Provincial Rent Bank Program - Tenants FAQs

1. What is a Rent Bank?
2. Who is operating the Provincial Rent Bank program?
3. Are there any rent banks in Ontario now?
4. Are all the rent banks operated by the Service Manager?
5. Where is the rent bank in my Service Manager area?
6. How is provincial funding being allocated among Service Managers?
7. When will funding become available?
8. How does one apply for help?
9. How much money can I get from the rent bank?
10. Is support provided as a loan or a grant?  And if it is a loan, will interest be charged?
11. How often can I borrow from the rent bank?
12. Can I borrow from the rent bank for first and last month’s rent?
13. I’m having difficulty paying my electricity bills. Can I borrow from the rent bank to pay arrears on utilities?
14. Who will be eligible for rent bank assistance?
15. I live in a social housing apartment. Can I use the rent bank to pay my arrears?
16. Can a person on social assistance receive help?
17. Are there any other eligibility requirements?
18. My landlord has already started the eviction process. How long will it take for my application to be approved for rent bank funding?

1. What is a Rent Bank?

A rent bank is a short-term funding mechanism through which low-income tenants may apply to receive financial assistance to address short-term rent arrears.

Affordable and secure housing is fundamental to the well-being, vitality, and strength of families and the communities they live in. The Provincial Rent Bank Program helps ensure housing stability for those who, due to an emergency or other unforeseen circumstance, are in short-term arrears and facing eviction. If a tenant's application to a rent bank is approved, the outstanding rent is paid directly to the landlord on behalf of the tenant.

2. Who is operating the Provincial Rent Bank Program?

The province has provided Ontario’s Service Managers with the funds to run the program on its behalf.  A Service Manager is a municipal entity that administers social programs.

3. Are there any rent banks in Ontario now?

Yes. All of Ontario's 47 Service Managers have a Provincial Rent Bank Program in their jurisdiction. By providing full funding through its rent bank program, the government has encouraged all Service Managers to establish rent banks or to supplement existing ones.

4. Are all the rent banks operated by the Service Manager?

Some Service Managers administer the program themselves.  Some Service Managers provide the money to community organizations to administer the Provincial Rent Bank Program on their behalf.

5. Where is the rent bank in my Service Manager area?

You will have to contact your local Service Manager for information on rent banks currently in operation (please refer to the attached list of Service Managers).

6. How is provincial funding being allocated among service managers?

Under the Provincial Rent Bank Program, service managers have received funding based on their share of the provincial population and in proportion to the amount of funds each Service Manager has spent since starting the Program.

7. When will funding become available?

Currently, all of Ontario’s 47 Service Managers are administering the Provincial Rent Bank program.  Please refer to the attached Service Manager list indicating where your rent bank is located.

8. How does one apply for help?

A tenant needs to contact the Service Manager where he or she lives and inquire about how to apply to the rent bank (please refer to the Service Manager list).

9. How much money can I get from the rent bank?

According to the Provincial Rent Bank Program rules, a tenant may access up to two months’ rental arrears from a rent bank.

10. Is support provided as a loan or a grant?  And if it is a loan, will interest be charged?

It is up to each Service Manager to decide whether assistance is provided as a loan or grant.

If it is a loan, the Service Manager decides what the terms of repayment are, including whether or not interest applies.

11. How often can I borrow from the rent bank?

A tenant can apply for assistance only once every two years, except when, at the Service Manager’s discretion and where assistance is provided as a loan, tenants pay back their loan sooner than the two-year period and the Service Manager allows them to re-apply for assistance under the Program.

12. Can I borrow from the rent bank for first and last month’s rent?

Rent banks work by helping low-income tenants who normally do not have difficulty paying their rent on time but, because of some unforeseen crisis, find themselves in short-term rent arrears. For this reason, Provincial Rent Bank Program funding can only be used for the payment of rent arrears and is not to be used for first and last month’s rent. There may be other sources of funds to help with first and last month’s rent, for instance through social assistance in some areas.

13. I’m having difficulty paying my electricity bills. Can I borrow from the rent bank to pay arrears on utilities?

The Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS) Energy Emergency Fund will provide help to low-income Ontarians, including social assistance recipients, facing energy-related emergencies.

The Energy Emergency Fund is for energy arrears, security deposits and reconnection costs.   Assistance will be paid directly to energy providers.

The maximum amount of assistance per household will be equivalent to two months’ energy arrears, security deposit and reconnection fees, as required, except in exceptional circumstances.

14. Who is eligible for rent bank assistance?

It is up to each Service Manager to determine client eligibility.

15. I live in a social housing apartment. Can I use the rent bank to pay my arrears?

It is up to each Service Manager to decide whether social housing tenants are eligible to receive rent bank funding.

16. Can a person on social assistance receive help?

It is up to each Service Manager to decide whether social assistance recipients are eligible to receive rent bank funding.

17. Are there any other eligibility requirements?

Service Managers may have set other eligibility criteria not mentioned in these FAQs.  Please contact the Service Manager in your area (by referring to the attached Service Manager list) to find out about any additional eligibility requirements.

18. My landlord has already started the eviction process. How long will it take for my application to be approved for rent bank funding?

The length of time it takes to process a rent bank application depends on the rent bank. The approval process needs to take place fairly quickly since the eviction process, once initiated, can take less than a month.  There needs to be time for an assessment of the application and to ensure the eviction process is halted before the arrears are paid.  Tenants should contact their Provincial Rent Bank Program as soon as they receive notice that their landlord has applied for an eviction order based on short-term rent arrears.