Repair Tracker

A phone call or hallway conversation is easy to forget — and easy to deny later. When you ask for a repair in writing (email, text, or letter), you create a dated record that shows exactly what you reported and when. If a dispute ever reaches the Landlord and Tenant Board, that record can matter a great deal. Even if you already asked verbally, it can help to follow up in writing.

Under Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act, landlords are generally responsible for keeping a rental unit in a good state of repair, fit for habitation, and in line with health, safety, housing, and maintenance standards. This generally applies even if you knew about a problem when you moved in. How the rules apply to a specific problem depends on the facts — a qualified legal professional should confirm anything important.

Many Ontario municipalities also enforce local property standards by-laws. If a serious problem is not being fixed, your city or town may have a property standards or by-law enforcement office you can contact — check your municipality’s website.

Photograph or record each problem when you first notice it, and again over time if it gets worse. Keep the originals — do not crop or edit them. The Evidence Vault explains how to organize photos, videos, messages, and receipts so nothing gets lost.