Instructions: Form T7
Tenant Application about Suite Meters

(Disponible en français)

Table of Contents


Section A: When to use this application

You can use this application to apply to have the Landlord and Tenant Board (the LTB) determine whether your landlord:

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Section B: How to complete this application

Read these instructions before completing the application form. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is correct and complete. Follow the instructions carefully when you complete the application form.

The information you fill in on the form will be read electronically; therefore, it is important to follow the instructions below:

Part 1: General Information

Address of the Rental Unit Covered by This Application

Fill in the complete address of the rental unit, including the unit number (or apartment or suite number) and the postal code.

If the street name includes a direction that will not fit in the five spaces provided (such as Northeast) use the following abbreviations: NE for Northeast, NW for Northwest, SE for Southeast, SW for Southwest.

Example:

If the address is: #208 at 1120 Mayfield Road North, London, this is how you should complete Part 1 of the application:

Part 1 visual example showing fields on the form being completed as described in this example.

Tenant Names and Address

In the Tenant Names and Address section, fill in your name. If two tenants live in the rental unit, fill in both your names. If more than two tenants live in the rental unit, fill in information about two tenants in this section of Part 1. Provide the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any additional tenants on the Schedule of Parties form which is available from the LTB website at tribunalsontario.ca/ltb.

Mailing Address

Fill in your mailing address only if it is different from the address of the rental unit. Provide your daytime and evening telephone numbers. Also provide your fax number and e-mail address if you have them.

Landlord’s Name and Address

In the Landlord’s Name and Address section, fill in the landlord’s name and address. If the landlord is a company, fill in the name of the company under “First Name”. Include both daytime and evening telephone numbers and a fax number and e-mail address, if you know them.

If there is more than one landlord, fill in information about one of the landlords in this section of Part 1. Provide the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any additional landlords on the Schedule of Parties form which is available from the LTB website at tribunalsontario.ca/ltb.

Questions about Your Tenancy

In the Questions about Your Tenancy section, fill in the date you moved into the rental unit you are applying about. Shade the appropriate circle to indicate whether you still live in the rental unit. If you shaded “No”, fill in the date you moved out of the rental unit.

Related Applications

If you or your landlord have filed other applications that relate to this rental unit, and those applications have not been resolved, fill in the file numbers in the space provided.

Part 2: Reasons for your application

There are many different reasons for making this application, so read these instructions carefully and choose only the reasons that apply to your situation.

The reasons on the application form are grouped into 3 parts:

Shade the appropriate box or boxes to indicate which reasons you are applying for. For each reason you choose, you must provide a detailed explanation of the reason in the box provided.

Reason 1: When the suite meter was installed in my rental unit:

Under the RTA, the landlord must provide a 24 hour written notice before the supply of electricity can be interrupted. The notice must state the date and time the interruption will occur between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and the anticipated length of the interruption. The supply of electricity can only be interrupted for the minimum length of time required to install the suite meter and the suite meter must be installed by an authorized suite meter provider.

If you are applying for this reason, shade this box on the form. Then, shade the appropriate box(es) underneath to indicate which of the reasons apply to your situation.

In the space provided on the form, explain in detail the circumstances related to your reason for applying.

Reason 2: The landlord did not give me the required information before getting my written consent to terminate the landlord’s obligation to supply electricity to my rental unit.

Under the RTA, the landlord cannot terminate their obligation to supply electricity to the rental unit unless, before getting your written consent, the landlord provided you with the following information in writing:

If you are applying because your landlord did not give you all of this information, then shade this box on the form.

In the space provided, list what information the landlord did not give you before getting your consent. Attach additional sheets if necessary.

Reason 3: The landlord terminated their obligation to pay for electricity without:

Before the landlord can terminate their obligation to pay for electricity and have you start paying these costs, the RTA requires that the landlord to:

Shade this box on the form if you are applying because the landlord did not follow all of these rules. Then, shade the appropriate box(es) underneath to indicate which of the reasons apply to your situation.

In the space provided on the form, explain in detail the circumstances under which the landlord terminated the obligation to provide electricity and how the landlord failed to meet one or more of the obligations set out above.

Reason 4: My rental unit is electrically heated and the landlord did not meet all the conditions that are required before terminating the landlord’s obligation to pay for electricity

If the primary source of heat in the rental unit is generated by electricity, the landlord cannot terminate their obligation to supply electric heat to your rental unit unless the landlord meets the following conditions:

In addition to the above conditions, before the landlord can terminate their obligation to supply electricity to your unit, the landlord must obtain your written consent on the form approved by the LTB (Tenant Agreement to Pay Directly for Electricity Costs) and must provide the required information listed in reason two of this application.

If you are applying for this reason, shade this box on the form.

Reason 5: The refrigerator the landlord provides does not meet the electricity conservation and efficiency standards that are required for units where the tenant pays for the electricity charges

If the landlord’s obligation to supply electricity was terminated after you moved into the rental unit, the landlord must ensure the refrigerator provided in the rental unit was manufactured on or after January 1, 1994. If the landlord has replaced the refrigerator in the rental unit since you moved in, the replacement refrigerator must have been manufactured on or after December 31, 2002.

Shade this box on the form if you are applying because the refrigerator in your rental unit does not meet these standards.

Reason 6: Before entering into the tenancy agreement, the landlord did not give me the required information about:

Where a suite meter or meter has been installed and the landlord wants the prospective tenant to pay for their own electricity costs, the landlord must give them information about the rental unit’s electricity consumption for the most recent 12 month period before the tenancy agreement is entered into. In addition, if the landlord provides a refrigerator for the rental unit, the landlord must provide the prospective tenant with the best information that is available to them about the refrigerator’s date of manufacture and its energy efficiency.

Shade this box on the form, if you are applying because the landlord did not provide you with this information before you entered into the tenancy agreement. Then, shade the appropriate box(es) underneath to indicate which of the reasons apply to your situation.

Reason 7: The refrigerator the landlord provides does not meet the electricity conservation and efficiency standards that are required for units where the tenant pays for the electricity charges

If the suite meter was installed in your rental unit before you moved in and your tenancy agreement with the landlord requires you to pay for the electricity supply, the landlord must ensure the refrigerator provided in the rental unit was manufactured on or after January 1, 1994. If the landlord has replaced your refrigerator in the rental unit since you moved in, the replacement refrigerator must have been manufactured on or after December 31, 2002.

Shade this box on the form, if you are applying for this reason.

Reason 8: Before entering into the tenancy agreement, the landlord did not give me the following information about:

If the building contains six or fewer rental units and the landlord wants the prospective tenant to pay a portion of the utility costs, then the landlord must give the prospective tenant information about the total cost of the utility for the building. The information must be about the 12 most recent months for which information is available to the landlord. As well, the landlord must inform the prospective tenant of the percentage of the utility costs which apply to the rental unit.

If you are applying because the landlord did not provide you with this information before you entered into the tenancy agreement, then shade this box on the form. Then, shade the appropriate box(es) underneath to indicate which of the reasons apply to your situation.

Reason 9: The refrigerators the landlord provides for the rental units in the building do not all meet the electricity conservation and efficiency standards that are required where tenants pay a portion of the electricity charges.

If the landlord charges you a portion of the electricity costs, the landlord must ensure that all refrigerators provided for any rental unit in the building were manufactured on or after January 1, 1994. If the landlord has replaced a refrigerator in any rental unit, the replacement refrigerator must have been manufactured on or after December 31, 2002.

Shade this box on the form if you are applying because any of the refrigerators in the building do not meet these standards.

Reason 10: The landlord transferred the obligation to pay a portion of the utility costs to me without:

Under the RTA, the landlord must obtain your written consent to charge you a portion of the utility cost for the rental unit. Also, the landlord must give you a written notice at least 30 days before the landlord begins to charge you a portion of the utility costs. The notice must state the amount of the rent reduction, its effective date and a description of how the rent reduction was calculated.

Shade this box on the form if you are applying because the landlord did not follow these rules before requiring you to pay a portion of the utility costs for the building. Then, shade the appropriate box(es) underneath to indicate which of the reasons apply to your situation.

In the space provided explain in detail the circumstances under which the landlord transferred the obligation to pay a portion of the utility costs and how the landlord failed to meet one or more of the obligations set out above.

Part 3: Remedies

There are eight different remedies which the LTB can grant in an order for a Tenant Application about Suite Meters. If the LTB issues an order in your favour, it may decide to order a different remedy or remedies than you request.

The most the LTB can order based on your claims is $35,000. If you believe the landlord owes you more than $35,000, and you want to collect the full amount, you should apply to court and not to the LTB. Once the LTB issues an order, you no longer have any claim to amounts greater than $35,000.

Shade the appropriate box(es) for the remedy(ies) you want the LTB to include in its order.

Remedy 1: The landlord must pay me a rent abatement

A rent abatement can relieve the tenant from their obligation to pay all or some portion of their rent for a specified period of time.

If you choose this remedy, you must fill in the dollar amount of the abatement you want the LTB to order. You must also fill in the amount of your current rent and how often you pay it (for example, by the month or the week). In the box provided, explain in detail how you determined the amount that you are asking for. Attach additional sheets if necessary.

Remedy 2: I want the LTB to authorize the repair, replacement or other work I did and to order the landlord to pay me for my costs

You can choose this option if you did the repair or other work yourself, or purchased a replacement at your own expense, and you want the landlord to pay you for these costs. The LTB could also allow you to deduct the amount owing from future rent payments.

If you choose this remedy, shade the box on the form. Indicate the total costs in the space provided. Describe the work you did or the item you purchased and provide a detailed explanation of how you determined the amount you are asking for. Attach additional sheets if necessary.

Remedy 3: I want the LTB to authorize me to do the repair, replacement or other work that is necessary and to order the landlord to pay me for my costs

The LTB can authorize you to do the repair or other work, or to purchase a replacement item and order the landlord to pay you for them. For example, if your refrigerator does not meet electricity conservation and efficiency standards and you are willing to pay to have your refrigerator replaced, the LTB could approve the replacement and order the landlord to refund you the cost of the replacement by a specific date. The LTB could also allow you to deduct the replacement costs from future rent payments.

If you choose this remedy, shade the box on the form. Describe the work you plan to do or the item you plan to purchase and provide a detailed explanation of how you determined the amount you are asking for. Attach additional sheets if necessary.

Remedy 4: I want the LTB to order the landlord to do the repair, replacement or other work that is necessary

The LTB can order the landlord to complete the repair, replacement or other work by a specific date. It is an offence for the landlord to contravene such an order.

In the box provided, explain in detail what work you want the landlord to do.

Remedy 5: I want the LTB to order the landlord to reduce my rent and to order the landlord to pay me the appropriate rebate as a result

The LTB can order the landlord to reduce your rent if it was not reduced by the correct amount when you started to pay the electricity costs for your rental unit. If the LTB orders the landlord to reduce your rent, the LTB can also order the landlord to pay you a rebate for any amount you have been overcharged.

If you choose this remedy, shade the box on the form. Fill in the amount you want the rent reduced by and indicate whether the reduction is per week, month or other period. If you select other, specify the frequency of your reduction. Next, fill in the date you would like the rent reduced, and explain in the box below how you calculated the rent reduction.

Remedy 6: I want the LTB to order other remedies.

The LTB can make any other order that it considers appropriate.

If you want the LTB to issue an order which provides for remedies that are not reflected in remedies 1 through 5, explain in detail what order you would like the LTB to make in the space provided. Attach additional sheets if necessary.

If you applied for reasons 2, 3, 4 or 10, you can ask the LTB to include remedies 7 and 8 in the order.

Remedy 7: I want the LTB to end my tenancy.

If you want the LTB to end your tenancy, shade this box on the form and indicate the date you would like the tenancy to end.

If you ask for this remedy and the LTB orders it, the LTB may include provisions in its order to evict you if you don’t move out by the date set out in the order. This means that if you do not move out, your landlord can file the order with the Sheriff to have you evicted.

Remedy 8: I want the LTB to order the landlord to assume the obligation to pay for the electricity charges (or the utility costs) for my rental unit and to set the new rent that can be charged

If you choose this remedy, shade the box on the form.

Part 4: Signature

If you are the tenant, shade either the circle marked “Tenant 1” or “Tenant 2” depending on whether you filled in your name under “Tenant 1” or “Tenant 2” on page 1 of the form. Then, sign the application form and fill in the date.

If you are the tenant’s representative, shade the circle marked “Tenant’s Representative”. Then, sign the application form and fill in the date.

Request for accommodation or French-language services

The LTB wants to ensure that everyone who uses its services can ask for and receive accommodation and/or French Language services in order to be able to participate in its proceedings on an equal basis.

Shade the appropriate box or boxes on the form to indicate whether you need accommodation under the Ontario Human Rights Code, French-language services or both. The LTB will not include a copy of this form when we give the other parties a copy of the application form. However, the information will be included in your application file. The file may be viewed by other parties to the application.

If you require accommodation under the Human Rights Code, explain what services you need in the space provided.

Payment information form

Complete this form to provide the LTB with the information required to process your application. Your application will not be accepted if you do not pay the application fee at the time you file the application. If you owe money to the LTB as a result of failing to pay a fee or any fine or costs set out in an order, your application may be refused or discontinued.

You may request a fee waiver if you meet the financial eligibility requirements set out by the LTB. You will need to complete the Fee Waiver Form which is available from the LTB website at tribunalsontario.ca/ltb. For more information about fee waivers and the eligibility criteria, go to the fee waiver rules and practice direction on the Rules of Practice page of LTB website.

Payment Method

Shade the appropriate box to show whether you are paying by online payment, money order, certified cheque, Visa or MasterCard. You can pay online using a debit or credit card. If you pay online, email your receipt and application to LTBpayments@ontario.ca.

If you are filing my mail or courier, you can pay by credit card by completing the Credit Card Payment Form and submitting it with your application. You cannot pay by cash or debit card if you are filing your application by mail or courier.

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Section C: What to include when you file your application

To file this application, you must include the following:

Your application will be refused if any of the items listed above are missing.

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Section D: How to file your application

You can file your application in one of the following ways:

  1. File by Email, Pay Online

    You can pay online using a debit or credit card. If you pay online, email your receipt and application to LTBpayments@ontario.ca.

  2. By Mail or courier

    Mail or courier your T7 application to the nearest LTB office.

    To find a list of LTB office locations visit the LTB website at tribunalsontario.ca/ltb. You can also call the LTB at 416-645-8080 or 1-888-332-3234 (toll-free).

    If you mail or courier your application, you can pay the application fee by certified cheque, money order, Visa or MasterCard. Certified cheques and money orders must be made payable to the Minister of Finance. If you are filing by mail or courier and paying by Visa or Mastercard, you must complete the Credit Card Payment Form and submit it with your application.

  3. By Fax

    Effective December 31, 2021, the LTB has decommissioned its fax machines assigned to regional offices. This means that except for a limited number of circumstances, the LTB no longer accepts documents, including applications, by fax.

    If you must use fax to file applications or submit documents urgently because you don't have access to a computer and/or internet or can't visit a local ServiceOntario office, applicants can fax applications and documents that don't have a fee associated, or where they are eligible for a fee waiver, to 1-833-610-2242 or (416) 326-6455.

    Due to Payment Card Industry (PCI) security compliance requirements, the LTB cannot accept credit card payment via fax. Applications with credit card information will be automatically deleted and not processed. Please contact the LTB at 1-888- 332-3234 for information on how to submit payment information.

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Section E: What to do if you have any questions

You can visit the LTB website at: tribunalsontario.ca/ltb.

You can call the LTB at 416-645-8080 from within the Toronto calling area, or toll- free at 1-888-332-3234 from outside Toronto, and speak to one of our Customer Service Officers.

Customer Service Officers are available Monday to Friday, except holidays, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They can provide you with information about the Residential Tenancies Act and the LTB's processes; they cannot provide you with legal advice. You can also access our automated information menu at the same numbers listed above 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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