Does the Line Fences Act apply to fences between houses in the city, or only to rural and farm properties?

The Line Fences Act applies across Ontario by its terms — it isn't restricted to rural or farm properties, even though it's historically associated with agricultural fencing and tends to get used more often in that context. A homeowner in the city with a boundary fence dispute against a neighbour can, in principle, use the same fence-viewer process available in a rural setting.

In practice, though, urban fence disputes are often resolved differently, or through different tools. Many city neighbours settle fencing disagreements informally, without ever engaging the Line Fences Act process, and some municipalities have their own by-laws addressing fencing for specific purposes, such as pool enclosure safety requirements or general property-standards rules on height and materials, that operate alongside, not instead of, the Line Fences Act. Which one actually governs a specific dispute depends on what's being disputed: a municipal by-law is more likely to address safety or appearance standards, while the Line Fences Act specifically addresses who builds or pays for a shared boundary fence.

So the Act is available in the city just as much as in the country, but urban property owners should also check whether a relevant municipal by-law applies to their specific situation.