What to Do If a Landlord Retaliates After You File a Complaint
Protections against retaliation, and how to respond if it happens.
Insights · Tenant Protections & Remedies
On this page
- What retaliation can look like in practice
- Is retaliation actually illegal in Ontario?
- When an eviction notice follows a complaint
- Documenting a pattern of retaliation
- Responding to a notice you believe is retaliatory
- Harassment, reduced services, and other tactics
- What the LTB can do about it
- Practical advice if you're worried about retaliation before complaining
What retaliation can look like in practice
Retaliation against a tenant for exercising a legal right — filing a maintenance complaint with the LTB or a municipal property standards office, joining a tenants' association, or disputing a rent increase — can take many forms, and it's not always as obvious as an outright eviction notice the next day. It can show up as a sudden, unexplained reduction in services the tenant previously received, unusually aggressive or frequent entry into the unit, a landlord becoming slow or unresponsive specifically after a complaint when they weren't before, an eviction notice arriving shortly after the complaint with a reason that seems thin or inconsistent, or a pattern of selective enforcement of rules against one tenant that other tenants aren't held to.
Not every negative interaction following a complaint is retaliation — sometimes a landlord's response really is unrelated, or a notice really does reflect a legitimate issue that happens to follow close in time. Distinguishing the two often comes down to pattern, timing, and whether the landlord's stated reasons hold up under scrutiny.
Key point
Ontario law doesn't require a tenant to prove retaliation was the landlord's only motive — often what matters is whether the LTB finds that a complaint or the exercise of a legal right was a significant factor behind the landlord's action, considered alongside everything else in the case.
Is retaliation actually illegal in Ontario?
Yes, in a meaningful sense. While the RTA doesn't use the word "retaliation" as a standalone offence, several of its provisions work together to discourage and remedy it. The Act prohibits a landlord from harassing, obstructing, coercing, threatening, or interfering with a tenant, and an adjudicator reviewing an eviction application or a tenant's complaint can consider the timing and context of a landlord's actions, including whether they followed closely on the heels of a tenant exercising a legal right. In practice, this means a tenant who faces a notice or a change in treatment shortly after filing a legitimate complaint has a real avenue to raise that connection as part of their case, even though "retaliation" isn't always the precise legal label used.
When an eviction notice follows a complaint
One of the more serious forms retaliation can take is an eviction notice that arrives shortly after a tenant raises a legitimate issue. If this happens, it's important to remember that receiving a notice is not the same as being evicted — the landlord generally still needs to apply to the LTB, and a hearing takes place before any eviction order is made. At that hearing, the timing and surrounding context of the notice, including its proximity to the tenant's complaint, can be raised as part of the tenant's response, particularly if the stated reason for the notice seems inconsistent with the landlord's own prior conduct or statements.
This is also where documentation becomes critical: a tenant who can show a clear, specific timeline — complaint filed on this date, notice received on this date, no prior indication of any problem before the complaint — gives the adjudicator something concrete to evaluate, rather than asking them to simply infer a motive from coincidence alone.
What to avoid
Don't assume that fear of retaliation means you shouldn't file a legitimate complaint in the first place. Avoiding a legitimate maintenance complaint or LTB application out of fear often leaves a genuine problem unresolved, and the law provides tools to respond to retaliation specifically, rather than requiring tenants to simply avoid asserting their rights.
Documenting a pattern of retaliation
Because retaliation is often inferred from pattern and timing rather than proven by a single, explicit admission, documentation plays an outsized role. Keep a dated record of when the original complaint was filed and with whom, any landlord response (or lack of one), and specific dates of anything that followed — a notice, a change in how maintenance requests are handled, new restrictions, or any direct statements the landlord makes. If a landlord says something explicit, such as linking the complaint to a decision ("maybe you shouldn't have called the city"), writing it down immediately, with the date and as close to verbatim as possible, can be valuable evidence later.
Responding to a notice you believe is retaliatory
If a tenant receives a notice they believe is retaliatory, the practical response generally has two tracks: respond to the notice itself on its own merits (checking whether it's procedurally valid, whether the stated grounds actually apply), and separately raise the surrounding context and timing at the hearing. It's also worth considering whether to file a separate tenant application, such as a T2 alleging the landlord has substantially interfered with reasonable enjoyment of the unit or harassed the tenant, particularly where the retaliation goes beyond a single notice and reflects an ongoing pattern.
Harassment, reduced services, and other tactics
Retaliation doesn't always take the form of a notice. Some landlords respond to a complaint by reducing or eliminating a service the tenant previously received (reduced cleaning, parking changes, delayed repairs on unrelated issues), by increasing the frequency or intrusiveness of entries into the unit, or through more direct harassment, such as repeated unwelcome contact or intimidating conduct. The RTA's harassment and interference provisions can apply to these situations directly, independent of whether an eviction notice is ever served, and a T2 application is generally the route for raising these issues with the LTB.
What the LTB can do about it
Where the LTB finds that a landlord's conduct amounted to harassment, interference, or an eviction application motivated by retaliation, the available remedies can include dismissing an eviction application, ordering compensation to the tenant, and in some cases ordering the landlord to stop specific conduct. As with any LTB remedy, outcomes depend entirely on the specific facts and evidence presented — there's no guaranteed result, and a tenant should go into the process prepared to show a clear, documented account rather than assuming the Board will simply take their word for it.
Practical advice if you're worried about retaliation before complaining
Some tenants hesitate to file a legitimate complaint out of fear of retaliation. A few practical habits can help manage that risk without discouraging a tenant from exercising a right they're entitled to: file complaints in writing wherever possible, so there's a clear record of when and what was raised; keep copies of everything; and know that if retaliation does happen, it's generally something the LTB can address directly, rather than something the tenant simply has to absorb. Getting advice from a community legal clinic before or shortly after filing a sensitive complaint can also help a tenant understand what to watch for and how to respond if a landlord does react badly.
It's also worth remembering that most landlords do not retaliate against tenants for raising legitimate concerns, and many respond to a well-documented, reasonable complaint exactly as the law expects — by addressing the issue. Worrying about retaliation shouldn't become a reason to stay silent about a genuine safety or maintenance problem, since the risk of an unresolved serious issue is often greater than the risk of a landlord reacting badly, particularly once a tenant understands the tools available if that does happen.
Where a tenant lives in a building with multiple units experiencing similar issues, it can also help to know whether other tenants have raised similar complaints, since a pattern across multiple households can sometimes make it harder for a landlord to single out one tenant's complaint as the sole cause of a later dispute, and can also support a broader case if several tenants end up needing to apply to the LTB around the same set of circumstances.
This article provides general information about Ontario landlord and tenant law.
It is not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, consult a licensed
paralegal or lawyer, or contact the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Frequently Asked Questions
In a meaningful sense, yes. The RTA's provisions against harassment and interference, along with how the LTB can consider timing and context, together provide real protection, even though "retaliation" isn't always used as a standalone legal term.
No. Timing can be relevant evidence, but the LTB decides each case on its full facts. A tenant should still prepare a complete response rather than relying on timing alone.
Write it down immediately, with the date and as close to verbatim as possible. A contemporaneous written record of a specific statement can be valuable evidence later.
It can be, particularly if the timing and pattern suggest a connection to a complaint. The RTA's harassment and interference provisions can apply even without an eviction notice being involved.
Generally, a T2 application ("Tenant Application about Tenant Rights") is the route for raising harassment, interference, or related issues with the LTB.
Generally no — avoiding a legitimate complaint often leaves a real problem unresolved. Filing in writing and keeping records helps you respond if retaliation does happen, rather than needing to avoid your rights altogether.
Yes, this is one of the possible remedies available, though it depends entirely on the facts and evidence in the specific case.
No. Sometimes a landlord's action really is unrelated or reflects a legitimate issue. Distinguishing retaliation generally comes down to pattern, timing, and whether the landlord's stated reasons hold up.
Potentially, yes, especially if entries become unusually frequent or intrusive shortly after a complaint. This can be raised as part of a harassment or interference complaint to the LTB.
It can be helpful. A community legal clinic can advise on what to expect and how to document things in case the landlord reacts negatively to the complaint.
Related reading
Reviewed by Ryan J. Manilla, BA, JD
Legal Reviewer · Landlord Tenant Ontario