Can my landlord cut off my electricity or other utilities?
The Residential Tenancies Act calls some services you get in your home “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 interfere with any vital service.
The same rule applies to meals and care services.
Your landlord is not allowed to cut off or interfere with these services for any reason, even if you owe rent.
Other services
Services like internet, air conditioning, laundry, and a landline phone are not vital services. But you can still take the same steps mentioned in this question if your landlord cuts them off. The difference between vital services and other services is that the (LTB) or Rental Housing Enforcement Unit () can more serious penalties when landlords cut off or interfere with vital services.
If your landlord threatens to cut off your air conditioning, you should first read the question What are the rules about air conditioners? to see if your landlord can stop you from having an air conditioner.
