Ontario Enters First Stage of its Reopening Plan

On June 11, Ontario entered Step One of its Roadmap to Reopening. Step One of the Roadmap focuses on the resumption of more outdoor activities with smaller crowds where the risk of transmission is lower. It will also permit more limited indoor settings to be open, all with restrictions in place.

What does Step One mean for real estate?

Short-Term Rentals

In Step One, short-term rentals can be booked as the restriction on booking short-term rentals for recreational purposes is lifted.

Property Showings and Open Houses

Under Step One, there are no changes to rules governing property showings or Open Houses.

When it comes to property showings and meetings with clients, REALTORS® should continue to follow all existing public health guidelines, limit in-person business as much as possible, use virtual tools and conduct scheduled showings only. OREA’s Guidance for Safe In-Person Showings is available on OREA’s COVID-19 Information Hub.

Open houses remain prohibited in Step One. The Province has announced that it is planning on permitting open houses under Step Three. OREA is currently advising the government on open houses and Step Three of the Reopening Plan. We are surveying Members to collect their feedback and will be communicating it to the government.

Inter-Provincial Travel Still Restricted

The ban on interprovincial travel will remain in place until June 16 as part of the Government’s emergency measures. The ban, which applies to non-essential travel, affects Ontario’s land boundaries with Manitoba and Quebec.

OREA Members can cross interprovincial borders for essential business purposes. OREA has drafted template letters to support Members in navigating border checkpoints.

Residential Evictions Resume

On June 2nd, with the end of the Stay-At-Home Order, the government also ended the pause on the enforcement of resident evictions. That means that eviction orders for all tenancies subject to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) have resumed.

The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) is carrying on most of its business using virtual video conferencing tools. Members who own investment properties or who are supporting clients can visit the LTB website to learn more.

According to the Government, if the stay-at-home order is extended or reintroduced, be it province-wide or focused on specific regions, the suspension of residential eviction enforcement could be extended as well.

Note: This timeline and the below information are subject to change. OREA will communicate updates to Members when new information comes to light.