# Can a landlord influence the person deciding my rental dispute?

- Jurisdiction: Canada
- Practice area: Tenancy Law
- Published: 2026-11-01
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Canonical: https://lawasked.com/ca/tenancy-law/can-landlord-influence-person-deciding-my-rental-dispute

## Question

I am currently living in a small apartment in Ontario and have been dealing with a very difficult landlord for about six months. Last week, on October 12th, my landlord filed a formal application to evict me because he claims I haven't paid a portion of my monthly rent, even though I have a pay cheque stub showing the full amount was transferred. We have a hearing scheduled for next month to settle this. However, while I was waiting in the hallway at the hearing centre yesterday, I overheard one of the people sitting on the decision-making panel talking to my landlord. They seemed very friendly, and my landlord mentioned his other rental properties in the same neighbourhood. I am worried that this person might have a personal interest in the local housing market or might even own property nearby, which could make the whole process unfair for me. I have already tried asking the landlord directly if he knows the board members, but he just laughed it off and said it was nonsense. I want to know if those people making the final decision are required to tell the office if they own any rental buildings or work with housing co-operatives so that I can make sure there isn't a secret bias against me.

## Summary

Yes, the members of the Board are required to disclose certain interests. Under Ontario law, decision-makers must report if they have interests in rental properties or housing co-operatives to prevent unfairness.

## Analysis

In Ontario, the people making decisions about your rental dispute are subject to specific transparency rules. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, the members of the Board have a legal duty to disclose potential conflicts of interest. Specifically, the law states that "the members of the Board shall file with the Board a written declaration of any interests they have in residential rental property or in a non-profit housing co-operative" [1]. This means that if a person on the panel owns rental buildings or works with housing co-operatives, they are required to report that information to the Board [1].

Furthermore, these members are "required to comply with any conflict of interest guidelines or rules of conduct established by the Chair" [1]. This rule is designed to ensure that the decision-making process remains fair and that personal financial interests in the local housing market do not influence the outcome of your hearing.

Regarding your specific situation, while you overheard a friendly conversation between your landlord and a panel member, the law does not explicitly state whether a casual conversation constitutes a violation or if a specific relationship must exist. It is also unclear if the person you saw was a formal member of the Board or an employee. Because the law does not settle whether a verbal interaction in a hallway automatically triggers a disqualification, you may need to seek clarification from the Board regarding their specific rules of conduct. 

State, provincial, or local laws may add further rules regarding administrative fairness and judicial conduct.

## Statutory citations

- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (Ontario), S.O. 2006, c. 17, s. 172 - Conflict of interest [in force] (https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17#BK172)
  > The members of the Board shall file with the Board a written declaration of any interests they have in residential rental property or in a non-profit housing co-operative, and shall be required to comply with any conflict of interest guidelines or rules of conduct established by the Chair.
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (Ontario), S.O. 2006, c. 17, s. 187 - Parties [in force] (https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17#BK187)
  > The parties to an application are the landlord, or the non-profit housing co-operative, and any tenants...

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