Ontario's Rent Control Debate That Sparked a Provincial Firestorm

In a dramatic turn of events that has dominated Ontario housing conversations this week, Premier Doug Ford's government has walked back one of the most controversial proposals in its newly introduced Bill 60, but not before igniting a fierce debate about tenant rights, housing supply, and the future of Ontario's rental market.

What Just Happened to the Rent Control debate?

On October 23, 2025, the Ford government introduced Bill 60, officially titled the "Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025."

The omnibus legislation promised to streamline housing development and infrastructure projects across Ontario. But buried within the 40+ proposed changes was a bombshell: consultations on "alternative options" to Ontario's long-standing security of tenure rules—the legal framework that allows tenants to remain in their homes indefinitely on month-to-month leases.

Within days, the backlash was swift and severe. Tenant advocacy groups mobilized, social media exploded with over 100,000 views on viral posts warning about the implications, and opposition politicians condemned the proposals as an attack on Ontario's most vulnerable renters.

Then, on October 26, 2025, just three days after introducing the bill, Housing Minister Rob Flack announced the government would not proceed with consultations on security of tenure changes, stating: "Residents expect stability and predictability in Ontario's rental market, and now is not the time to consider changes to this system."

But the rapid reversal hasn't ended the conversation. The rest of Bill 60 remains on the table, and the underlying tensions between tenant protections and housing supply continue to dominate Ontario's political landscape.

Understanding Security of Tenure: What Was at Stake?

To understand why this proposal caused such panic, you need to understand what "security of tenure" means in Ontario's rental market.

Currently, when Ontario tenants sign a fixed-term lease (typically one year), the lease automatically converts to a month-to-month tenancy when it expires. Tenants can remain in their homes indefinitely as long as they follow their lease agreement and the Residential Tenancies Act. Landlords can only evict tenants for specific legal reasons, such as non-payment of rent, the landlord moving in themselves, or substantial renovations.

The proposed "alternative options" would have allowed landlords to set fixed-term leases that simply end after a set period. Combined with Ontario's vacancy decontrol rules (which allow unlimited rent increases when a unit becomes vacant), critics argued this would effectively end rent control as we know it.

The Case Against Bill 60: Why Tenant Advocates Sounded the Alarm

Tenant advocacy organizations like ACORN Canada, the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO), and housing critics painted Bill 60's original proposals as catastrophic for renters. Here's their argument:

1. The End of Rent Control in Practice

While Bill 60 didn't technically eliminate rent control, advocates argued it would achieve the same result through a backdoor mechanism. Here's how:

Ontario rent increases are capped at 2.5% annually for occupied units (below the inflation rate). However, when a tenant moves out, landlords can charge whatever they want for the next tenant. If landlords could simply end leases after one year and force tenants to either accept massive rent hikes or leave, rent control would become meaningless.

"Allowing tenancy agreements to be adjusted based on market conditions is a win for financialized landlords and in effect ends rent control in Ontario," explained ACTO in their analysis of Bill 60.

2. Mass Displacement and Homelessness

Long-term renters often pay far below current market rates, especially in older rent-controlled buildings. Leigh Beadon, who has lived in his Toronto apartment for nearly 20 years, went viral on social media warning that the proposals would make it "unimaginable" for him to stay in his home.

The stakes are particularly high for vulnerable populations. Seniors on fixed incomes, people with disabilities receiving benefits, and low-income families could face impossible choices: pay rent increases they can't afford or move to "less desirable neighbourhoods" farther from jobs, services, and community.

With over 81,500 people already experiencing homelessness in Ontario as of 2024—a 25% increase since 2022—advocates warned that removing security of tenure would trigger an even more severe housing crisis.

3. The Precedent from Other Provinces

ACORN Canada pointed to cautionary tales from other provinces where fixed-term leases have devastated renters. In Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Alberta, where similar systems exist, tenant organizations have documented widespread displacement and skyrocketing rents.

4. Questionable Rationale

Attorney General Doug Downey justified the proposals by claiming they would unlock "tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands" of rental units currently being kept off the market by landlords wary of indefinite leases.

Critics called this reasoning deeply flawed. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives analyzed the numbers and concluded: "We know that it is definitely not 'hundreds of thousands' and hardly 'tens of thousands.'" Many vacant units have legitimate reasons for being empty—inheritance proceedings, needed renovations, or other temporary issues.

Moreover, critics pointed out that Ontario already tried this experiment. In 2018, the Ford government removed rent control for units first occupied after November 2018, promising it would spur rental housing construction. Housing starts are now at an all-time low.

5. Additional Threats to Tenant Rights

Beyond security of tenure, Bill 60 proposed other changes that advocates argued would tilt the system further toward landlords:

• Reducing the notice period for non-payment of rent from 14 to 7 days
• Requiring tenants to pay 50% of alleged rent arrears before raising maintenance issues at hearings
• Limiting tenants' ability to bring up new issues (like serious disrepair or harassment) during eviction hearings
• Reducing the time to request a review of an eviction order from the current period to just 15 days

Dania Majid, a lawyer for ACTO, summarized: "If the government is able to enact what they're proposing, it would basically spell the end of security of tenure for renters in Ontario."

The Case For Reform: Why the Government (and Landlords) Want Change

While the government quickly reversed course on security of tenure, the original proposal had backing from landlord groups and housing industry stakeholders. Here's the case they made:

1. Unlocking Hidden Housing Supply

The core argument from Attorney General Doug Downey was simple: landlords are keeping rental units off the market because they're afraid of "evergreen leases that just go on with no end in sight."

Small landlords—the "mom and pop" operators who own one or two rental properties—particularly worry about problem tenants they can't remove or situations where their own housing needs change. By giving landlords more control over who occupies their units and for how long, the government hoped to incentivize property owners to rent out units currently sitting vacant.

In a housing crisis where every unit counts, even unlocking several thousand additional rentals could provide relief to desperate renters searching for apartments.

2. Addressing Landlord and Tenant Board Dysfunction

Bill 60 included several reforms aimed at reducing delays at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), which has faced severe backlogs. According to the government, tenants currently can raise new issues on the day of hearings without prior notice, causing adjournments that delay cases by 6 weeks to 12 months.

The proposed changes would require advance notice of issues, preventing what the government sees as tactical delays that clog the system and hurt both good-faith landlords and tenants waiting for hearings.

3. Market Flexibility and Property Rights

Supporters argue that property owners should have more flexibility to adjust rental arrangements based on changing circumstances—whether that's market conditions, personal needs, or business strategies.

In their view, the current system is overly rigid and creates perverse incentives. Landlords may avoid the rental market entirely rather than risk being locked into indefinite tenancies with tenants who may damage property or consistently pay rent late (but not late enough to trigger eviction).

4. Balancing Rights with Responsibilities

The government emphasized it would maintain strong tenant protections, including the 2.5% rent increase guideline (below inflation) and requirements for landlords to provide 120 days' notice when ending tenancies for personal use.

From this perspective, the reforms weren't about eliminating protections but about achieving better balance. The province stated it wanted to "protect tenants while supporting landlords, including mom and pops who rely on rental income to help pay their mortgage."

5. Learning from the Tribunal Backlog

The Executive Director of Tribunals Ontario recently stated that tribunals are "on track to position our tribunals with minimal or possibly no backlogs by the end of the 2025-2026 fiscal year." However, government supporters argue this progress shouldn't come at the expense of efficiency. Streamlining procedures could maintain progress while ensuring the system works for everyone.

The Political Firestorm and Rapid Reversal

The reaction to Bill 60's security of tenure proposals was immediate and fierce. Opposition politicians seized on the issue with sharp rhetoric:

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow warned that landlords could gain "enormous" powers and called for fairness in any consultations.

Adil Shamji, housing critic for the Ontario Liberal Party, called Bill 60 "a mean-spirited bill that ignores the injustices" tenants face, adding: "Only in Doug Ford's Ontario can hard-working renters in good standing be able to count on just a one-year lease, while a foreign spa company at Ontario Place gets a guarantee for 99 [years]."

Catherine McKenney, Ontario NDP's shadow housing minister, accused the government of "making life as expensive as possible for Ontarians" and demanded: "We need real rent control now."

Tenant organizations mobilized quickly. ACORN Canada launched an online action campaign, and social media became a battleground where renters shared their fears about displacement. One viral post by long-term renter Leigh Beadon garnered over 100,000 views, with thousands of concerned renters chiming in.

Facing mounting pressure and recognizing the political risk, Housing Minister Rob Flack announced the reversal on Sunday, October 26—the day before many Ontarians headed into their work week with housing anxiety top of mind.

What Happens Next?

The government's reversal on security of tenure was dramatic, but it's not the end of the story. Here's what remains in play:

Still on the Table:

• Changes to Landlord and Tenant Board procedures
• Requirements for advance notice of tenant issues
• Reduced timeline for non-payment of rent notices (14 days to 7 days)
• Limitations on postponing eviction orders
• Dozens of other provisions related to development charges, transit-oriented communities, bike lanes, and the Ontario Building Code

Questions That Remain:

• Will the government try to resurrect security of tenure changes in a different form?
• Can the LTB reforms proceed without appearing to tilt too heavily toward landlords?
• What will actually increase Ontario's housing supply?
• How can the province balance tenant protections with incentivizing rental housing investment?

The Broader Context: Ontario's Housing Crisis

Both sides of this debate agree on one fundamental truth: Ontario faces a severe housing crisis.

The Statistics Are Stark:

• 48% of Toronto's population are renters (2021 Census)
• Over 81,500 people experiencing homelessness as of 2024 (25% increase since 2022)
• Housing starts at historic lows despite 2018 rent control removal for new units
• Rents skyrocketing across the province while wages remain stagnant

The Divergence: Where advocates part ways is on the solution. The government believes removing regulatory barriers and giving landlords more flexibility will unlock supply. Critics argue that without strong tenant protections, you simply empower financialized landlords to extract maximum profits while displacing vulnerable residents.

As Stacey Semple from ACORN put it: "Everybody's panicking. This is not the solution for affordable housing... [Ford] is taking rights away from tenants. The landlords are getting free passes to evict long-term tenants, especially because they want to collect more rent because it's more economically viable."

Looking Forward: What Ontario Renters Should Know

If you're an Ontario renter, here's what you need to know:

Your Security of Tenure Rights Remain Intact (For Now):You can still remain in your rental unit on a month-to-month basis after your fixed-term lease expires. Landlords must still have legal reasons to evict you.

Other Bill 60 Provisions Are Still Being Debated:The rest of Bill 60 will proceed through the legislative process, including LTB reforms that could affect eviction procedures and timelines.

Stay Informed and Engaged:The Bill 60 controversy shows that tenant voices matter. Organizations like ACORN and ACTO provide resources for understanding your rights and participating in housing policy debates.

The Housing Crisis Isn't Solved:Whether you support or oppose Bill 60's various provisions, Ontario's housing affordability crisis requires sustained attention and creative solutions that address both supply and affordability.

The Bottom Line

Ontario's Bill 60 controversy crystallizes the central tension in housing policy: how do we increase housing supply while protecting existing renters from displacement? The government's rapid reversal on security of tenure shows the political power of tenant advocacy, but it doesn't resolve the underlying challenges.

As Housing Minister Rob Flack's statement acknowledged: "Residents expect stability and predictability in Ontario's rental market." The question that remains is how to provide that stability while also building the housing Ontario desperately needs.

The debate over Bill 60 is far from over. It's just entered a new chapter. For Ontario's renters and landlords alike, the stakes couldn't be higher.

What do you think? Should Ontario explore fixed-term leases to unlock housing supply, or are security of tenure protections sacrosanct? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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