If something stands between you and full participation in an Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) case, form TO001E, the Tribunals Ontario Accommodation Request, is how you ask for a different arrangement. It handles two categories: needs that arise under the Human Rights Code (a disability, for instance) and procedural fairness concerns, such as a hearing format that would leave you at an unfair disadvantage. The form is open to landlords, to the people representing them, and to witnesses and support persons.
Quick summary
| Available to | Parties, representatives, witnesses and support persons (LTB Rule 7.0) |
| Timing | The moment you realise accommodation is needed |
| Time limit | No set deadline; Tribunals Ontario reports that responses generally arrive in two to five weeks |
| Where to send it | LTB@ontario.ca by email, or by mail to 15 Grosvenor Street, Ground Floor, Toronto ON M7A 2G6. The Tribunals Ontario Portal and ServiceOntario also appear on the LTB forms page |
| Cost | No fee |
| Next form | None; the tribunal reaches out with its decision |
The purpose of TO001E
Under LTB Rule 7.0, any party, representative, witness or support person has a right to accommodation consistent with the Human Rights Code, and is expected to tell the LTB about the need at the earliest opportunity. Tribunals Ontario's guidance commits to accommodating up to the point of undue hardship. Examples drawn from the form include:
- accessible versions of documents, such as Braille or large print;
- real-time captioning (CART), a deaf-blind intervener, or an ASL or LSQ sign language interpreter;
- additional breaks, or extra time to put in evidence, where mental health needs call for it;
- help with technology: a location with a computer you can use, a phone on loan, or added airtime minutes on a pay-as-you-go plan;
- switching the hearing format when the existing one is likely to cause significant prejudice, which the tribunal assesses under the Practice Direction on Hearing Formats.
Your request is weighed against the right of the other side to a fair hearing and against the public interest in proceedings that move efficiently. Even when accommodation is granted, what you receive may not match exactly what you proposed.
Situations where it fits, and where it does not
The form is the right tool if:
- a disability-related need affects you, your representative or one of your witnesses at the hearing;
- a video or phone hearing is scheduled and you lack a dependable computer, internet connection or phone;
- the format chosen would be unfair on your facts, for example where the volume of documents is too large to present fairly over the phone.
It is the wrong tool if:
- all you need is a later date. Adjournments and rescheduling follow a different process, and Tribunals Ontario's page states that accommodation is not the way to get one;
- you need an interpreter for a language other than English or French. That is handled as its own interpreter request, which you should make to the LTB early. French-language services also have a dedicated request form;
- you oppose having an electronic or written hearing. Such an objection must be made in writing by the date in the notice of hearing (Rules 7.2 and 7.3). A fairness-based format change can be requested through TO001E, but the objection deadline in the notice still runs, so do not let it pass.
For a landlord, a format problem raised properly and on time also matters later: if the hearing goes ahead in a way you say was unfair, a clear written record of what you asked for and when is far more useful than a complaint made after the order issues.
Completing the form, part by part
A. General Application / Appeal Information
The first part identifies you and the case. Tick your role as requester (Landlord, Representative, Witness or another option); representatives also mark the role of the person they act for. Give your mailing address, phone and email. Under Applicable Tribunal, choose Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). Enter the File Number and the Date of Request, plus the Date of Scheduled Proceeding if one has been set (leave it empty if not). Finally, record the Current Format of Proceeding: in person, video conference, teleconference, written, or not yet scheduled.
B. Request Details
Choose Human Rights Code need, procedural fairness need, or both. Then describe:
- what the need is;
- how it limits your participation or undermines the fairness of the hearing;
- which arrangement would solve it.
The form cautions that a request "may be denied if you do not provide enough detail". Supporting material helps, such as a doctor's note confirming a functional limitation.
C. Next Steps. This final part gives the address for sending the form; for LTB matters, it is LTB@ontario.ca.
Sending it in, and who sees it
File early so the request does not hold up the hearing. According to the form, a request settled without an adjudicative decision does not become part of the tribunal's record, so in most cases neither the other parties nor the public will see it, although FIPPA disclosure is still possible. Where an adjudicator does have to decide, the form may be made public under the Access to Records Policy unless you secure a confidentiality order.
Errors that lead to refusal or arrive too late
- Too little explanation. A bare statement that you need accommodation is the most frequent reason requests are turned down. Name the barrier and the fix.
- Filing days before the hearing. With a typical two-to-five-week turnaround, a late request may result in an adjournment, or the arrangement may not be ready.
- Treating it as a way to postpone. It does not replace the rescheduling rules.
- Letting the format-objection date pass. Rule 7.2 calls for a written objection, filed by the date given, that shows significant prejudice.
- Acting as though it was approved. Do not assume anything until the decision arrives.
After you send it
The LTB considers the request, may ask you for further information, and then decides. Should an accommodation later become unavailable, the tribunal says it will tell the parties and either reschedule or modify the proceeding to keep it accessible.
Common questions
Are landlords entitled to accommodation at the LTB?
They are. Rule 7.0 covers every party, representative, witness and support person, landlord or tenant.
My hearing is by video and I have no computer. What are my options?
File the Accommodation Request. Tribunals Ontario can set you up at a nearby computer access terminal, lend you a phone or supply airtime minutes. Joining the video hearing by phone is another option.
How quickly does the LTB answer?
Most responses come within two to five weeks, according to Tribunals Ontario, and it can be longer when the hearing date is further away.
Can the tenant read what I put in the request?
Generally not, if it is resolved without an adjudicative decision, because the form stays off the record. If an adjudicator has to decide it, the form may become public unless a confidentiality order is granted.