Can my landlord cut off my electricity or other utilities?

Your landlord may have cut off your utility on purpose. Or they might not know that someone working for them has done this. They also might have failed to pay the bill.

In any of these situations, you should tell your landlord that it is against the law and that they must take steps to restore the service right away.

Keep notes for yourself about when you talked to your landlord and what each of you said.

If your landlord does not fix the problem as soon as possible, send a letter or an email asking your landlord to fix the problem. Make sure to keep a copy for yourself.

Repair Request Form for Tenants

Use this form to tell your landlord what needs to be fixed.

If a utility company has cut off your service, contact them to find out why. If it is because your landlord told them to turn it off or didn't pay a bill they were supposed to pay, ask the company to give you a letter telling you this. If the energy company will not give you a letter, make notes about who you spoke to at the company and what they said.

It is safest to keep paying your rent while you are trying to get your landlord to deal with the problem. If you do not pay all your rent for any reason, your landlord can try to have you evicted.

If the problem continues, you can contact the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit (RHEU). The RHEU is part of the Ministry of Housing. Its job is to try to make sure landlords and tenants follow the law.

You can call the RHEU at these numbers:

Toll Free Phone Line: 1-888-772-9277
416 Dialling Area: 416-585-7214
Fax: 416-585-6464
Toll Free Fax Line: 1-866-321-4127

Sometimes landlords will change their behaviour when someone from the RHEU contacts them.

If your landlord still does not fix the problem, you can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board. The Board is like a special court that decides disputes between tenants and landlords.

When you apply, the Board will schedule a hearing where you and your landlord can each explain the situation to a member of the Board. Before the hearing, you and your landlord can try to settle your problems yourselves or with the help of a Board employee.

At the hearing, it is up to you to convince the Board member about the problem. It is very important to bring evidence to your hearing, for example, witnesses, inspectors' reports, work orders, letters, notes, or anything else that can help you prove your case to the Board member.