Yes, the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) is a government agency — specifically, it’s an independent adjudicative tribunal established by the Ontario provincial government.

It’s part of Tribunals Ontario, a cluster of adjudicative tribunals overseen by the Ministry of the Attorney General (under the provincial government of Ontario). The LTB resolves disputes between residential landlords and tenants (and co-op members) under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. Its members/adjudicators are appointed through a public appointments process, and it operates under provincial legislation.

Its funding primarily comes from the Ontario provincial government through general tax revenues (provincial budget allocations). The government periodically provides additional investments or funding boosts — for example, millions in recent years to hire more staff, reduce backlogs, and support systems like the Tribunals Ontario Portal. The LTB also charges application fees from users (landlords and tenants filing cases), which contribute to its operations, but the core funding is provincial government support. It’s not a federal agency or self-funded independently.

You can check the official site for more details: https://tribunalsontario.ca/ltb.

Is there any private – public partnership involved in funding the Ontario LTB? In particulat, are there any money donated to the LTB operational costs by any provincial landlord association organization?

No, there is no private-public partnership (P3/PPP) involved in funding the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). No, there are no donations or contributions to the LTB’s operational costs from any provincial landlord association (or any private organization).

The LTB is fully funded as a public adjudicative tribunal under Tribunals Ontario, which falls under the Ministry of the Attorney General (provincial government of Ontario). Its funding comes from two sources only:

1. Provincial government appropriations (the vast majority of net operating costs)
   
   • The Ontario government provides the core operating budget through the Ministry of the Attorney General.
   • It has also made repeated one-time and multi-year investments specifically for the LTB (e.g., $28.45 million for the Tribunals Ontario Portal, $4.5 million + $1.4 million + $6.5 million + $24 million packages in recent years) to hire adjudicators, staff, and reduce backlogs. These are all taxpayer-funded provincial budget items.
     
2. User application fees (a smaller portion)
   
   • Landlords and tenants pay filing fees when submitting applications.
   • These fees (e.g., ~$15.2 million from LTB applications in 2024–25) are collected by Tribunals Ontario but transferred directly to the provincial Consolidated Revenue Fund. They offset part of the cost but do not make the LTB self-funded.

Official Financial Breakdown (from Tribunals Ontario Annual Reports)

Fiscal Year	Total Tribunals Ontario Expenditures (approx.)	LTB Application Fees (revenue to province)	Net Cost Covered by Provincial Government
2024–25	$102.1 million	$15.22 million	~$67.5 million (after fees & other recoveries)
2023–24	$92.7 million	$13.58 million	~$59.2 million
2022–23	$90.3 million	$12.05 million	~$58.2 million

Notes from the reports:

• All figures are consolidated under Tribunals Ontario; there is no separate “private” or “donated” line item for the LTB.
• The only non-government revenue in the entire cluster is a reimbursement from the insurance industry for the Licence Appeal Tribunal’s auto accident benefits work — this has zero connection to the LTB.
• No private contributions, donations, sponsorships, or P3 arrangements are mentioned anywhere in the annual reports, business plans, or financial statements.

Why Landlord Associations Are Not Involved

Provincial landlord groups (e.g., Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario, various regional landlord associations) regularly lobby the government for more LTB funding, faster hearings, or policy changes — but they do not donate money to cover LTB operations. No such donations appear in any official records, annual reports, news releases, or public accounts.

You can verify this yourself in the primary sources:

• Tribunals Ontario 2024–25 Annual Report → Financial Summary section
• Tribunals Ontario 2023–24 Annual Report
• Tribunals Ontario 2024/25–2026/27 Business Plan (three-year financial tables)

All confirm 100 % public funding with zero private-sector donations or partnerships for LTB operational costs.

Do any od the Landlord organizations / lobbies in Ontario or in Canada donate any funds to their respective governments or political parties?

Yes, some landlord organizations and lobbies in Ontario (and to a lesser extent nationally in Canada) have historically donated funds to political parties. These are typically corporate or organizational contributions to parties, leadership candidates, or related entities, though rules have changed over time.

Key Rules on Political Contributions in Ontario

• Before 2017: Corporations (including landlord associations) and unions could donate directly to Ontario political parties, candidates, and leadership contestants. Limits applied, but organizations like the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) — the main provincial landlord lobby — made significant donations.
• Since January 1, 2017: Ontario banned corporate and union donations under amendments to the Election Finances Act. Only individuals (Ontario residents using their own funds) can contribute. Annual limits exist (e.g., $5,000 per registered party in 2026; combined limits for constituency associations/nomination contestants/candidates).
• No direct organizational donations from landlord groups to parties are allowed now. Associations themselves cannot donate as entities.
• Third-party advertising (e.g., during elections) has separate rules, but no direct “donations” to parties.

Historical Donations from Landlord Organizations in Ontario

The FRPO (representing owners/managers of rental properties) was one of the top organizational donors before the ban:

• From around 2013–2016: FRPO donated hundreds of thousands in total across parties.
  • Significant amounts to both Progressive Conservatives (PCs) (e.g., over $150,000 in some periods) and Liberals (similar amounts).
  • Much went to leadership candidates (e.g., $20,000+ to multiple candidates in Liberal leadership races).
• It ranked among the largest single donors to the PCs in certain years pre-ban.
• Post-2017 ban: No evidence of direct FRPO donations to parties (as prohibited). FRPO continues heavy lobbying (e.g., close ties to the Ford PC government on rental reforms like Bill 60), but this involves advocacy, not financial donations.

Other real estate/landlord-related groups (e.g., developers, real estate associations) followed similar patterns pre-ban, with donations to PCs and Liberals.

Federally (Canada-Wide, Including CFAA)

• The Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations (CFAA) (national umbrella, including FRPO as a key member) focuses on lobbying federal government for policies (e.g., housing programs like RRAP expansions, Canada Housing Benefit).
• No public record of direct donations to federal political parties. Federal rules ban corporate/union donations since 2007 (only individuals can contribute, with strict limits and disclosure).
• CFAA’s work is policy advocacy and submissions, not financial contributions to parties.

Current Situation

• Landlord associations (FRPO, regional groups, CFAA) do not donate organizational funds to governments or parties today due to bans.
• Influence comes via lobbying, meetings with politicians, policy input, and individual donations from members/executives (which are legal and disclosed).
• No donations to governments directly (e.g., no “gifts” to ministries or tribunals like the LTB).

For the most up-to-date disclosure:

• Check Elections Ontario’s searchable database: https://finances.elections.on.ca (search contributors or entities).
• Federal: Elections Canada contribution search.

This reflects rules designed to reduce corporate influence, though critics argue wealthy individuals (often aligned with business interests) still dominate.

What is the user application fees for a landlord and a tenant at the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board?

The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) in Ontario (part of Tribunals Ontario) charges application fees that vary depending on whether the applicant is a landlord or a tenant, the specific form/application type, and the filing method (e.g., online via the Tribunals Ontario Portal often provides a discount).

These fees are current as of the latest available information from the official Tribunals Ontario LTB website (as referenced in 2025–2026 sources).

For Landlords

Most common landlord applications (such as Forms L1, L2, L3, L9, and L10 for eviction, non-payment of rent, collecting owed rent, etc.) cost:

• $201 (standard filing fee)
• $186 if filed online through the Tribunals Ontario Portal (a $15 discount applies for these specific forms).

Other landlord applications may have different fees—check the official page for specifics.

For Tenants

Tenant application fees are generally lower:

• For Forms T1 (rebate), T2 (tenant rights), T5 (bad faith notice of termination), and T6 (maintenance): $53 standard, or $48 if filed through the Tribunals Ontario Portal (a $5 discount).
• For other forms like T3 (rent reduction), T4, T7, A1, A2, A4: $53.
• Multi-tenant applications: $53 for the first unit + $5 per additional unit (up to a maximum of $450). These must be submitted by mail or courier.

Fee waivers are available for eligible low-income applicants (including those on social assistance like Ontario Works or ODSP) via a Fee Waiver Request form—both landlords and tenants may qualify.

For the most up-to-date details, exact form-specific fees, or any recent changes, visit the official LTB page: Forms, filing and fees. You can also contact the LTB directly at 1-888-332-3234 or via their site for confirmation. Fees are non-refundable in most cases, though successful applicants may sometimes recover them as costs in an order.