One of the best ways to secure your rights as a tenant is to form a tenants' association. If you want to organize a tenants' association in your building, please reach out to our office and we will connect you to support and fellow tenant organizers.
Here are some critical resources to support you:
Organizing a Tenants' Association
- Talk to our office - [email protected]
- Tenant Organizing Best Practices Slides — courtesy of 280 Wellesley St. E. Tenants' Association
- Tenant Survival Manual — Federation of Metro Tenant Associations
- Tenant Organizing Tips — Hamilton Tenants Solidarity Network
- Tenant Organizing Manual — Community Legal Education Ontario
If you are facing harassment:
- Demand letter about harassment courtesy of Neighbourhood Legal Services
- Form for documenting harassment by your landlord courtesy of Neighbourhood Legal Services
- Steps to Justice — Online Guide to Tenant Rights in Ontario
- What Tenants Need to Know About the Law Guide — Community Legal Education Ontario
- Harassment and Discrimination Guide — Community Legal Education Ontario
- T2 — Application Form to the Landlord and Tenant Board About Your Tenant Rights
- If your landlord says you cannot use air conditioning
If you have problems with repairs and maintenance in your unit:
- Demand letter to your landlord about repairs and maintenance courtesy of Neighbourhood Legal Services
- Form for documenting incidents and communication with your landlord about repairs and maintenance courtesy of Neighbourhood Legal Services
- Steps to Justice — Online Guide About Repairs and Maintenance
- Pest Problems (mice, cockroaches, bedbugs) in Your Unit — Steps to Justice
- Repairs and Maintenance Guide — Community Legal Education Ontario
- T6 — Tenant Application Form About Maintenance
If you have problems with rent increases and evictions
- RenovictionsTO — A Community-Generated Website and Map tracking AGIs and Renovictions across Toronto
- Web tool for tenants who are roommates and share rental housing costs — Community Legal Education Ontario
- Does your landlord want you to move out factsheet — Community Legal Education Ontario
- Fighting an Eviction — Community Legal Education Ontario
- Rent Increases — Community Legal Education Ontario
- COVID Evictions - If you are having trouble paying your rent due to COVID. Curtest of the Akelius Tenants Network.
Organizations that can help you with your housing issues, or support your organizing
- If you live within Bloor, Dundas, Ossington, and Yonge Legal Aid Clinic offering services assisting tenants to defend against evictions, in getting repairs done and to stop illegal rent increases - Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Services
- Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) - Housing law (tenants or co-op members only – not landlords), such as evictions
- For general housing legal assistance Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO)
- For racialized groups, elderly, people with disabilities - Specialty Clinics, Community Legal Education Ontario
- Legal Clinics in Your Area - Community Legal Education Ontario
- If you want to talk to someone on the phone familiar with tenant law, organizing, and issues — Federation of Metro Tenant Associations -Resources - Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations (torontotenants.org)
- If you have questions that involve the Residential Tenancies Act or Landlord and Tenant Board — The Landlord and Tenant Board Contact Line
- If you have questions about your human rights and/or discrimination in housing — Human Rights Legal Support Centre
- If you need supportive housing related to mental health and addictions — The Access Point
- If you need to be moved into a long-term care home — City of Toronto Long Term Care Homes
- If you have housing problems, or are facing an eviction and identify as part of the mental health community — Sound Times
- If you need legal aid — Legal Aid Ontario
- If you need advice on the phone about tenant rights as soon as possible — Pro bono Ontario
- If you have housing problems and live in Toronto Community Housing — Toronto Community Housing Help
- If you are a senior with housing problems who cannot afford a lawyer — Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
- If you have housing issues related to a disability or in which you require medical-related accommodation — Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation
- If you believe your unit is not up to the City of Toronto's Health and Safety and/or Building Standards — Toronto 311 and RentSafeTO
- If you have questions or need support related to cooperative housing — Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada
- If you do not qualify for Legal Aid but need low-cost/free legal support related to housing — Downtown Legal Services
- If you are 2SLGBTQ and need support related to housing — The 519
- If you need help finding affordable housing — Woodgreen Community Services