Ontario eyes giving credit bureaus access to LTB orders for renters with history of arrears
CBC
A proposal to make Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) orders accessible to consumer credit bureaus for tenants with a history of rent arrears would make it easier to weed out bad prospective renters, London, Ont., landlords say.
Renters' advocacy groups worry it could hurt low-income tenants who fall behind by damaging their credit scores and unfairly penalize tenants who withheld rent for negligent maintenance or other issues.
The Ford government revealed the plan in a media backgrounder issued Wednesday as it tabled the Cutting Red Tape, Building Ontario Act as part of a larger omnibus package.
"Ontario is exploring the feasibility of arrangements with one or more registered consumer reporting agencies to facilitate access to Landlord and Tenant Board orders where tenants have a history of missed payments," it reads.
It would also "enhance online information about rights and responsibilities" of consumer reporting and collection agencies.
Unless submitted by a landlord following an eviction, credit reporting agencies don't have a direct way to access LTB orders, said Harry Fine, a paralegal and former LTB adjudicator. LTB orders may not be included by default in credit checks landlords perform.
The agencies can access LTB orders posted to CanLII, a website run by the Canadian Legal Information Institute, but Fine said decisions are often significantly delayed, and coverage is incomplete, something the website itself notes.
Landlords can submit LTB orders to credit reporting agencies, but only if they have a membership in one, Fine said. Alternatively, they can upload them to websites such as Openroom.
Evictions and rent payments can also be reported by landlords through FrontLobby and Rentcheck, which are forwarded to the Landlord Credit Bureau and then Equifax or TransUnion, but the tenant has to consent.
WATCH | The problems facing Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board:
Most LTB cases involve rent arrears, but most eviction applications for non-payment don't end with an eviction, even if granted, Fine said, so orders may paint an incomplete picture.
"If the tenant pays following the decision, the tenant stays. The province doesn't know who's evicted. The province … only knows who's been ordered to pay."
Details on the proposal remain murky, and no further information has been made available. CBC News contacted the Ministry of the Attorney General, the LTB, and TransUnion, but received no responses by publication.
In a statement, Equifax said it doesn't receive information from the LTB, but looks forward to working with the province on the initiative.
An ongoing debate in the House of Commons could push some government departments into a cash crunch and run up against other deadlines as the end of the fall sitting approaches.
Celebrity chef Vikram Vij is partnering with a Toronto charity to help raise funds for cash-strapped food banks.
The federal government did not meet the targets for its program to plant two billion trees during the program's third planting season.
Governments in Canada, the U.S. and abroad along with tech giants are all eyeing nuclear power to meet a growing demand for electricity and climate goals at the same time.
Allison McCabe's own story of medical dismissal began last August with a trip to an emergency room in Vancouver.
The leader of Canada's Green Party had some strong words for Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservatives while joining her provincial counterpart on the campaign trail. Elizabeth May was in Halifax Saturday to support the Nova Scotia Green Party in the final days of the provincial election campaign. She criticized PC Leader Tim Houston for calling a snap election this fall after the Tories passed legislation in 2021 that gave Nova Scotia fixed election dates every four years.
Manitoba business owners are gearing up for a temporary federal tax break this holiday season, and while some welcome it, others worry about its timing and the amount of work it will require.
A 36-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly trying to set a fire outside Vancouver City Hall late Friday night, police say.
Calgary city council reversed its decision to close the Inglewood Aquatic Centre Friday.
The Vancouver Police Board says its vice-chair has resigned following statements she posted to social media that were inconsistent with its code of conduct.
Hundreds of people showed up outside Queens Park Saturday afternoon to push back against the Ford government's controversial bike lane bill that would remove certain Toronto bike lanes to help address congestion.