Landlord and Tenant Issues

How does a T6 maintenance application work, and what can the Board order?

Last updated October 7, 2026.

A T6 asks Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) to decide that your landlord broke the duty to keep your unit and building in a good state of repair. You generally have one year from the problem to apply, and the filing fee is $53, or $48 through the Tribunals Ontario Portal. If the Board finds a breach, it can order repairs, a rent abatement, payment for damaged belongings and costs, a freeze on rent increases, or other remedies.

A T6 can be weakened by skipping a simple step, such as never telling the landlord in writing. This guide walks through the process as it stands after the 2025 to 2026 changes to the Residential Tenancies Act. For an overview of the help available at the Board, see our page on landlord and tenant issues in Ontario.

What does the landlord have to maintain?

Section 20(1) of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 makes the landlord responsible for keeping the residential complex, including each rental unit, in a good state of repair and fit for habitation, and for complying with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards. Section 20(2) adds that this duty applies even if you knew about the problem before you signed the lease. A clause in your lease that shifts major repairs onto you does not change this, because the Act says provisions that conflict with it are void (s. 4).

Which written standards apply depends on where you live. The provincial maintenance standards in O. Reg. 517/06 apply only where a municipality has no property standards by-law, or in prescribed circumstances (s. 224). Hamilton has its own Property Standards By-law No. 23-162, so a Hamilton rental is measured against the City's standards, along with the general repair duty in section 20.

How does a T6 work, step by step?

Tell the landlord in writing. Describe the problem, when it started and what you want fixed. Keep a copy. When the Board decides what remedy to give, it must consider whether you told the landlord about the problem before applying (s. 30(2)).
Collect evidence as you go. Dated photos and videos, repair requests, the landlord's replies, receipts for anything you paid for, and notes of how the problem affects daily life.
Consider a City complaint. In Hamilton, the City asks tenants to write to the landlord first and allow a reasonable time for repairs. If nothing happens, you can register a tenant by-law complaint with the City of Hamilton, and Municipal Law Enforcement staff may investigate. An inspection report or work order can be strong evidence at the Board.
Complete the T6 form. The form asks for the date the problem started, whether it is ongoing, the date you first told the landlord, and which of the nine remedies you want. Explain how you calculated every dollar amount.
File and pay. You can file through the Tribunals Ontario Portal ($48) or by mail, courier or at some ServiceOntario centres ($53). A fee waiver is available if you meet the LTB's financial criteria.
Decide about your rent. Keep paying rent to the landlord, or ask the Board for permission to pay rent into the Board while your application is decided (s. 195(1)(b), Rule 20.9). Rent paid into the Board with permission is not a default (s. 195(5)).
Exchange evidence. The LTB serves the application and Notice of Hearing (Rule 5.1), but you must give your evidence directly to the landlord and to the Board at least 7 days before the hearing. The landlord's responding evidence is due at least 5 days before (Rules 19.1 and 19.2).
Attend the hearing. The LTB may hold it by video, in writing or in person (Rule 7.1), and a dispute resolution officer may offer mediation first (Rule 13.1). Our guide on whether to agree to mediation at the LTB explains the trade-offs.
Read the order carefully. If you believe the order contains a serious error, a request to review it is due within 15 days for orders issued on or after July 1, 2026 (s. 209(3)).

What the Board can order on a T6 (Residential Tenancies Act, s. 30(1))
Remedy	What it means in practice
Terminate the tenancy	Ends the tenancy, usually at the tenant's request when the unit cannot be lived in.
Rent abatement	Money back for the reduced value of the unit while the problem lasted.
Authorize work and order repayment	Approves repairs or replacements the tenant has made or will make, with the landlord paying the cost.
Order the landlord to do the work	Specific repairs within a set time. Breaking such an order is an offence.
Pay for damaged property and expenses	Reasonable costs to repair or replace the tenant's belongings, plus other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.
No higher rent for a new tenant	Until serious work orders and Board-ordered repairs are done.
No new rent increase notice	Same condition: serious outstanding work must be completed first.
No increase already noticed	Stops an increase that has not yet taken effect, on the same condition.
Any other appropriate order	For example, general damages, which the LTB's Interpretation Guideline 5 says may be awarded.

The most the Board can order on your claims is $50,000, the current Small Claims Court limit (s. 207(1) and the LTB's T6 instructions). If your losses are higher, the T6 instructions warn that once the LTB issues an order you lose any claim above that amount, so you would need to go to court instead.

What changes the answer?

How long ago the problem happened. No T6 may be filed more than one year after the conduct it complains about (s. 29(2)). LTB Interpretation Guideline 5 explains that you cannot include an item the landlord fixed more than a year before you filed, and that an abatement for a fixed problem usually runs from one year before filing to the date it ended. An ongoing problem can be compensated past the date of the order.
Who caused the damage. You are responsible for undue damage caused wilfully or negligently by you, another occupant or your guest (s. 34). Damage of that kind is not a landlord breach.
Whether you warned the landlord. The Board must consider prior notice when choosing a remedy (s. 30(2)). Applying without ever reporting the problem can reduce what you receive.
How serious it is. The rent increase bans in paragraphs 6 to 8 of section 30(1) apply only to serious breaches tied to expired work orders or Board-ordered repairs. Serious maintenance breaches can also block an above-guideline rent increase for an affected unit (s. 126(12) and (13)).
Whether the real issue is a vital service or harassment. A landlord who cuts off heat, water or power, or interferes with your enjoyment of the unit, is dealt with under different paragraphs of section 29(1), usually on a T2. If the heat, water or power is off, read what to do when vital services are cut off. If the problem is the landlord's conduct, see our guide on harassment and interference applications (T2).
Whether your landlord has filed for unpaid rent. If your landlord applies to evict you for arrears after an N4, you can raise maintenance problems at that hearing instead of filing separately (s. 82). For rent arrears applications filed on or after September 21, 2026, you must give the landlord and the Board a written description of each issue and pay the landlord half of the arrears claimed, both at least 7 days before the hearing (Rule 19.4). The Board can waive this only where the Human Rights Code requires it (Rule 19.5).
Whether you have moved out. A former tenant can still file a T6 (s. 29(1)), as long as the one-year limit is met.

For example, how might a Hamilton T6 unfold?

For example, imagine a Hamilton tenant named Dana who pays $1,600 a month for a two-bedroom apartment. In late January, water starts leaking through the bathroom ceiling from the unit above, and mould spreads along the wall. On February 3 she emails the property manager with photos. She gets a reply promising a plumber, but no one comes. On March 10 she writes again, and when the leak continues she registers a complaint with the City. A by-law officer inspects and issues an order to the landlord.

In April, Dana files a T6 through the portal for $48. She asks for an order requiring the repairs by a set date, an abatement for the months the bathroom was partly unusable, $180 for a ruined bath mat set and shelving, and an order stopping a rent increase until the work order is complied with. She keeps paying rent on time. Seven days before the hearing she sends the landlord and the Board her photo log, both emails, the City order and her receipts.

At the hearing the landlord says the upstairs tenant caused the leak. The member would weigh that against section 20, which puts the duty on the landlord to repair the building regardless of where a leak starts, and section 34, which makes a tenant responsible only for damage they or their guests cause. Dana's dated emails show the landlord knew for weeks. The outcome is never certain, but this is the kind of file where a member has the evidence needed to choose a remedy. This example is hypothetical.

What are the most common T6 mistakes?

Holding back rent. The Act gives no right to stop paying because repairs are not done. Unpaid rent is still unpaid rent, and the landlord can serve an N4. Ask to pay into the Board instead.
Reporting problems only by phone. Without written notice, it is hard to prove what the landlord knew and when, which matters under section 30(2).
Waiting too long. A problem that was fixed more than a year before you file cannot be included, so a long-running file can shrink each month you wait.
Late or missing evidence. Evidence not disclosed on time may be excluded (Rule 19.7). Bring copies arranged by date.
Asking for an amount without explaining it. The T6 instructions ask you to show how each figure was calculated. A bare number invites a lower award.
Using the wrong form. A heat cut-off, lockout or harassment complaint filed only as a T6 may leave out remedies such as an administrative fine that a T2 can bring (s. 31(1)(d)).

What to do this week

Write to your landlord listing every repair problem, the date each started and what you want done. Keep a copy.
Photograph or video every problem with the date visible, and start a simple log.
Check your lease for who pays utilities and any repair clauses. Our guide to Ontario's standard lease explains what those terms can and cannot do.
If you rent in Hamilton and the landlord does not respond within a reasonable time, file a by-law complaint with the City.
Gather receipts for anything you paid for because of the problem, including damaged belongings.
Keep paying rent, or prepare a written request to pay it into the Board.
Note today's date and the date the problem started, so you stay inside the one-year limit.

Frequently asked questions

Can my landlord evict me for filing a T6?

The Board must refuse an eviction if it is satisfied that the reason for the landlord's application is that you complained to a government authority about a health, safety, housing or maintenance violation, or tried to enforce your legal rights (s. 83(3)(b) and (c)). It must also refuse if the landlord is in serious breach of its responsibilities (s. 83(3)(a)). Harassing a tenant for seeking relief under the Act is also an offence (s. 233(h)).

Can several tenants in one building file together?

Yes. The LTB accepts multi-tenant applications for a fee of $53 for the first unit plus $5 for each additional unit, to a maximum of $450. These must be sent by mail or courier, not through the portal. A shared application can make sense when a building-wide problem, such as a broken elevator or a failed boiler, affects many units.

Can I fix the problem myself and send the bill to the landlord?

The Board can authorize repairs a tenant has already made or will make and order the landlord to pay the cost (s. 30(1), paragraph 3). It may also allow the cost to be deducted from future rent. Doing the work first carries a risk, because the member decides whether the cost was reasonable, so get quotes and keep receipts.

What evidence carries the most weight?

Dated written requests to the landlord, photos and videos taken over time, City inspection reports or work orders, and receipts. Witnesses, such as a neighbour affected by the same problem, can help too. Organize everything by date so the member can follow the story quickly.

Will the Board award my legal fees if I win?

If you succeed, the Board may order the landlord to pay your application fee as costs (Rule 23.1). It can also order representation fees, but Rule 23.2 caps them at $100 an hour to a maximum of $700, so most representation costs are not recovered.

Does the City or the Board fix the problem?

They do different jobs. The City enforces its by-laws through inspections and orders, while the Board decides your rights and remedies as a tenant. Many Hamilton tenants use both, and our page on Landlord and Tenant Board cases for Hamilton rentals explains how the local pieces fit together.

Can a paralegal represent me on a T6?

Yes. The LTB is a tribunal established under an Ontario Act, which is within the scope of a licensed paralegal under Law Society of Ontario By-Law 4. An appeal of the Board's order to the Divisional Court is not; that step is in the Divisional Court, where you would need a lawyer. Our guide on what to do if you disagree with an LTB order explains both routes.

Repair disputes often sit next to other questions, such as whether tenants can withhold rent in Ontario. If your situation involves several problems at once, Carson Frankum, a licensed paralegal in Hamilton, can review your documents and help you choose the right application.

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This page gives general information about Ontario law, not legal advice for your situation. Cheddar Paralegal PC is a paralegal firm licensed by the Law Society of Ontario; licensed paralegals can help only with matters the Law Society allows paralegals to handle.