Get help paying the rent
Question & Answer
What can happen if I’m behind in my rent?If you are having temporary difficulty paying the rent, you might be able to get an -free loan from a rent bank. To find out more information about rent banks, go to the Housing Help Association of Ontario website and find your local Housing Help Centre.
If more than half your household income is from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or Ontario Works (OW), or if your rent is , you cannot use the rent bank program. Ask your ODSP or OW worker what help is available.
If your problem is not just temporary and you can’t afford your place, you could consider getting a roommate to share the rent. In most cases, your landlord cannot stop you from doing this, as long as it won’t break any local overcrowding by-laws.
Having roommates can create confusion about your rights and responsibilities. CLEO’s online tool “Sharing rental housing?” can help you find out which laws apply to your situation.
If you live in subsidized, or rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing, you might need your landlord’s permission to have a roommate. And you probably have to report the income of everyone in your household, including roommates. This could change your rent or your . It could even affect whether you still qualify to live there. Find out what the rules are before you decide to get a roommate. Check your rental agreement or ask at the office that makes decisions about rent subsidies.
