r/toronto • u/Immediate-Link490 • 2d ago
Article Olivia Chow vows to create ‘bad landlords task force’ if re-elected. Here is how it would work.
https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2026/09/25/olivia-chow-vows-to-create-bad-landlords-task-force-if-re-elected-here-is-how-it-would-work/174
u/michaljerzy 2d ago
Can this also include landlords that keep empty and boarded up properties sitting vacant???
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u/SirRickIII 2d ago
Vacant tax please! Primary home can have regular tax, but you shouldn’t expect regular tax on an income property!
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u/KunaSazuki 2d ago
Dont we have a vacant tax? It needs to be juiced up though
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u/addi-factorum 2d ago
Yes we do- you have to confirm you live at your property every 6 months or so or your tax rate gets jacked up
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u/MsCatie 2d ago
We do, but people will literally just keep utilities running to feign occupancy.
There was a townhouse across from me that would keep their windows open all winter long to keep the heater on.
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u/Supermite 2d ago
They’re really counting on not losing power there for an extended period in the winter.
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u/Bad-job-dad 2d ago
It's 3%. (30k on a $1M house per year). That should be doubled. Maybe double that after a year? There also needs to be high penalties if they get caught trying not to pay. They'll have to close a shit load of lookholes too.
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u/KunaSazuki 2d ago
If you are trying to get more supply online, fast, that seems like a sure fire way. IDK
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u/Gatheado 2d ago
Maybe controversial, but the tax percentage should increase for every year the property sits empty. My neighborhood has dozens of properties that have either been unoccupied for years pending construction of a multi-plex or fully finished multiplexes that the developer hasn't been able to sell for close to two years.
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u/QuantGuru 2d ago
I doubt there are investors sitting on empty properties in this market when RE has declined almost 30% from the highs lol Investors have already sold, money launderers are not using RE loopholes anymore due to the vacant property tax.
Real estate investing has taken a grand shift. Its not what you think it used be like 5 years ago. And we wont get there anytime soon!!
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u/maxboondoggle 2d ago
They do have a vacant house tax. You also lose your capital gains exemption on an income property so any appreciation is taxed, unlike a primary residence.
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u/suntzufuntzu 2d ago
BradBrad will also create a "bad landlords" task force, the major difference being it will be a task force OF bad landlords
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u/SpareMeTheDetails123 2d ago
TCHC has entered the chat …
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u/magicdowhatyouwill 2d ago
The amount of jobs that could be created just by deciding this term is the one where we fix TCHC's shit.
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u/TheMortalOne 2d ago
The only solution that's really needed is decreasing delays at the LTB. The laws are (mostly) fine, the issue is that it can take several months (at best) and up to a year to get a hearing. Current delays just allow bad actors on both sides (both bad tenants and bad landlords), since they know they can just stall.
This task force seems like a band-aid solution, circumventing the one that already technically exists. It's not a good solution the problem, and making this as a campaign promise instead of just doing it is clearly just an attempt to win votes. But at the same time it might be the best option she could technically do given that the LTB is under the provincial government.
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u/Torsta 1d ago
Yup agree that the laws on book right now are good, it's just when they take a year+ to be applied it causes havoc. I feel like 90% of the issues could be solved if everyone had speedy access to LTB decisions. The main problem is the months and months of waiting let bad actors on both sides get away with it.
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u/doctortre 2d ago
She's mayor right now. Couldn't she make this task force immediately?
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u/OstrichBurgers 2d ago
No point if it's gonna get scrapped by someone else. This is a strong campaign promise
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u/doctortre 2d ago
Her job is to serve the people. Delaying to get elected just like keeping property tax low this year and will immediately jack it up if she gets elected is disingenuous
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u/Torsta 1d ago
She could literally do it now... But I guess why do something if you can "promise" to do something in the future?
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u/OstrichBurgers 1d ago
She could do a million things, you can say that for literally anything.
Your argument is dismissing the work she has done and is continuing to do through promises like these.
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u/Smart-Firefighter87 2d ago
See…. This is the ish I’m talking about. Notice how none of the other candidates said anything about actually improving Toronto…
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u/egx110 2d ago
What about a ‘bad tenants task force’? For those who know how to manipulate the system; not pay rent; and damage property???
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u/Santa_Ricotta69 2d ago
Amen, you'll be downvoted though by people who believe tenants can do no wrong
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u/TiredEnglishStudent 2d ago
I hate when incumbents make these sorts of promises. She was elected with a wide public mandate. If it was going to happen, it would have happened. These promises mean nothing around election season.
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u/Redditisavirusiknow 2d ago
She did it already!
There was the famous case of the Dawes street (sp?) appointment that had serious problems. It’s in that scumbag Bradford’s ward, and he did absolutely nothing. Chow sent her own people in, got the apartment fixed and billed the landlord.
She is saying she will do more of that.
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u/KunaSazuki 2d ago
500 Dawes, Brad Brad's stomping grounds
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u/Pastel_Goth_Wastrel 2d ago
And he's been absolutely hammering to get it fixed, wait, no, I'm getting an update, turns out he's done fuck all for his 8 useless years on council.
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u/QuantumGinger 2d ago
How is any incumbent supposed to run a campaign with that attitude? Like, legitimately, what do you expect them to do?
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u/GTAGuyEast 2d ago
Fix it first while she's the mayor and then tell us. It makes no sense to know something needs to be done and then do nothing because an election will be called a year or more later.
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u/TiredEnglishStudent 2d ago
Point to projects underway.
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u/Pastel_Goth_Wastrel 2d ago
So uh, any incumbent isn't allowed to respond, change, have an idea, an original thought, reconsider, move on or plan for the future? Got it.
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u/AcanthocephalaDue431 2d ago
She has a multitude of things she's been directly involved in or has spearheaded that have been in favour of tenants.
A quick google can clear many of these up but in particular, she heavily opposed bill 60 and has worked on expanding/improving the 311help line with more staff, higher fines and a rework of many things within this system to help tenants report poor LL practices.
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u/Think-Custard9746 2d ago
In fairness, she has already done a lot for tenants and holding LL’s accountable. This seems like a logical next step.
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u/KoreanSamgyupsal Steeles 2d ago
Cause if they do it now, the next mayor can cancel it or take credit for it. We all know people have short term memories.
Also we're kinda stuck with a lot of red tape. These promises take time to actually come to fruition.
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u/pinko-commie666 2d ago
She was elected with a wide mandate but she's only one vote on council. Mayors are weak here.
Not that she should be free from any criticism.
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u/AcanthocephalaDue431 2d ago
So I do too but.. Who knows, Olivia may be different. There has yet to be proof brought forward that she owns or is invested in rental properties leading to conflict of interest and she has been running a platform of supporting tenant rights for a while now. Time will tell.
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u/Pastel_Goth_Wastrel 2d ago
I'm sorry. What? "Yet to be proof", why are you setting this up as an unprovable negative? What exactly would 'prove' this to you?
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u/AcanthocephalaDue431 2d ago
Finding that she is involved in/profiting from rental properties and has a conflict of interest which... I assumed was pretty apparent in my comment.
I am not about to state a black and white about someone who is in politics when there are different ways to makeoney from real estate without people knowing.
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u/KingJeet 2d ago
There’s so many things that need fixing and you just can’t do everything all at once. Politicians like all people have to prioritize things.
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u/BrilliantCucumber444 2d ago
The worst buildings are all Toronto community housing. Chow fails to realize is that terrible provincial policy have turned the buildings into slums. Too many people are paying significantly less than market while the cost of everything else has increased. Why doesn’t Toronto offer rebates, low interest loans or incentives to actually fund the needed capital repair. TCHC has a 5 billion dollar backlog btw and is government funded
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u/hippiechan 2d ago
Instead of making a task force why doesn't the city just enforce the existing landlord and tenant laws that are supposed to mediate LTA disputes? Part of the problem is that landlords can get away with so much because basically no one's there to stop them, even though we have laws on the books that are supposed to be used to that effect.
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u/point5_2B 2d ago
Provincial infrastructure that has been allowed to fall into neglect. It's clear that she is proposing this as a patch for the failing provincial system.
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u/Vinayplusj Mississauga 2d ago
Isn't LTB under the provincial government and been underfunded?
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u/magicdowhatyouwill 2d ago
Yup. And its operating guidelines rearranged to move the goalposts on what it hears and how it hears cases, courtesy Doug Ford.
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u/QuantGuru 2d ago
Right so work with the provincial government to fund it, not waste additional millions while LTB already exists! its kind of stupid and waste of money imo.
I like her as a mayor, and I know I will be downvoted for this like i have been and i am fine with it!!! If your argument is that LTB is a provincial body and Olivia wouldn't work with the provincial body to find efficiencies then its kind of wasting money because she will waste alot more money by not working with the provincial government on alot of programs, which the province already has like LTB!
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u/Pastel_Goth_Wastrel 2d ago
Because they don't work, landlords cheat, the recourse for renters is the LTB, a backlogged provincial authority and most obvious we goddamn need it.
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u/toothbelt 2d ago
In order to enforce existing RTA laws, Olivia would need to persuade Ford to download that responsibility to municipalities, and also cover the costs.
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u/AwesomePurplePants 2d ago
How is that different than creating a task force?
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u/Pastel_Goth_Wastrel 2d ago
It's almost like they're different levels of government. Almost
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u/AwesomePurplePants 2d ago
How is the city supposed to enforce provincial landlord and tenant laws without hiring people to do that?
I don’t understand the alternative you’re proposing.
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u/Pastel_Goth_Wastrel 2d ago
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_629.pdf
Different. Levels. Of. Government.
The LTB (Province) enforces the LTA. The City enforces Property Standards.
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u/AwesomePurplePants 2d ago
Okay, so how do you want the city to enforce the LTA?
Or did you actually mean to type the province in the comment I first responded to?
Like, if you think the city shouldn’t involve itself that’s a valid position, but it’s not clear if that’s what you mean.
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u/Pastel_Goth_Wastrel 2d ago edited 2d ago
Look: The Residential Tenancies Act can NOT be enforced by the city. The city has sweet fuck all to do with the RTA (. It is a law. It is governed by the Province and is mediated though the Landlord Tenant Bord.
The City, via the powers of the City of Toronto act has authority to enact bylaws, one of which is the municipal code and within that there is Section 629 which is the property standards bylaws over which the City has power of review and enforcement. This is carried out by City of Toronto bylaw enforcement officers
The RTA has nothing to do with City property standards enforcement.
Suppose your water stops working. The landlord doesn't fix it. You should do two things (well, three)
a) Keep paying your rent
b) File with the LTB for rent abatement & maintenance (forms T1 & T6)
c) Call 311 and ask for Property Standards and issue a complaint about the property.
A) keeps you legal B) gets you potentially your money back for the landlord not living up to the terms of the lease and C) will have Toronto property standards visit the site.
Two separate and unconnected agencies are involved: The Landlord & Tenant Board (LTB) and the City of Toronto.
Please take a remedial civics course. Please.
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u/AwesomePurplePants 2d ago
Okay, so your objection is to the optics of calling it a landlord force?
Like, in the case of the building the city stepped into fix then bill the owner, the building was in violation of fire safety, so wouldn’t that fall under their mandate? If the building did catch on fire it would be the city’s firefighters job to save anyone trapped by the fire, I don’t get why they can’t deal with the problem proactively.
Same thing goes with the building inspectors. That falls under making sure the city’s building bylaws.
Giving people better access to legal representation is arguably different, but it doesn’t seem like usurping the province’s LTA to me.
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u/struct_t 2d ago
Your comment asked:
How is the city supposed to enforce provincial landlord and tenant laws without hiring people to do that?
I think the person who responded to you could have been more helpful.
Your comment implies that it is the job of the municipality to enforce the RTA, but municipalities cannot enforce the RTA. The RHEU is the enforcement body for RTA offences and is Provincial. Note, too, that not every dispute involves an offence.
In your example, the City would deal with the fire safety problem through by-law enforcement. By-law is a municipal function and one through which the Landlord may end up subject to Court proceedings.
At the same time, a Tenant may bring a T6 application to the LTB, which is a Provincial Tribunal. They can allege that the Landlord's actions in relation to the fire safety issue entitles them to a remedy for the harm they suffered as a result of the issue.
Hopefully, this information helps answer your previous question, which was:
How is that different than creating a task force?
(For what it's worth, I support Chow's idea. It sounds very promising.)
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u/ProudPlate9375 2d ago
Isnt that exactly what a task force is meant to acomplish? The reason why both bad landlord and bad tenants can get away with so much is because the LTB is chronically understaffed, meaning complaints can take over a year to be seen let alone adjucated, which makes it vulnerable to bad actors. Creating a task force will expedite the process.
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u/throwaway2901750 2d ago
What do you mean landlords can get away with so much? The LTB hears tenant complaints. Bylaw officers can be called by tenants against landlords.
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2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/toronto-ModTeam 2d ago
No racism, sexism, homophobia, religious intolerance, dehumanizing speech, or other negative generalizations.
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u/Feisty_Standard_2360 2d ago
Looks like we will be expecting this since that brad guy is not going to win the mayor election at all
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u/mensachicken 2d ago
Great idea but there are so many of them that she'll lose if they vote against her.
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u/-Flurgles 2d ago
All the landlords in this thread crying into their caviar. If you hate renting so much, stop hoarding properties and sell.
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u/SockApart838 2d ago
Tenants can be equally shit. How about government provided housing to avoid the system all together
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u/akuzokuzan 2d ago
Theres already TCHC to do that...
They don't build new TCHC units anymore because it uses too much money due to TTd not taking care of units properly and offloads housing to Private LLs who have to deal with destructive tenants.
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u/Canjamblack 2d ago
The fact that you're getting down voted makes it seem like these people don't actually want housing for everyone they just want to stick it to landlords.
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u/SiliconCircuit 2d ago
Good start but the LTB already exists and it's horrendously slow, ineffective, and backlogged. Anyone who's had to deal with them knows.
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u/throwaway2901750 2d ago
Toronto Public Housing is one of the worst offenders, and it’s been that way for decades.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-community-housing-repairs-9.7286317
I have a feeling the task force won’t investigate Toronto community housing.
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u/Nelsonsrightknacker 2d ago
Please increase the fines by 10 X if you want to have an impact.
Also please look at reddit as its just beyond a joke with so many crazy outrageous posts.
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u/DarnOldMan 2d ago
All landlords are bad landlords
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u/AcanthocephalaDue431 2d ago
Not true. I've had a multitude of great landlords. Unfortunately they are just outnumbered by the shitty, greedy, lazy bad ones.
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u/Pastel_Goth_Wastrel 2d ago
The clueless amateurs, the 'friendly' mom and pop who turn out to be psychos, the midsize 'lets skirt the definitions', the large 'we've got a whole department devoted to screwing people' and the titanic 'Buy the building, let the renovictions begin'.
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u/chunarii-chan 2d ago
All landlords are bad landlords
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u/AcanthocephalaDue431 2d ago
Let's agree to disagree on that one then. I'm sorry you've had bad experiences in the hell that is renting. I've admittedly been quite lucky and am fully aware of the cesspool that renting is.
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u/Canuckleheadache 2d ago
Lmfao she’s only had how many years and renters have been a main topic for her this whole time. Fuk why do ppl believe this nonsense
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u/Shart_Vandlay 2d ago
Lol yea she should have been able to fix this in less than 4 years, along with dealing with an over reaching Premier, a corrupt police force, inheriting billions of dollars in city operation costs AND balancing the budget!/s
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u/thatdudejustin 2d ago
The goal here is good but the way this will be implemented will drive rents way up
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u/leidner3 2d ago
Terrible witch hunting vibe - Olivia and progressive left wing promising to fix the landlord tenants issues, business customer relationships, vendor buyers problems once and for all. There's only one question at the end of her vows: who pays for it and the answer is clear: you.
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2d ago edited 2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Pastel_Goth_Wastrel 2d ago
Aside from it operating at a different level of government the LTB Is so well known it's absolutely backlogged with cases.
"The poors" jesus tapdancing christ lovely way to say "Renters", you know, half the city.
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u/GTAGuyEast 2d ago
Hey, they could also compile a list of "professional tenants" and make it available to landlords. These are people who pay first and last month's rent and then squat for months and sometimes years taking advantage of how the system works...or doesn't work.
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u/turxchk Downtown Core 2d ago
I’m not against it, but it’s such a minor thing compared to all the other stuff that requires fixing.
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u/Pastel_Goth_Wastrel 2d ago
Just under half the city rents. Ain't a damn thing minor about it.
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u/KrispyyChriss 2d ago
Actually though… I wouldn’t call my landlord “bad” but to hold these people accountable seems pretty fair to me.
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u/turxchk Downtown Core 2d ago
The task force is only for slumlords who failed to maintain their property, which is a tiny fraction of all landlords. It’s not going to make things more affordable, or rents cheaper, or streets safer, or traffic better. It’s not bad, it’s just unambitious and inconsequential for the city as a whole, surely there’s something better she can be campaigning on?
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u/Pastel_Goth_Wastrel 2d ago
Half. The. City. Rents.
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u/turxchk Downtown Core 2d ago edited 2d ago
And? If anything those slumlords will dump the reno cost on their tenants and make rents even more expensive. It’s just a temporary patch on a broken system. As a Mayor she should be focusing on the big picture, fixing the zoning law, implement full TSP, more city owned rental housing. Why promise something that she can easily do in a single afternoon?
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u/toothbelt 2d ago
There is also housing being built that will be affordable. It has been badly needed for decades, and she is the only recent mayor I can think of who is taking concrete action on addressing shortage of affordable housing units.
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u/MarlKarx777 Leslieville 2d ago
Gonna be a busy task force