Your home has to be livable. That's the law.
No heat, no water, or mould? In Ontario your landlord has to keep your unit in good repair — and they can never cut off heat, water, or power to push you out. Here's how to make it right.
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In 30 seconds, here's what's true
- Your landlord must keep your unit and building in a good state of repair and fit to live in — even for problems that were there before you moved in. This is section 20 of the Residential Tenancies Act.
- Heat, hot and cold water, electricity, fuel, and gas are 'vital services.' Your landlord can never shut them off or interfere with them to pressure you — even if you owe rent.
- From September 1 to June 15, if your landlord supplies heat it must keep the unit at a minimum of 20°C. Many cities set a higher standard — Toronto requires 21°C — so check your local by-law.
- There is no separate 'mould law,' but mould falls under your landlord's repair duty and your city's property standards. Air conditioning is not a vital service, so it isn't covered unless your lease promises it.
- Do not withhold rent to force a repair. It can get you an eviction notice. There are safer, stronger ways to push — and you can ask the Board to hold your rent instead.
The steps your landlord must follow
Tell your landlord in writing
Email or text your landlord, describe the problem, and ask for a repair by a reasonable date. Keep the message — it proves the landlord was told. Photos and a temperature reading help if it's about heat.
Call your city's property standards line
Most cities enforce heat, water, and health standards through 311 or a bylaw office. They can inspect and order the landlord to fix it. For a cut-off vital service, call the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit at 1-888-772-9277.
Document everything
Take dated photos and videos. Log the dates, times, and a thermometer reading for heat problems. Save receipts for anything you had to buy — space heaters, bottled water, or a hotel.
Apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board
File a T6 for maintenance and repair problems, or a T2 if the landlord interfered with a vital service. The Board can order repairs, lower your rent, give you money back, and fine the landlord.
Ask the Board to hold your rent — don't just stop paying
On a T6 you can ask to pay rent to the Board instead of the landlord until things are fixed. That's the safe, legal version of 'withholding.' Get free advice first by starting a PLAIN session.
What to do next
- Put the repair request to your landlord in writing and keep a copy.
- Take dated photos or video of the mould, leak, or broken heat.
- Record the indoor temperature with a thermometer if heat is the issue.
- Call 311 or your city's property standards office to report it.
- For a shut-off vital service, call 1-888-772-9277.
- Keep receipts for heaters, water, repairs, or a hotel.
- Keep paying your rent — or ask the Board to hold it instead.
- Start a free PLAIN session to plan a T6 or T2 application.
Common myths
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| I can stop paying rent until the landlord fixes it. | No — withholding rent can get you an N4 and an eviction case. Use the city, the Board, and a request to pay rent to the Board instead. |
| The landlord can shut off my heat or water if I'm behind on rent. | Never. Cutting off a vital service is illegal under section 21 of the RTA, no matter what you owe. |
| Nothing can be done about mould in Ontario. | Mould falls under the landlord's duty to keep the unit fit to live in, plus city health and property standards. You can report it and apply to the Board. |
| If there's no heat in winter, I still have to pay full rent and stay quiet. | Keep paying, but you can ask the Board for a rent reduction or rebate for the time the unit wasn't properly heated. |
| Problems that existed before I moved in aren't the landlord's job. | They are. The repair duty applies even if you knew about the problem when you signed the lease. |
| My landlord has to provide air conditioning. | A/C is not a vital service. The landlord only has to provide it if your lease says so. (From July 1, 2026, tenants can install their own unit, with conditions.) |
| If the landlord didn't pay the utility bill, the cut-off isn't their fault. | It is. If a vital service stops because the landlord didn't pay the supplier, the law holds the landlord responsible. |
| A stove is a vital service, so a broken one is an emergency. | A stove isn't legally a 'vital service,' but a landlord-supplied stove still has to be repaired under the maintenance rules — use a T6. |
Last reviewed June 2026
Written and reviewed by the founder of PLAIN, checked against primary government and legal sources. How we research these guides
Sources
PLAIN gives legal information, not legal advice. It is not a substitute for a lawyer or paralegal — and we'll point you to free ones. Laws change; we review these pages regularly, but always confirm current rules with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
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