Community Legal Services / Services juridiques communautaires

09/22/2026

TENANTS’ RIGHTS WORKSHOP + FREE LEGAL CLINIC

Do you want to have more information about your rights as a tenant? Do have have questions about your rights in your current tenancy?

Join two of our paralegals at the Ottawa Public Library’s Ruth E. Dickinson Branch for a free Introduction to Tenants’ Rights workshop.

📅 Saturday, October 3
⏰ 10:30 a.m.
📍 Ruth E. Dickinson Branch, 100 Malvern Dr. (Barrhaven area)

We’ll cover practical information about:
🔑 Leases and rental agreements
🔧 Repairs and maintenance
💰 Rent rules and increases
📦 Ending a tenancy
📄 Eviction notices and fighting an eviction
⚖️ Where to get legal help in Ottawa

After the workshop, stick around for our free legal clinic. Community members can sign up to speak one-on-one with a paralegal about a housing law or social benefits law issue.

The workshop will be in English, with a bilingual facilitator available to answer questions in French.

Registration for the workshop is recommended:
Workshop details and registration: https://bit.ly/4h7t1Yw

Please share with anyone who might benefit!

09/21/2026

Ontario tenant rights changed today (September 21, 2026)

For tenants already struggling with high rents and the cost of living, Bill 60 means shorter timelines and new barriers when facing eviction.

Tenants now have less time when rent is owing, new definitions and rules around persistent late payment, and additional requirements that can make it harder to raise their own concerns at a non-payment eviction hearing.

When someone loses an affordable or deeply affordable home, there often isn't another affordable rental available. Eviction can mean leaving your neighborhood, moving farther from work and services, losing support networks, or facing shelter use or homelessness.

If you receive an eviction notice or documents from the Landlord and Tenant Board, get legal advice as soon as possible. Community legal clinics and housing loss prevention organizations can provide free legal information and services to eligible low-income tenants.

Swipe ➡️ to learn what changed and what it could mean for tenants.

08/21/2026

Why are affordable rental units disappearing?

Fair Rent Ontario breaks down how financialization and vacancy decontrol creates a cycle that drives tenant displacement and contributes to the devastating loss of affordable rental housing across Ontario.

A helpful look at why protecting the affordable housing we already have matters. 👇

🏘️ How does financialization of housing unfold and drive tenant displacement? It often follows a predictable cycle:

1️⃣ Acquire or Undermaintain A Housing Unit: Large and small corporate landlords purchase existing stocks of affordable rental housing.

2️⃣ Existing Repairs & Maintenance Are Often Neglected: Landlords or property owners may delay or neglect essential repairs and maintenance to avoid the cost of maintaining the property.

3️⃣ Push Sitting Tenants Out: Through renovictions, buyout offers, harassment, or deteriorating living conditions that make staying difficult.

4️⃣ Vacancy Decontrol Kicks In: Once a tenant vacates the unit, the landlord can raise the rent for a new tenant by any amount.

5️⃣ Re-rent & Profit: Unit is relisted at much higher rents, boosting landlord revenue and investor returns.

🔄 The cycle repeats and results in housing becoming less affordable while increasing displacement in communities across Ontario.

🔗 Learn more about the connection between financialization, vacancy decontrol, and housing stability in our latest blog: https://buff.ly/yNIvq8w



Workers’ Action Centre Campaign 2000 Feed Ontario Unity Health Toronto Women's National Housing and Homelessness Network Ontario ACORN ACORN Canada Toronto Tenant Union Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Disability Justice Network of Ontario Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations North York Harvest Food Bank

08/21/2026

We will be tabling at the Inuit Pride Coffeehouse, happy to celebrate 2SLGBTQIA+ Inuit and sharing information about our monthly housing law drop-in for Inuit community members, along with our other free legal services!

INUIT PRIDE COFEEHOUSE HAS ARRIVED!
Celebrate Inuit 2SLGBTQIA+ Joy, talent and community with us!
All Ages. Dry Event. EVERYONE IS WELCOME💛
Enjoy:
➡️ Q***r Inuit Performers + Allies, and an open mic
➡️ Q***r Inuit Vendors and local art
➡️ Yummy snacks and drinks from Anina’s Café
➡️ Warm fuzzy vibes, great music and community🫂

Inuit attend FREE.🫶🏼
We’ll have pay-what -you -can donations at the door, but NO ONE will be turned away. All proceeds will go back to our artists and Arsaniq Program. Help us continue creating these spaces!
Whether you’re Inuit, 2SLGBTQIA+, family, friend or ally… you are welcome here. We can’t wait to celebrate with you.🌈💛

08/03/2026

Happy Civic Holiday! Hope this long weekend brings you some well earned rest. We will be open again on Tuesday.

07/22/2026

Poverty is a policy choice. So is ending it.

Every day at Community Legal Services of Ottawa, we see people trying to survive on Ontario Works while facing impossible choices between paying rent, buying groceries, filling prescriptions, getting to work, and meeting other basic needs. Needing support should never mean being trapped in poverty.

Ontario Works needs meaningful reform so people can afford the basics and live with dignity.

Join us in calling on the Ontario government to fix Ontario Works. It only takes five minutes to use ISAC's campaign tool to send a letter to your MPP. You can also share your own experience living on rates that have been frozen in time. Together, we can push for a stronger, fairer social assistance system that lets people move forward with dignity.

07/08/2026

Sometimes, hope can fit in the palm of your hand.

For people seeking refugee protection, the refugee determination process is overwhelming. It is difficult to imagine what it means to leave your home, cross borders in search of safety, and carry the weight of uncertainty while waiting for a decision that will determine your future.

This little teddy bear was an anchor for one of our clients throughout that journey. Something to hold onto through fear, uncertainty, and hope.

We're delighted to share that she and her family have been granted refugee protection in Canada. After so much uncertainty, they can finally begin the next chapter of their lives with greater safety, stability, and peace.

When she received the decision, she was holding this little bear. Along with it, she shared a small gift and a handwritten note that touched her lawyer.

“Thank you so much for giving us hope and support in a better place to make our dreams come true”.

Moments like these remind us why access to justice matters.

Congratulations to our client and her family. We wish them peace, belonging, and every success as they begin this new chapter.

07/06/2026

Renovictions are on the rise, and knowing the warning signs can help you protect your home.

Swipe through to see 5 signs that could mean your landlord is planning a renoviction.

Important reminder: getting a notice is NOT the same as being evicted. Your landlord has to apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board, and you can stay in your home until the Board sets a termination date.

Know your rights. Learn more at: bit.ly/ACTO5warningsigns

07/03/2026

In Their Own Words: The State of Social Assistance in Ontario

A new report from ISAC shares what 200 people on Ontario Works and ODSP told researchers about their lives, and what needs to change.

The system isn't keeping people out of poverty. Recipients described choosing between rent and food, medication and transportation, basic necessities and survival.

Their message is clear: adequate benefit rates, easier access to services, and policies that reflect the real cost of living today.

Nearly one million Ontarians rely on social assistance at some point in their lives. Their voices deserve to be heard.

Read the full report (EN or FR) here: https://bit.ly/4gkv5fE

07/02/2026

Community Legal Services of Ottawa (CLSO) has seen a sharp rise in tenants seeking help because of renovictions.

In 2019, we assisted 67 households facing renoviction-related issues. Today, we hear from around 200 tenants each year. Behind every number is someone at risk of losing their home, their community, and the affordable housing they rely on.

On July 8, Ottawa's Planning and Housing Committee will vote on a proposed renoviction bylaw following years of advocacy by tenants, housing advocates, and community organizations. While we strongly believe the proposed bylaw should go further, this is an important opportunity to strengthen protections for tenants and help prevent bad faith renovictions.

If you've experienced a renoviction, know someone who has, or believe Ottawa needs stronger tenant protections, now is the time to speak up.

Swipe through to learn:
• What a renoviction is.
• Why a municipal bylaw is needed.
• CLSO's position on the proposed bylaw.
• How you can have your voice heard before the July 8 committee meeting.

The final slide includes information on how to register as a delegate, submit written comments, and access CAWI's free Deputation 101 Guide.

You can stay informed on renoviction bylaw updates: https://engage.ottawa.ca/rental-renovation-licence-by-law-review

Housing is a human right. Ottawa has an opportunity to strengthen protections for tenants. Help make sure your voice is part of that decision.