Bill 60: What Ontario Tenants Need to Know

What Is Bill 60?

Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, received Royal Assent on November 27, 2025. It is an omnibus bill — meaning it amends multiple statutes at once. Schedule 12 of Bill 60 contains significant amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) that directly affect tenant rights.

This is the most consequential change to Ontario tenancy law since the Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act, 2020.

Critical Caveat: Most RTA Amendments Are NOT Yet in Force

As of April 2026, none of the Schedule 12 amendments to the RTA have been proclaimed into force. The bill received Royal Assent, but the RTA amendments require a separate proclamation by the Lieutenant Governor before they take legal effect. No implementing regulations have been filed.

This means the pre-amendment RTA provisions remain the operative law. The changes described below will become law only when proclaimed. Tenants and landlords should monitor the Ontario Gazette for proclamation dates.

This distinction matters. Some landlords and property management companies may claim these changes are already in effect — they are not.

What Schedule 12 Changes (Once Proclaimed)

Shortened Non-Payment Notice Period

The notice period on an N4 (Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent) is reduced from 14 days to 10 days. This gives tenants less time to pay rent arrears before the landlord can file for eviction at the LTB.

Under the current (still operative) law, you have 14 days to pay rent arrears after receiving an N4 before the landlord can file an L1 application.

Shortened Eviction Order Timelines

After the LTB issues an eviction order for non-payment, the time for the tenant to void the order by paying all arrears is reduced. The amendments tighten the window between order and enforcement.

Restricted Maintenance Defenses

One of the most significant changes: tenants filing a response to an eviction for non-payment will face new restrictions on raising maintenance and repair defenses. Under the amendments, a tenant must demonstrate they have paid or offered to pay a portion of the arrears before the LTB will hear a maintenance defense in an L1 proceeding.

Under the current law, tenants can raise maintenance issues as a defense or counterclaim in any L1 hearing without conditions.

Reduced Appeal Timelines

The window for requesting a review of an LTB order is reduced from 30 days to 15 days. This cuts in half the time tenants have to identify errors in LTB decisions and file review requests.

New Provisions for Eviction Enforcement

The amendments introduce new mechanisms for faster enforcement of eviction orders by the Sheriff's office.

What Has NOT Changed (and Remains Law Now)

Because the amendments are not yet in force, the following current rules still apply:

• 14 days to void an N4 by paying arrears (not 10)
• 30 days to request a review of an LTB order (not 15)
• Full right to raise maintenance defenses in L1 hearings without prepayment conditions
• All existing notice periods and procedural requirements remain intact

Why This Matters

Even though the amendments are not yet in force, Bill 60 signals the direction of Ontario tenancy law. The amendments, once proclaimed, will:

1. Accelerate eviction timelines — Less time to pay arrears, less time to appeal, faster enforcement
2. Limit tenant defenses — Conditioning maintenance defenses on partial payment of arrears removes a critical tool tenants use to hold landlords accountable
3. Shift the balance — The overall effect favors faster resolution of landlord applications, which in practice means faster evictions

What Tenants Should Do Now

1. Know Your Current Rights

The pre-amendment RTA is still the law. Do not accept a landlord's claim that new timelines apply until proclamation occurs. If a landlord gives you an N4 and claims you only have 10 days, you currently have 14.

2. Pay Attention to Proclamation Dates

Monitor the Ontario Gazette or check trusted sources like the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO) for updates on when the amendments come into force.

3. Document Maintenance Issues Now

If you have outstanding repair requests, document them thoroughly in writing now. Once the amendments are proclaimed, raising maintenance defenses will be harder. Build your paper trail while the current rules still apply.

4. Respond Quickly to LTB Notices

Even under current law, missing deadlines can be fatal to your case. Bill 60 will make timelines even tighter. Build the habit now of responding to any LTB-related document immediately.

5. Know Your Lease

Many tenants do not know what their lease actually says until a dispute arises. Understanding your lease terms now — and identifying any illegal clauses — puts you in a stronger position if you face an eviction proceeding.

Upload your lease to RenterShield to check for illegal clauses and RTA violations. Knowing what is in your lease is the first step in protecting your tenancy.