Tenants are seeking to address issues like rising rent collectively, but landlords maintain that cases must be approached individually. The result so far? A stalemate
Ontario started 2024 with hundreds of tenants on rent strike in the province’s biggest city. The most recent spate of rent strikes began in Toronto last May and, in the months since, grew to encompass hundreds of tenants in at least seven buildings across the city. Attempted rent hikes are a central issue in all the strikes. While tenants are seeking to negotiate this and other issues collectively with their respective landlords, the landlords have all maintained that tenant cases must be approached individually. The result, so far, has been a stalemate, as groups of tenants continue to withhold rent, running the risk of eviction, while their landlords continue to push for individual evictions through the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Ongoing impact
Tenants of four Toronto buildings with two landlords are also taking part in a rent strike — and are also in conflict with the property owners. “It’s about rent increases in every case, but it’s also about conditions in the buildings, loss of service, and loss of amenities.”
Numbers from the LTB state there are currently 76 active L1 applications for 33 King St alone.
At 22 John, the LTB reports 64 active L1 applications. 18 units at 22 John are part of the rent strike.
There’s a tribunal that deals with these issues. There’s no such thing as a rent strike.” “There’s no union … a union is something that the Ontario government certifies when workers vote in favour of collective bargaining.”
says that “the only reason why this is at the LTB is because the landlord refused, even at the mayor’s request, to sit down and talk with tenants.” It’s “choosing to try and evict them instead.”
According to numbers from the LTB, it currently has 47 L1 and L2 applications before it in these two buildings. The tenants’ union says about 100 units in the two buildings are withholding rent. Barney River did not respond to TVO Today’s requests for comment.
“These have been long rent strikes so the numbers fluctuate a little bit from month to month,”
What’s next?
This results in a massive clog with the Tribunal and ultimately more people in the housing market which negatively impacts costs of housing, homelessness, and the economy.
“I want to make it clear that a rent strike is not inevitable”. “The landlord at any time can come to us and say, ‘We’re willing to stop these rent increases. We’re willing to work with you.’”
For now, though, the tenants see no alternative to pushing for a strike.