4. Go to mediation

The Board has employees called mediators who will try to help you and your landlord reach an agreement. A mediator might phone you before your hearing or speak to you on the day of your hearing. In some areas of Ontario, you or your landlord must ask the Board for a mediator if you want one.

Be careful about what you agree to. If you sign an agreement and then do not follow it, your landlord might be able to apply for an eviction order without giving you any notice and without you having a hearing.

Be sure to keep a copy of the agreement. The Board does not keep a copy of this agreement.

You do not have to go to mediation. You and your landlord can try to work out an agreement without a mediator’s help. But going to mediation can be helpful because you will usually get more information about your landlord’s case against you.

You can bring a lawyer or someone else to help you in mediation, such as a family member, a friend, or a social worker.