For those who have spoken to me personally, you'll know that we've been advocating for the millions of great renters and landlords across Canada by approaching the government alongside other great organizations that care about affordable housing.

On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, an Openroom SuperFan texted me an image of an announcement from the Ontario government. They got to it before I did. 

Throughout 2024, we met with multiple government officials and requested access to the original Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) Orders in Ontario to substantiate our reporting of rental debt into the credit bureau (e.g. Equifax) to negatively impact the credit history.

Today, we are a consumer reporting agency and we have already been reporting into Equifax based on Court Orders and Tribunal Decisions.
Our vision for transparency in the rental ecosystem starts with the mission of holding people accountable for their actions - especially when they don't pay rent. Individuals who take advantage of the system hurt every single player in the ecosystem.
The top question we get: 

"But Weiting, why don't you let landlords report rental debt (i.e. unpaid rent) before the Court Order / Tribunal Decision is issued? These backlogs take forever."

It's because I've seen it misused one too many times.

Yes, as someone who is owed rental debt, we are VERY angry. Even when we're angry, we must act ethically and think straight.

For those who started using Openroom's Rental Debt Ledger starting August this year will know that we don't let you type in a single digit. We calculate the amounts based on what the order says. 

Co-Founder Vishal and I have always said that if we're going to hit someone's credit history, we need to make sure we're doing it right. Everything we do at Openroom stands on the basis that it is factual and objective.

From Day 1, we are not just software but a movement. You're following this newsletter because you believe in a transparent rental ecosystem that will protect the great renters across the country.

What else?

On Wednesday, November 27, 2024, the Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario (SOLO) hosted a breakfast meet & greet at Queen's Park. Yes, that big building in downtown Toronto where the government meets!

More than 20 Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP) and/or their representatives came to meet us. They were interested in understanding the challenges faced by the small-scale housing providers across Ontario.

SOLO was recognized in the Chamber by MPP Vincent Ke (Independent, Don Valley North) - it's a first for any small-housing provider group. It looks like we've been pretty loud TOGETHER. We're starting to see changes happening like this announcement.

FYI our government and change-makers are listening and watching the rental ecosystem closely.

I had the opportunity to share numbers regarding unpaid rent from the LTB Orders community members like you have shared with us. 

$192,470,143.55
of non-payment of rent across 28,731 Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) orders between 2021-2024 inside Openroom.
We estimate we only have ~10% of all orders available.
We're tallying the numbers every single day. I know, WTF right?!                                    

Is there more?

Oh yes. There were two other announcements of relevance.

The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board made 10 recommendations on "Breaking the backlog: restoring fairness and justice to Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board".  

"...the government signaled its intention to act on two of TRREB’s Breaking the Backlog’s recommendations – allowing the LTB to overlook small mistakes in applications and streamlining the reassignment of cases to new adjudicators."

Read More.

OK hold on.

Your reaction to all of this government news might be something like this: "I don't believe it until it's implemented".

To be honest, me too.

Now, it's time to hold our politicians accountable for their announcements.

Let's see what they do next and I'll keep you posted as we move forward.

Government, and more on rent control

Christian Szpilfogel, an Openroom Community Member and Vice President of the Ottawa Real Estate Investors Organization sent me resources to further understand the history, economics, and intricacies behind the topics of "housing supply".

Each article below is well researched and I thought you should have it when you want to read more.

1. Government Policy & Rental Supply
2. Ottawa’s Historical Renting Data
3. Corporations
4. Individual Investors
5. Rent Control
6. Final Recommendations

Your thoughts on rent control

Last newsletter, I asked you all what your thoughts are on rent control. Thank you for being so transparent but damn, you did not hold back!

"It's necessary - What the f*** is wrong with you."

"It's necessary - Stop pretending you are pro renters. At each of your newsletters, you provide points against renters. Rent control DOES work. But when Doug Ford ripped it off partially, it created a big imbalance between rent-controlled units and open market ones. This led to landlords feeling “entitled” to market rent, and led to renovictions and bad faith evictions.Ask renters. They all have the same evictions experience despite being good paying respectful tenants."

Join the Openroom Community

Every other Sunday, Openroom subscribers receive a newsletter straight from me, packed with the latest rental market news, insider tips, and updates on what’s happening at Openroom! Subscribe to Openroom’s newsletter. 

It’s all useful, no fluff. By subscribing, you’ll also be part of a community that values civic engagement. Our newsletter helps us gather your thoughts on key issues through quick polls, ensuring your voice is heard. 

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