Ontario Rent Control at Risk Under New Housing Bill
Tenant advocates are sounding the alarm over a new housing proposal from Premier Doug Ford’s government that they say could dismantle rent control and eliminate long-term lease protections across Ontario.
The legislation, tabled Thursday, aims to speed up housing development by streamlining approval processes. But buried within the bill is a section that would allow for “alternative options to lease expiry rules,” giving landlords greater control over who occupies their units and for how long — potentially based on market conditions or business strategies.
Advocates say this language could effectively end Ontario’s current rent control system and “security of tenure” protections that allow tenants to stay in their homes indefinitely as long as they follow lease terms.
“Everybody’s panicking. This is not the solution for affordable housing,” said Stacey Semple, an organizer with the non-profit group Acorn. “The landlords are getting free passes to evict long-term tenants so they can charge more rent.”
According to Statistics Canada, nearly 48 per cent of Toronto residents are renters, making the proposed change particularly alarming for urban areas. Semple warned that without tenant protections, evictions and homelessness could rise sharply.
In an emailed response, a provincial spokesperson said Ontario is still consulting on lease rule changes but remains committed to “protecting tenants while supporting landlords.” The government also highlighted its 2025 rent increase guideline of 2.5 per cent, which remains below inflation.
For renters like Leigh Beadon, who has lived in the same Toronto apartment for nearly 20 years, the proposal feels like an attack on stability.
“This directly impacts every tenant in Ontario,” Beadon said. “Without rent control, people on fixed incomes — seniors, those with disabilities — could lose the only security keeping them off the streets.”
Critics across the political spectrum echoed these concerns. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow warned the bill could hand landlords “enormous powers,” while Ontario Liberal housing critic Adil Shamji called it a “mean-spirited bill” that opens the door to mass evictions.
“Only in Doug Ford’s Ontario,” Shamji said, “can renters get one-year leases while a foreign spa at Ontario Place gets a 99-year deal.”
NDP housing critic Catherine McKenney added that Ontario already faces record housing unaffordability and should be building more homes, not stripping renter protections.
“Ford is making life harder for working families,” McKenney said. “We need real rent control now, not policies that leave people at risk of homelessness.”
Tenant groups say they’re preparing for protests and rent strikes if the Ford government moves ahead with the proposal, urging Ontarians to organize collectively.
“That’s where tenants find hope,” Beadon said. “We have to show the government we won’t let them do this.”
