I’ve received a hearing notice from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), or an eviction notice from my landloard. My landlord is out to get me and there is nothing I can do that will change his/her mind.
Reduce your anxiety. Doing nothing but waiting to “take your chances” at the LTB can mean several weeks of worrying about an uncertain result.
Reduce your chances of being evicted. LTB orders are blunt. Mediation gets into more detailed discussions than you would ever experience in a LTB hearing. You’ll have a much better chance of finding a compromise with your housing provider that will allow you to remain (both now and for the long term).
Despite being served with papers to appear before the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), the York Region Housing Mediation Services® may still give you an opportunity to sit down with your landlord prior to the date of hearing to resolve the issues that are causing the conflict, depending on what those issues are. If a resolution is accomplished, then your landlord may be willing to discard the application.
Alternatively, participating in mediation may deter your landlord from applying to the LTB. Board proceedings cost money and their outcomes are uncertain. The willingness of both parties to participate in mediation indicates their commitment to resolving the conflict.
As the tenant who may have just received the landlord’s eviction notice, the very fact that you are willing to participate with good faith will show your landlord your commitment in working towards a permanent, long term solution.
Through mediation, if it is discovered that the conflict occurred due to individual contributing factors (such as, an inability to control one’s anger in a conflict), our specifically trained volunteer mediators may be available to assist one or both parties through personalized free Conflict Coaching sessions.
As a tenant, your willingness to improve upon the individual contributing factors to the conflict may then enable your relationship with your landlord, which was previously conflictual, to be repaired and good communications could be re-establish.