Retirement Homes

If you are an Ontario senior living in a rented room, apartment or house, you have certain rights and obligations as a tenant.

You may live in a home where you pay the landlord for a room or apartment and for care services and meals. Although most people call these homes “retirement homes”, they are called “care homes” in the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 is the Ontario legislation that regulates landlords and tenants. Under this legislation, tenants in care homes have the same rights and obligations as other tenants in Ontario with a few important exceptions.

The Retirement Homes Act, 2010 also governs retirement homes. According to this statute, a retirement home is a building occupied by at least six tenants, who are mainly 65 years of age or older, where the landlord makes at least two types of care services available to tenants. All retirement homes must have a license in order to operate. The Retirement Homes Act, 2010 creates a regulatory body, the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority, which has the power to license homes, conduct inspections, take action when homes do not comply with the law, and develop mandatory care and safety standards.

Many people do not understand the difference between a retirement home (care home) and a long-term care home (formerly called nursing homes). ACE has prepared two pamphlets about retirement homes called “What You Should Know about the Differences between Retirement Homes and Long-Term Care Homes” and “A Checklist if You are Shopping for a Retirement Home”.