Ontario Government Backs Down On Ending Rent Control And Indefinite Leases After Public Outcry
After days of intense backlash from tenants, advocates, and local leaders, the Ontario government has walked back its proposal to end rent control and indefinite leases. The retreat comes just a week after Premier Doug Ford’s government introduced the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, which included a controversial plan to overhaul tenant lease protections.
The proposal would have allowed landlords to control who occupies their units and for how long, effectively giving them the power to evict tenants based on “market conditions or personal needs.” Following province-wide protests and over 23,000 emails sent to officials by tenants, Housing Minister Rob Flack announced on social media that the government would no longer move forward with consultations on changes to Ontario’s tenancy framework.
Flack said the province will now focus on “common sense reforms” aimed at strengthening the rental market, while maintaining “stability and predictability” for renters. But many housing advocates and tenant unions argue that the government’s new housing bill, Bill 60, still threatens affordability and tenants’ rights by making it easier for landlords to evict renters and harder for tenants to defend themselves at the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Organizations like ACORN and the York South-Weston Tenant Union celebrated the reversal as a victory for collective action, crediting the pressure from renters across Ontario for forcing the government to step back. However, both groups cautioned that the fight is far from over, pointing to Bill 60’s remaining provisions that weaken tenant protections and favor landlord interests.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow called the reversal a relief, saying the proposed end to “security of tenure” would have been catastrophic for nearly half of Toronto’s population who rent their homes. She emphasized that the province must go further by reinstating rent control for all units, including those built after 2018, and strengthening compensation for tenants evicted through no fault of their own.
Tenant lawyer Samuel Mason warned that parts of Bill 60 still harm renters, noting that tenants will now be required to pay 50 percent of alleged unpaid rent before filing a counterclaim at eviction hearings, even when the landlord’s claims are inflated or illegal. Advocates say this change prioritizes landlords over renters and undermines tenants’ ability to fight wrongful evictions.
Opposition leaders echoed the sentiment, calling the Ford government’s reversal a temporary reprieve rather than a real victory. Ontario Liberal housing critic Adil Shamji said the government’s shifting stance reveals “a lack of consistency and compassion,” while NDP shadow housing minister Catherine McKenney urged the province to implement real rent control immediately. Green Party leader Mike Schreiner added that while the rollback offers relief, “rent remains totally unaffordable for many Ontarians,” calling for genuine housing solutions instead of political distractions.
For tenant organizers across Ontario, the outcome is proof that unity works. By mobilizing communities, flooding inboxes, and showing up in the streets, renters made their voices impossible to ignore, a reminder that grassroots action still has the power to hold governments accountable.
Source: “Ontario government backs down on consultations to end rent control, indefinite leases,” Arrthy Thayaparan, CBC News (October 27, 2025).
Cover and article photo by DifferenceBetween.net.
