Bill 10 holding landlords accountable for drug related activities

July 1, 2025

Ontario's newly passed Bill 10 promises to enhance public safety by holding landlords directly responsible for preventing drug-related activity in their rental units.

Service providers, such as Ottawa Community Housing and Salus Corporation (Both Matthew Perry House affiliated) are concerned it will be negatively affected by the legislation.

 Bill 10, referred to as the Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities Act, 2025, recently received royal assent on its way to becoming law in the province. The legislation includes several changes to existing laws, including that no person shall knowingly permit their premises to be used in relation to a “prescribed offence,” a category that would include offences under federal law related to drug production and trafficking.

Under Bill 10, landlords or directors may be held responsible for illegal drug-related activities within the units they control.

Lucille Collard (Ottawa–Vanier) and John Fraser (Ottawa South) were among the Ottawa MPPs who raised concerns during the May 6, 2025, legislative debate, pressing for clarity on liability and exemptions under Bill 10. Collard and Fraser outlined their concerns that social housing directors could be held responsible for the actions of their tenants.

The Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association (NOSDA) has written to Michael Kerzner, Solicitor General of Ontario, to outline its concerns that social housing directors could be held responsible for the actions of their tenants.

"The inability of housing providers to take timely and decisive action in the face of criminal or dangerous behaviour is already significantly hindered by systemic delays at the Landlord and Tenant Board, where average wait times exceed nine months and eviction proceedings can take up to 18 months. These delays, combined with limited enforcement capacity and insufficient supports, have left community housing providers struggling to maintain safe and stable environments," said Michelle Boileau, NOSDA chair, in a letter to Kerzner.

"We're asking for an exemption from this piece of legislation because it does state that if you're making reasonable [efforts] to deal with the illegal activity that it would not apply, but there's no definition of what reasonable means," added DSSAB CEO Mike Nadeau in a report to the board on Thursday.

"Unfortunately, folks that utilize the shelter are often struggling from addiction and there is often drug use on site or neighbouring — it's very difficult to manage. So, we're just concerned about some of the implications whenever we're really doing our best."

In terms of renters, Nadeau noted those delays at the Landlord and Tenant Board and other challenges often prevent the DSSAB from being able to evict problem tenants.

"We've had drug-related offences go to the Landlord and Tenant Board before and we've lost the eviction because the police didn't come and police are never going to go to the Landlord Tenant Board," said Nadeau. 

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