A tenant faces a Landlord and Tenant Board hearing next month after allegedly not paying rent for nearly a year, marking the second time since 2023 she has been accused of failing to meet rental obligations.
Tenant Accused of Nearly $23,000 in Unpaid Rent
Ramanpreet Singh, the current landlord, says the tenant paid a last month’s rent deposit and moved into his Brampton townhouse in April 2025, but has made no further payments since. He estimates the unpaid rent and utilities total just over $23,000.
“I can’t sleep at night, my health is affected,” Singh told CBC Toronto. “I don’t know how I’m going to feed my kids.”
CBC Toronto was unable to reach the tenant for comment and is not identifying her.
In Ontario, only the Landlord and Tenant Board can evict a tenant. Singh applied to the LTB for an eviction order in September. The LTB could order the woman to pay back rent and evict her. A hearing is scheduled for April 9.
Singh says he is considering selling the property, calling the experience “horrible” and stating he doesn’t plan to rent again in the future.
Previous Eviction Order in 2023
In April 2023, Tim Rye rented his two-bedroom condo in downtown Toronto to the same woman for approximately $4,500 a month. He says he used a real estate agency to vet her but regrets not checking her employment and rental history himself.
According to LTB documents, the tenant paid a three-month deposit but then stopped making rent payments after the first month. When Rye inquired, he was told she had lost her job.
An eviction order was issued in May 2024 after a hearing on April 18, 2024, where the tenant requested a delay citing pregnancy and mental health concerns, a claim the LTB found to be untrue. Rye says the woman had moved out by the time the order was issued.
The LTB ordered the woman to pay $35,000 – the maximum amount the tribunal could grant – towards $59,000 in back rent Rye was owed. Rye does not expect to recover the full amount, including an additional $30,000 he claims in damages and stolen furniture.
Landlords can apply to the LTB to collect owed money using an L10 form, according to Tribunals Ontario.
Both Singh and Rye expressed regret over not thoroughly screening the tenant before renting to her.
Professional Screening Recommended
Ajay Grewal, a lawyer specializing in landlord representation and a former LTB adjudicator, recommends landlords use professional screening agencies to check a prospective tenant’s background before signing a lease. He also suggests utilizing resources like the Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) and Openroom, which tracks LTB rulings.
Grewal warns that problematic tenants may be a growing issue, with some landlords choosing to exit the rental market altogether. He suggests renters may be becoming desperate as the rental housing supply dwindles.
“A lot of landlords, in my experience, have chosen to get out of rentals completely and instead put their money into more guaranteed investments,” he said.
As of September 2025, the LTB has reduced its active case backlog to 36,689 applications, down from over 53,000 in early 2024. Average hearing wait times remain between three and seven months, with urgent matters addressed more quickly.
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