# Can I challenge my rent-geared-to-income amount at the Landlord and Tenant Board?

- Jurisdiction: Canada
- Practice area: Tenancy Law
- Published: 2026-10-31
- Last updated: 2026-10-31
- Canonical: https://lawasked.com/ca/tenancy-law/can-i-challenge-my-rent-geared-income-amount

## Question

I am currently living in a small apartment in Ontario and have been receiving rent-geared-to-income assistance for about eighteen months now. My monthly rent is set at exactly $450, which is based on my total household income. However, back in January, I started a new part-time job that increased my monthly pay cheque by about $300. I sent all my updated employment documents and my new pay stubs to the local housing office on February 1st to ensure my subsidy was recalculated correctly. It is now mid-April, and they still haven't adjusted my rent or even acknowledged my paperwork. I feel like they are overcharging me based on my old income. I already tried calling the housing caseworker three times and even sent a formal letter of complaint to the municipal housing department last week, but they just told me to wait. Since the landlord is the one collecting the money, I was wondering if I can take this dispute to the Landlord and Tenant Board to get a formal ruling on how much my rent should actually be. Can the Board actually step in and fix my subsidy amount, or is there nowhere else for me to go?

## Summary

No, you cannot use the Landlord and Tenant Board to fix your rent amount. The Board is legally prohibited from making decisions regarding the amount of rent-geared-to-income assistance you are required to pay.

## Analysis

Based on the laws provided, the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) does not have the power to help you with this specific problem. While the Board handles many landlord-tenant disputes, it is specifically barred from intervening in subsidy calculations.

Under the law, "The Board shall not make determinations or review decisions concerning, (a) eligibility for rent-geared-to-income assistance... or (b) eligibility for, or the amount of, any prescribed form of housing assistance" [1]. This means that even though you sent your new employment documents to the housing office on February 1st and your rent has not been adjusted, the LTB cannot step in to order a recalculation or decide what your rent should be based on your new $300 monthly pay increase [1].

Because your rent is set by a subsidy program rather than a standard market agreement, different rules apply. For example, certain parts of the Act that usually govern rent increases do not apply to tenants paying rent geared-to-income due to public funding [2]. 

Since the LTB cannot review the amount of your geared-to-income rent, your dispute is actually with the municipal housing department that manages your subsidy, not with the landlord's right to collect the rent currently set by the program. The law is clear that the Board lacks the jurisdiction—which is the legal authority to hear a case—to fix your subsidy amount [1].

State, provincial, or local laws may add further rules regarding municipal housing procedures, so you should check with your local municipality.

## Statutory citations

- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (Ontario), S.O. 2006, c. 17, s. 203 - Determinations related to housing assistance [in force] (https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17#BK203)
  > The Board shall not make determinations or review decisions concerning, (a) eligibility for rent-geared-to-income assistance... or (b) eligibility for, or the amount of, any prescribed form of housing assistance.
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (Ontario), S.O. 2006, c. 17, s. 8 - Rent geared-to-income [in force] (https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17#BK8)
  > If a tenant pays rent for a rental unit in an amount geared-to-income due to public funding... Part VII do not apply to an increase in the amount geared-to-income paid by the tenant.

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