The Ontario Land Tribunal

The Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) is a resource residents can access to solve disagreements about land use, planning, and development in Ontario. It adjudicates matters related to land use planning, environmental and natural features, heritage protection, land valuation, land compensation, municipal finance, and related matters.

The Tribunal listens to both sides of a matter and makes a decision based on the rules and laws that guide land use in the province.

The OLT also deals with disputes related to:

• Zoning by-laws (rules about what can be built and where)
• Official plans (the city or town’s long-term growth plan)
• Subdivision approvals (dividing land into smaller lots for homes)
• Expropriation (when the government takes private land for public use)

So in short, the Ontario Land Tribunal helps settle disagreements about how land is used or developed, making sure decisions follow Ontario’s planning laws and policies.

The Tribunal was established on June 1, 2021 under the authority of section 2 of the Ontario Land Tribunal Act, 2021.

The Tribunal and all who work within it are committed to providing access to justice and to high quality, independent, timely, fair and principled resolutions of the matters brought before them.

The Appeal Process

Residents seeking to file an appeal, application or objection with the OLT,  can now do so through the e-file portal.

In most situations an appeal fee is mandatory. Please see fee chart to determine if a fee will be applied to your matter.

For more information, please visit the Ontario Land Tribunal Website where you will find guides to the appeal process.