Glossary - Housing Law

In Housing Law

Parties are the people or organizations directly involved in a court case, contract, agreement, or other legal matter. For example, a party can be one person, a group of 2 or more people, a corporation, or a government organization like a municipal subsidized housing provider.

In most housing law cases, the landlord and the tenant are parties. The minor children of the tenant are usually not parties. Other examples of parties include former landlords, employees of the landlord, or buyers of the home.

In Abuse and Family Violence, Criminal Law, Family Law, Housing Law, Refugee Law

A peace bond is a court order from a criminal court that requires a person to “keep the peace and be of good behaviour”. The peace bond may also contain other conditions the person must follow. For example, the person may be required to follow a “no contact” condition.

In Housing Law

A length of time that repeats over and over. A periodic tenancy is a tenancy that repeats or renews after each period until the landlord or the tenant does something to end it. It does not have a fixed term. The most common types are weekly and monthly tenancies.

In Employment and Work, Health and Disability, Housing Law, Human Rights

A personal characteristic is a quality that a person has. There are 17 personal characteristics protected by Ontario’s Human Rights Code. These are sometimes called “protected grounds”. They relate to your:

• race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, and ethnic origin
• citizenship
• religion
• sex, gender, gender identity, and gender expression
• sexual orientation
• family and marital status
• disability
• age

Two personal characteristics are protected only in certain situations. You’re protected from being treated unfairly:

• in housing if you get income support from the government
• at work if you have a record suspension, which used to be called a pardon

In Employment and Work, Health and Disability, Housing Law, Human Rights

A personal characteristic is a quality that a person has. There are 17 personal characteristics protected by Ontario’s Human Rights Code. These are sometimes called “protected grounds”. They relate to your:

• race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, and ethnic origin
• citizenship
• religion
• sex, gender, gender identity, and gender expression
• sexual orientation
• family and marital status
• disability
• age

Two personal characteristics are protected only in certain situations. You’re protected from being treated unfairly:

• in housing if you get income support from the government
• at work if you have a record suspension, which used to be called a pardon