Backlog puts tenants in tough predicament

By Pam Wright Local Journalism Initiative pamwrightlji@gmail.com

It appears Ontario’s Landlord Tenant Board (LTB) is broken.

According to a lengthy report released by provincial ombudsman Paul Dube May 4, a huge backlog of cases has clogged the system, leading to long delays and putting tenants in precarious – sometimes life-threatening – positions.

The report also found that small landlords face financial ruin if they don’t get paid rent or can’t get rid of a problematic tenant, In the report, which included 61 recom- mendations, Dube said the present system is “fundamentally failing” to bring justice in a timely manner.

Currently there are 38,000 cases in the queue, which for a tenant can mean a two-year wait. Landlords appear to get their matters heard sooner, in five to eight months, but the report said landlord complaints comprise 90 per cent of the issues brought before the tribunal.

The report is old news to Chatham-Kent Legal Clinic housing stability worker Jeff Wilkins.

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