How to get repairs done when your landlord keeps stalling

Across Canada, landlords have a legal duty to keep rental units in a good state of repair and to meet health, safety and housing standards. That duty generally applies even if the lease says otherwise, and even if the tenant knew about the problem when they moved in. Knowing that is useful. Getting a stalled repair actually done takes a little more.

This is the sequence I used to walk clients through at the tenant clinic. It is general information, not legal advice, and the details vary by province, so check with your tenancy body before you take formal steps.

First, decide: emergency or not?

Some repairs cannot wait. No heat in winter, a major water leak, a sewage backup, a broken exterior lock, or an electrical problem that is a safety risk are usually treated as urgent. Others, such as a sticking cupboard, a dripping tap or a cracked tile, are real repairs but can follow the normal process. The urgency changes how quickly you should act and, in some provinces, what you are allowed to do yourself.

The steps

1. Report it in writing

   A phone call is fine for speed, but follow it with an email or text the same day describing the problem, when it started and how it affects you. Writing creates a dated record.

2. Document it

   Take photos and video with dates, keep any damaged items, and save receipts for costs the problem causes, such as spoiled food from a broken fridge.

3. Allow reasonable access

   Landlords are generally entitled to enter to make repairs with proper notice. Cooperating with access keeps the record clean and removes an excuse for delay.

4. Follow up with a deadline

   If nothing happens, send a second written request that refers to the first and sets a reasonable date for the repair. Keep the tone factual.

5. Contact your municipality

   Many cities have property standards or bylaw officers who can inspect and order repairs. For heat, many municipalities set minimum temperatures landlords must maintain.

6. Apply to your tenancy body

   If the landlord still does not act, you can usually apply for an order requiring the repair, and in some cases a rent reduction or compensation.

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Every message you send is a page in the file you may one day hand to an adjudicator. Write them that way.

Where to apply, by province

In Ontario, tenants can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board about maintenance problems; the board can order repairs, an abatement of rent and other remedies. In British Columbia, tenants apply for dispute resolution through the Residential Tenancy Branch. In Quebec, the Tribunal administratif du logement hears repair disputes. Other provinces have their own boards or offices.

Emergency repairs you make yourself

British Columbia’s rules allow a tenant to arrange emergency repairs in limited circumstances, after trying to reach the landlord and giving them a reasonable chance to act, and to be reimbursed on presenting receipts. Other provinces handle this differently, and doing your own repairs without following the rules can leave you paying for them. If you are considering it, check the exact conditions first.

The shortcut that backfires

The most tempting response to a landlord who ignores repairs is to stop paying rent until they fix it. In most provinces, including Ontario and British Columbia, that is not allowed, and it can give the landlord grounds to apply to end your tenancy for non-payment. Keep paying rent in full and pursue the repair through the proper channel; a tribunal can award a rent reduction afterwards if it finds the landlord at fault.

Landlords also cannot punish you for asserting your rights. Retaliation, such as a sudden eviction notice after a repair complaint, is something tenancy bodies take seriously. Our list of nine things your landlord cannot do covers this and more, and if a repair dispute turns into a notice to end your tenancy, read when your landlord wants the unit back.