Bill 60: The Top 5 Changes Landlords and Tenants Need to Know

Ontario’s rental landscape is undergoing its most significant procedural shift in years. The introduction of Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, is set to change the rules for landlords, tenants, and property managers.

The government’s stated goal is to tackle the extensive delays at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) and stop “bad actors from abusing the system,” aiming for swifter resolutions for everyone.

But with so much information (and misinformation) circulating, it’s crucial to understand what is actually changing.

First, What Isn’t Changing: The “Month-to-Month” Panic

You may have seen alarming headlines about the “end of rent control” or the end of automatic month-to-month leases. These stories came from an initial government proposal to “consult on alternative options on lease agreement expiry”.

The backlash from tenant groups and the public was immediate and intense.

As a result, the government quickly and publicly reversed course. Housing Minister Rob Flack issued a statement confirming that the government is not proceeding with these consultations.

The bottom line: “Security of tenure” remains the law. A tenant’s lease still automatically converts to a month-to-month tenancy.

The 5 Real Changes You Need to Know

While that controversial proposal was retracted, Bill 60 still contains five major reforms that will profoundly impact the LTB process. These changes focus on accelerating timelines, streamlining hearings, and creating new strategic tools for landlords.

Here is a summary of these five key changes, comparing the old rule to the new one.

Key Change	Previous Rule (Old RTA)	New Rule (Under Bill 60)	Real-World Example
1. Faster N4 Evictions (Non-Payment)	For monthly leases, a landlord had to give a 14-day termination period on the N4 notice before they could file an L1 (eviction) application with the LTB.	Landlords can set the termination date 7 days earlier for monthly tenancies, allowing them to file the L1 application with the LTB 7 days sooner.	Scenario: Rent is late on Oct 1. An N4 is served on Oct 2. • Old: The earliest to file with the LTB was Oct 17. • New: The earliest to file is now Oct 10. This gets the landlord in the LTB queue a full week faster.
2. Streamlined Hearings (Ending “Trial by Ambush”)	At a non-payment (N4) hearing, a tenant could raise any new issue (like a maintenance complaint) for the first time, even without prior notice. This is based on RTA Section 82.	Tenants are barred from raising new issues at an arrears hearing unless they have provided prior notice according to LTB rules. This is also bolstered by a new “pay 50% of arrears” rule to raise counterclaims.	Scenario: A landlord files for unpaid rent. • Old: At the hearing, the tenant says, “I didn’t pay because my fridge is broken.” The case is adjourned for months. • New: The adjudicator is barred from hearing about the fridge (unless a T6 was filed) and the hearing proceeds only on the rent owed.
3. N12 “Landlord’s Own Use” Compensation	To evict a tenant for personal use (N12), a landlord had to give at least 60 days’ notice AND pay one month’s rent as mandatory compensation.	A landlord is exempt from paying the one-month compensation if they provide the tenant with 120 days’ (four months) notice.	Scenario: A landlord’s daughter needs to move into the unit. • Old: The landlord gives 60 days’ notice and pays the tenant $2,000. • New: The landlord plans ahead, gives 120 days’ notice, and pays $0.
4. “Persistent Late Payment” (N8) Evictions	The term “persistent” was undefined in the Residential Tenancies Act. Adjudicators often dismissed N8 notices if the tenant, despite being late, eventually paid in full.	The government now has the authority to create a regulation that will explicitly define “persistent” (e.g., “X late payments in Y months”).	Scenario: A tenant pays rent on the 20th for 8 months in a row. • Old: An adjudicator dismisses the N8, calling it a “minor issue”. • New: The new rule defines “persistent” as 6+ late payments. The landlord provides the rent ledger, and the eviction is granted.
5. LTB Review Period (Finality of Orders)	After an LTB order was issued, either the landlord or the tenant had 30 days to request a review of the decision.	The time limit to request a review is cut in half to 15 days.	Scenario: An eviction order is issued. • Old: The tenant has 30 days to seek legal aid and file a review request, delaying the eviction. • New: The tenant has only 15 days, making it much harder to challenge the order and providing the landlord with finality much sooner.

What This Means For…

• For Landlords: These changes provide faster, more predictable processes for non-payment and new strategic tools. The new N12 rule rewards long-term planning, while the N8 and N4 changes offer faster resolution for non-paying or chronically late tenants. Landlord groups, like the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO), have praised these measures for restoring balance and supporting fairness.
• For Tenants: Deadlines are tighter and the stakes are higher. The 14-day “buffer” for rent is effectively gone. Critically, you can no longer wait to use your landlord’s (faster) non-payment hearing to raise your own maintenance issues. You must be proactive and file your own T6 (maintenance) applications with the LTB. Tenant advocacy groups like ACTO and FMTA have strongly condemned the bill, arguing it “silences tenants” and will lead to more evictions.
• For Property Managers: Your role as a procedural expert is now more critical than ever. Meticulous record-keeping (to support new N8 claims) and strategic, long-range planning (to advise clients on N12 compensation) are no longer just best practices—they are essential, value-adding services.

How Spearhead Property Management Can Help

These changes represent a complex new landscape for rental property owners. Navigating these new rules, timelines, and forms requires expertise and pro-active management.

This is where Spearhead Property Management excels.

We don’t just collect rent; we provide strategic asset management to protect your investment. Our team is already trained on these new procedural timelines. We are updating our systems to:

• Minimize Income Loss: Immediately implement the new 7-day N4 timeline to get your L1 application filed faster.
• Manage Difficult Tenancies: Pro-actively track all rent payments to build the data-driven evidence required for the new “persistent late payment” (N8) evictions.
• Provide Strategic Advice: Advise you on the new 120-day N12 strategy to help you save on compensation costs when you or your family need to reclaim a unit.
• Win at the LTB: Prepare L1 (non-payment) hearing files that are clean, transactional, and ready for the new “no-surprises” hearing process.

Partnering with Spearhead means having an expert on your side who turns these legislative changes from a risk into an advantage. Contact us today to learn how we can protect your investment and optimize your portfolio under the new rules.

Over the next few days, we will be diving deeper into each of these five topics in individual posts. Stay tuned.

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Spearhead Property Management is not a law firm. Laws and LTB procedures are subject to change and interpretation. Please consult a qualified lawyer or licensed paralegal for advice on your specific situation.