The FMTA Tenant Summit is a gathering of tenants and tenants associations to discuss strategies for organization and advocacy in the city of Toronto. Above Guideline Rent Increases are on the rise throughout the city. Massive gentrification is a reality in almost every neighbourhood. And a great number of infills* are being approved by the City of Toronto.

Toronto tenants need to think about how to protect their rights when facing an onslaught of development and a rising cost of living.

To discuss these questions and search for solutions to our problems, FMTA holds annual Toronto Tenant Summits. Sponsored by the Federation of Metro Tenants (FMTA) and supported by the Akelius Tenants Network (ATN) and The Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO). The purpose of the summit is for tenants and tenants associations to network, discuss common issues and their solutions, and to create a unified plan of action to tackle problems facing us all.

Check back for a future Tenant Summit to be held by FMTA.

*Infills are buildings erected in the backyard of other buildings, subjecting resident tenants to a prolonged construction environment, limitation in air flow and loss of sunlight.

Despite there being much disagreement on the topic of rent control, this paper put together by Phillip Mendonca- Vieira is a comprehensive sweep that starts with the empirical evidence at our disposal and aims to have a serious discussion about the  benefits, drawbacks and impacts of rent control. Tenants and their advocates have long claimed that rent controls are crucial for tenants’ ability to keep their housing stable and affordable. Being a tenant’s rights agency, the FMTA hears from tenants in crisis everyday who tell us about the adverse impacts of sudden and dramatic rent increases on their lives.

Rent control is almost universally derided as bad policy by almost every economist...at least this is the case 'theoretically'.

Emprically (ie. what actually happens in reality), rent control often has quite a different history.  For example, in 2017 Ontario expanded rent control to hundreds of thousands of units amid pundit reports that rental housing development would suffer as a result.  Instead, one year later development of rental units surged with more units now proposed than in the last 40 years.

Is this common, though? Our latest release, tries to answer this question.

Read "Actually, Rent Control Is Great". 

Thanks to the generous support of the Maytree Foundation, the FMTA has redesigned and is re-releasing some of our most popular guides:

• A Short Guide To Property Standards
• Looking for An Apartment: A Quick Guide
• The Quotable Residential Tenancies Act

You can download these new guides here or you can find them in our Other Resources Section.

Due ot issues with our VoIP provider, our hotline service is down for maintenance. We anticipate the system will be back shortly.

In the meantime, if you have any hotline questions please direct them to our email: [email protected]

Hello Members and Friends!

Join the FMTA for our 45th Annual General Meeting on Saturday June 29th, 2019 at 10:30am.

Location: 120 Carlton St - Party Room. Corner of Jarvis and Carlton St. Closest station is College Subway.

 All FMTA AGM's include:

• Board and Staff Reports
• Presentation of the Audited Financial Statements
• Appointment of the Auditor
• Member motions
• Board Elections

2018/19 has seen the FMTA win major victories for tenants with our partners including legislative changes to our main programs, dedicated federal funding to housing, inclusionary zoning, eviction prevention, regulation of AirBNB and other changes to the Residential Tenancies Act.

Meet the winners of "The Tessler's" - FMTA's second annual tenant awards recipients

As part of a dedication to our former employee Howard Tessler who passed away in 2017, the FMTA is honouring tenants in their community that have done great work. 

All nominees will be invited and a presentation of winners will occur after FMTA AGM business.

Come and Meet other Tenant Associations!

We strongly urge all members to attend this year to learn about new changes to the law and to meet other Tenant Association members!

All our Tenant Association members can come to discuss campaigns and achievements in their buildings.  The FMTA has received generous funding to be able to build Tenant Associations again and they've all got amazing stories.

Last year we celebrated a series of major and multiple successes! This year we have even more!

Find out what the Federation has done in 2018/19 as well as what we've got planned for 2019/20.

All active members of the FMTA are welcome to attend and vote at the AGM, while tenant advocates are able to register to attend as observers! 

Hope to see you there!

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

The City of Toronto is preparing a Housing Plan for the coming decade. As Toronto’s housing crisis deepens and the past decade’s housing plan draws to a close, what lessons need to be learned?

This action-oriented conference brings together prominent scholars, Councillors, planners, and activists to weigh in on and debate the initiatives Toronto could advance right now to protect and expand our endangered supply of affordable housing.

Register for this free conference here, because space is limited: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/affordable-housing-lessons-for-a-new-decade-of-housing-policy-in-toronto-tickets-61236956385

Do you believe in advocating for tenants? Do you have skills and knowledge that can help benefit one of the most influential tenants’ rights agencies in Toronto? Do you know someone who should be on our Board of Directors?

If so please consider putting in a Nomination for the FMTA Board of Directors or encouraging someone else to submit a nomination!

Nominations can be submitted to [email protected] or via mail to the Nominations Committee at:

Po Box 73102 Wood St PO
Toronto, ON
M4Y2W5

Closing date for Nominations: June 15th, 2019

[You can download an application at the link below]

In order to sit on the FMTA board, you must be a member of the FMTA.  Applications for membership can be made by mailing in a membership form which you can find under the BECOME A MEMBER tab on our website, by e-transferring money to the above email address or by credit card or paypal by clicking on the DONATE TO FMTA button on the right.

TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG!

Do you know a tenant has worked to better the lives of tenants in our city? A person who has made an outstanding contribution to the well-being and future of Toronto renters? Who has made an impact on your community? Who has fought discrimination? Built community? Who has inspired you?

The annual FMTA Tenant Awards aim to honour the extraordinary work of advocates of tenant rights in Toronto. Support the people making a difference across the GTA by nominating a tenant or ally for an FMTA Tenant Award using the attached form below. 

NOMINATION INFORMATION

Eligibility

Nomination criteria

How to nominate

Important Dates

Selection process

FMTA Tenant Awards values statement

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible nominees must:

• Demonstrate a commitment to improving the lives of tenants in the GTA
• Live or work in the GTA
• Consent to the nomination and the publication of their name, photo and information
• Be available to attend the AGM on June 22, 2019
• Satisfy the FMTA Tenant Awards Values Statement (see below)
• NOT be a current FMTA staff or board member

NOMINATION CRITERIA

A Tenant Award nominee has worked to better the lives of tenants in our city in some way – and has inspired you. Here are just some possible reasons for nominating someone:

• Achieved success or persevered in a battle against a landlord or for tenant rights
• Contributed to the well-being and future of Toronto renters
• Broken new ground or old barriers
• Has shown courage in the face of power
• Shown vision, creativity and initiative
• Been a leader or a role model
• Participated actively as a volunteer
• Shown commitment to building community
• Has fought injustice or discrimination

HOW TO NOMINATE

Fill out the form at the bottom of this page and email your nomination to [email protected] or phone in your nomination by calling 416-646-1772. NOTE: the form is from 2018 - please ignore the May 5, 2018 deadline.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Deadline for nominations is May 15th, 2019
• The 2019 FMTA Tenant Awards will be announced on June 22, 2019 at our Annual General Meeting

SELECTION PROCESS

The FMTA Nominations Committee reviews all submissions for completeness, eligibility and ensures that each nomination fulfills the nomination criteria. Award recipients must be able to attend the AGM and consent to the use of their name and picture being used for promotional purposes. The committee may contact nominees, nominators and supporters to confirm information. Please note that every nomination submission is not accepted. 

All accepted nominations are reviewed first by the Nominations Committee and then by the FMTA Board of Directors for final award winners to be selected. All nominators and recipients will be contacted by May 30, 2019. Nominations not selected in a given year are kept on file for consideration for the following year. 

FMTA TENANT AWARDS VALUES STATEMENT

The FMTA Tenant Awards encourages nominations that showcase individuals who are driving positive change either directly or by example. Activities and achievements of all potential nominees must align with the FMTA’s values. The candidates’ participation in tenant advocacy encapsulates the spirit of tenant rights as outlined in FMTA’s mission and vision. The FMTA reserves the right to revoke an award if subsequent circumstances respecting the recipient contradict the mission, ethics and / or values of FMTA or bring its reputation into disrepute. The nominee or nominator may withdraw the nomination, for any reason, up to two weeks before the award ceremony. The withdrawal must be made in writing, notifying the nominator/nominee and the FMTA of the withdrawal. The FMTA will accept the withdrawal, effective immediately.

We are pleased to offer a Spring edition of our popular Tenant School program, a free, two-day intensive training for tenants. Lawyers and other experts teach courses on your rights under the law, advocacy, and tenant organizing and working with government / decision-makers.

When is the next school?

The school runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on two consecutive Saturdays:

• March 30, 2019

• April 6, 2019

Who is the Tenant School ideal for?

• A tenant eager to learn about their rights

• A tenant interested in working with their neighbours and starting a tenants association

Space is limited so please sign up quickly.

Registration deadline is on Friday, March 15 at 11:59 PM.

We are committed to ensuring as many people as possible have a chance to attend the program. If we are unable to accommodate you this time around, we’ll put your name on the waitlist for the next tenant school in June.

Ways to sign up:

1. Give us a call at 416-413-9442 and we can help you sign up over the phone.

2. Send us an email at [email protected]

3. Sign up by going to the google form available here:

   https://goo.gl/forms/PbHYP7PcRroehE693