New OREA report advocates for policies that will help create a stronger, more inclusive rental landscape in Ontario
Ontario’s rental system is broken. Across the province, too many families, students, and seniors are struggling to find safe, affordable places to live. In A Fair Rental Market for a Stronger Ontario,the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) is calling on the provincial government to help tenants, landlords, and the REALTORS® that serve them by modernizing rental laws, fixing the dysfunctional Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), and expanding supply so more Ontarians can find the right place to call home.
OREA’s latest policy report lays out a path forward with 20 “action-ready” and long-term recommendations that will help achieve a fair, functional, and balanced rental housing market that works for everyone, including:
- Reviewing and modernizing the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA),to reflect today’s rental market, improve affordability, and create a fairer system for both small and large landlords.
- Finding new opportunities to support mediation services between landlords and tenants at the LTB, such as exploring a model similar to British Columbia’s Residential Tenancy Branch’s facilitation services.
- Mandating the equal treatment of all individuals under the Condominium Act, 1998,to be inclusive of diverse families.
- Moving away from the LTB’s digital-first strategy to improve efficiency by restoring in-person hearings as the default, while offering a virtual option.
- Providing targeted tax incentives to small landlords in good standing, who offer new rental units in growing markets, to help ease pressure on tenants while encouraging responsible property management.
“Ontario needs a rental market that is fair, efficient, and keeps the door to homeownership open to everyone who wants to achieve that dream,” said OREA President Cathy Polan. “That means we need more accessible and affordable supply across the housing spectrum so families of every size can find a great place to thrive. Improving Ontario’s rental landscape to make housing more affordable is a key step towards that goal.”
Building on the work done by the Presidential Advisory Group on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEIA) in OREA’s 2022 report, Fighting for Fair Housing, the recommendations in this report aim to rebalance the rights and interests of landlords and tenants, while supporting a strong, stable housing market.
In a new survey conducted by Abacus Data in July 2025 on behalf of OREA, over half (56 percent) of Ontario said they consider the rental market unbalanced, citing high rental prices (82 percent), limited availability of suitable units (62 percent), and poor property condition (49 percent) as key barriers.
In addition, a dysfunctional, backlogged tribunal system is failing both tenants and landlords. Among them, only 32 percent say they are satisfied with dispute resolution at the LTB, and a strong majority of both – nearly 7 in 10 – want to see the RTA modernized to better reflect current market realities.
“As both a landlord and father of renters, I know a fair, balanced rental market is key to housing affordability across the spectrum, and the policy solutions Ontario REALTORS® put forward today will do just that,” said OREA CEO Luigi Favaro. “This is the Government of Ontario’s chance to address ongoing challenges in the rental market, giving mom-and-pop landlords accessible, timely dispute resolution while also protecting tenants from bad faith evictions and ensuring Ontario’s market has a healthy stock of diverse supply.”
If Ontario is to remain a place for families to grow, Ontario REALTORS® know that bold action is needed to build a rental housing system that works in every community. If implemented, these 20 recommendations will help deliver diverse options for tenants, support all housing providers, and strengthen the housing market as a whole.
