Can I apply to the LTB if my landlord cuts off my electricity or other services?

Some services in your home are called “vital services”. Vital services are:

hot or cold water
fuel
electricity
natural gas
heat, from September 1 to June 15

It's illegal for your landlord to cut off or unreasonably interfere with any vital service.

Even if you owe rent, your landlord is not allowed to cut off or interfere with vital services.

The rule is the same for meals and care services in care homes.

Services like internet, air conditioning, laundry, and a landline phone are not vital services. But if those services are cut, you can still take the same steps in this question. There are more serious penalties for interfering with vital services.

If your landlord has cut off your air conditioning, first read the question What are the rules about air conditioners?

Before you apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board

If your landlord has stopped or is threatening to stop a service, you might be able to solve the problem by contacting your landlord or trying these steps first.

You can also call the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit (). The RHEU is a government service that helps to make sure landlords and tenants follow the law. And you can a complaint about vital services.

A letter from a lawyer or paralegal might also convince your landlord to restore the service.

If none of these steps work, you can apply to the (LTB). The LTB can your landlord to restore the service and pay you money for any problems caused by their actions.

Time limit

It's best to apply within one year after the service was first cut off.

If the service has already been restored, you can apply to the LTB for money only. And the LTB can only give you money for problems going back one year before you applied.