not going to be fined for illegally evicting you, and you will never be able to return to your home.”
Bell wants some amendments.
“To prevent illegal eviction, Ontario must reduce the landlord’s financial incentive to evict by bringing back strong rent control on all homes and vacancy control.”
Bell also wants to see the government track evictions and enforce illegal eviction activities.
“There should be a number that a renter can call to get help from a bylaw officer who will work with them to make their case to the Landlord Tenant Board.”
Bell would also like to see the Landlord Tenant Board have the power to compel a landlord to provide alternative rental properties to a tenant if found to have been illegally evicted.
Public meetings on the bill are scheduled for later in the month.