Landlord in Thunder Bay, Ont., who says he's owed $11K in rent calls for LTB changes

Anshul Jain says he hasn't received a single payment from two tenants at his rental property in Thunder Bay, Ont., but is most upset about the unpredictability he faces with the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).

Jain is a physiotherapist at a long-term care home in the northwestern Ontario city. He and his wife purchased a rental property at the end of July 2023 in hopes of earning additional income.

They inherited the previous owner's tenants and he said while there have been no issues with those in Unit A, the people living in Unit B have accumulated more than $11,000 in arrears.

"I'm at my wits' end and I'm losing a lot of money there because I still have to pay the bills, I still have to pay the mortgage and all my savings are gone," Jain said.

He filed an eviction application in the fall and his hearing was rescheduled from February to late June.

CBC News received documentation of the tenancy, including when the N4 application (notice to end tenancy for non-payment of rent) was issued to the tenants and when Jain filed the L1 application (including to recover owed rent) with the LTB, as well as proof that the hearing was adjourned.

Jain's experience comes amid a national housing crisis. To that end, Ottawa is in the midst of a series of housing announcements — including plans to launch a $1.5-billion fund to protect affordable rentals — ahead of next week's federal budget. 

In Ontario, there has been a big rise in the number of complaints filed to the LTB.

In an emailed statement to CBC News, Tribunals Ontario said the LTB received about 84,000 new applications for proceedings in 2023, a 31 per cent increase over the previous year.

"This is the second highest number of applications that the LTB has received in a year since its creation. In addition, the LTB is seeing an increased proportion of more complex applications that require more time to hear," said spokesperson Veronica Spada.

However, she said, the LTB resolved about 83,000 cases in 2023 — a 45 per cent increase from 2022.

Those who work closely with tenants in northwestern Ontario say systemic challenges with the LTB are negatively impacting landlords and renters alike.

"When a case is heard, you might get the order from the [LTB] the next week and you might get it eight months later, and it's absolutely unpredictable," said Claire Littleton, a staff lawyer and co-ordinator of legal services at the Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic.

"Landlords are losing out on being repaid the money that's owed to them and tenants are losing their tenancies; everybody is suffering."