Landlord and Tenant Board Timmins: Filing, Hearings and Help

If you rent or own a rental property in Timmins or elsewhere in the Cochrane District, a dispute over rent, repairs or ending a tenancy usually goes to the Landlord and Tenant Board, known as the LTB. It is part of Tribunals Ontario, and it is where landlords and tenants resolve disputes or end tenancies under the Residential Tenancies Act.

This article explains in plain language how filing works, how hearings are held, what it can cost and who to contact. The rules are the same across Ontario, so the general steps below apply to you in Timmins. Your own paperwork and the Notice of Hearing you receive will always control the details of your case.

What the LTB does for Timmins landlords and tenants

There is no separate Landlord and Tenant Board Act. The LTB applies the Residential Tenancies Act, which sets out the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants of apartments, houses, rooms in rooming or boarding houses, care homes, retirement homes, and mobile home park or land lease sites.

The LTB resolves disputes in two ways. In mediation, a mediator helps the parties reach an agreement. In adjudication, a member hears the evidence and issues an order, which is the final written version of the decision.

Not every living arrangement is covered. The Act does not apply if the tenant must share a kitchen or bathroom with the landlord, and certain short-stay accommodation such as a hotel or motel room is exempt. If you are unsure whether the Act applies to your arrangement, the LTB has an application (Form A1) for that question, and its fee is $53.

How to file an LTB application

First work out which form fits your situation. A few common ones are listed below.

There are four ways to file. Some forms (L1, L2, L3, L4, L9, L10, T1, T2, T5, T6, C1, C2) can be filed through the Tribunals Ontario Portal. Others (for example L6, L7, L8, A1, A2, A4) are filed by email with online payment. You can also use mail or courier to 15 Grosvenor Street, Ground Floor, Toronto, ON M7A 2G6, or go in person to one of about 80 ServiceOntario locations.

Two cautions apply. Documents cannot be mailed or faxed to ServiceOntario locations for LTB filing, and ServiceOntario staff cannot give legal or procedural information. If you pay online for an email-filed application, pay first, then email the application and receipt to ltbpayments@ontario.ca within 24 hours with the 7-digit receipt number in the subject line, or the LTB will refund the payment.

Fees and fee waivers

Landlord applications such as L1, L2, L3, L9 and L10 cost $201, or $186 through the Tribunals Ontario Portal. Tenant applications T1, T2, T5 and T6 cost $53, or $48 through the Portal. LTB fees are non-refundable.

You can pay by Visa or Mastercard for every filing method. Debit works only on the Portal or in person at ServiceOntario, a certified cheque or money order payable to "Minister of Finance" works only by mail, courier or ServiceOntario, and cash is accepted only in person at ServiceOntario. Never send credit card details by email or fax.

An individual, not a business or organization, can ask for a fee waiver by completing all three parts of the LTB Fee Waiver Request form, including the Declaration, and attaching it to the application. Eligibility is based on household income support or on household income compared with a size-based threshold. If a waiver is denied, the LTB processes payment immediately when payment information was included. Otherwise you must pay within three business days of being contacted or the application is returned. Check the current form for the present income thresholds.

Hearings: phone, video or in person

The LTB schedules virtual, written or in-person hearings. Virtual hearings are held by video on Zoom or by telephone. In-person hearings are scheduled only when an accommodation request related to Human Rights Code needs is approved. Your Notice of Hearing states whether the hearing is by video or phone, along with the date and time. For Timmins and the surrounding district, that means you should plan on joining from home or another quiet place unless the notice says otherwise.

• Video: use the Zoom link in the Notice of Video Hearing.
• Phone: call the number in the notice, press *6 to mute or unmute and *9 to raise your hand.
• Evidence: give other parties a copy at least 7 business days before the hearing, or 5 days for responding evidence, and submit it through the portal.
• Accommodation: submit the Accommodation Request form (TO001E) to LTB@ontario.ca, or by mail or courier to 15 Grosvenor Street, Ground Floor, Toronto, with your name and file number, as soon as possible.

Attend and sign in when your case is called. If you do not attend and no one attends in your place, the adjudicator can dismiss the application or decide it without you, and the hearing may go ahead without you if you do not sign in.

Getting help and what to do next

The LTB phone line is toll free at 1-888-332-3234, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto callers use 416-645-8080, and TTY is available through Bell Relay at 1-800-855-0511). File-specific questions go by email to LTB@ontario.ca with your file number, and hearing evidence goes to LTB.Evidence@ontario.ca with your file number and hearing date in the subject line. The LTB does not answer general inquiries by email. On hearing day, Zoom help is available at LTBHearingSupport@ontario.ca, 416-212-9064 or 866-769-7865.

You can check your file status, next hearing date and whether an order has been issued through the Tribunals Ontario Portal. Wait at least two months after filing before checking, and if you have no order 60 days after the hearing, email LTB@ontario.ca.

• Confirm the Residential Tenancies Act applies to your rental.
• Choose the correct form and gather your notices, lease, receipts, photos and messages.
• Decide how you will file and how you will pay.
• Set up a Portal account if the form can be filed there.
• Keep your Notice of Hearing and test your Zoom or phone connection before the day.
• Speak with a lawyer or a legal clinic if the stakes are high, such as an eviction.

Frequently asked questions