Episode 1
What Is Cash for Keys? How the Strategy Works for Ontario Landlords
Paralegal Robert Di Lisi explains cash for keys — the legal, tax-deductible way Ontario landlords end a tenancy faster than an LTB eviction.
Series
The Ontario Landlord Series
CRESI's flagship podcast on the law and practice of being an Ontario landlord — evictions and the N-forms, LTB hearings, leases and screening, financing and tax.
The Ontario Landlord Series is CRESI’s flagship podcast on the law and practice of being a landlord in Ontario. Host Kevin Breitner works through the decisions that actually determine outcomes: which N-form applies and how to serve it, what happens at a Landlord and Tenant Board hearing, how to write a lease that holds up, how to screen an applicant, and how financing, tax and insurance change once a property is a rental rather than a home.
Episodes are conversations with the lawyers, paralegals, mortgage agents, accountants and advocates who handle these matters day to day — so the answers come with the reasoning behind them, not just the rule.
Most episodes have a companion written guide covering the same ground in more depth, linked from the episode page.
CRESI also publishes the What Landlords Need to Know podcast. Both are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music and iHeartRadio.
All episodes
Episode 2
Ontario Eviction Process Explained: The Three Legal Ways to Evict a Tenant
Paralegal Robert Di Lisi walks through the three legal eviction methods in Ontario, the sheriff's role, and why police can't remove tenants.
Episode 3
RBC Mortgage Advantages for Ontario Investment Property Buyers
RBC mortgage specialist Dion Mahadeo explains pre-construction rate holds, 80-100% rental income qualification, and 6-unit residential mortgages.
Episode 4
Buying a Tenanted Property in Ontario: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Paralegal Robert Di Lisi explains what buyers of a tenanted Ontario property can and can't do: rent increases, N12 personal use, and due diligence.
Episode 5
Selling a Tenanted Property in Ontario: How to Deliver Vacant Possession
How Ontario landlords can sell a tenanted property — the vacant-possession clause, the buyer-assumes option, cash for keys, and N13 demolition sales.
Episode 6
Rental Cash Damming Explained: A Tax Strategy for Ontario Landlords
Mortgage agent Sylvia Ho explains rental cash damming, a CRA-approved strategy landlords use to cut mortgage interest and income tax.
Episode 7
How Ontario Landlords Can Use Cash Damming to Cut Taxes and Pay Off Mortgages Faster
A real case study: how the CRA-approved cash damming strategy helped one Ontario landlord family cut nine years off their mortgage.
Episode 8
Fixing Ontario's Rental Market: Tools Every Landlord Should Know About
Landlord advocate Kayla Andrade and Kevin Breitner explain the LTB backlog, rent reporting, and tools Ontario landlords can use to protect their rental income.
Episode 9
Single-Family vs. Multi-Family: When Ontario Landlords Should Scale Up
Broker Addy Saeed and Kevin Breitner explain when Ontario landlords should move from single-family rentals to multi-family properties for cash flow.
Episode 10
Should Ontario Landlords Hire a Property Manager?
Why professional property management pays off for Ontario landlords, even with a single rental, and what to look for when hiring one.
Episode 11
Commercial vs. Residential Landlording in Ontario: How a Bailiff Can Help With Non-Payment
Bailiff Nolan Revin and Kevin Breitner explain how commercial leases shift power to Ontario landlords, and the remedies available for non-paying tenants.
Episode 12
Ontario Landlord Rights: Abandonment, Tenant Death, Entry Refusals, and Pets
Paralegal Robert Di Lisi and Kevin Breitner walk through Ontario landlord rights in real scenarios: suspected abandonment, a tenant's death, entry refusals, and pets.
Episode 13
What Happens When a Tenant Dies in an Ontario Rental?
What Ontario landlords must do under Section 91 of the RTA when a tenant dies — property security, estate rights, and legal risks explained.
Episode 14
What Lease Clauses Can Ontario Landlords Actually Enforce?
Which lease clauses are enforceable in Ontario and which are illegal — deposits, snow removal, repair costs, and more, explained by a licensed paralegal.
Episode 15
The N4 and N12 Forms: An Ontario Landlord's Guide to Eviction Notices
How to properly serve the N4 for non-payment of rent and the N12 for landlord's own use, and the mistakes that get Ontario LTB applications dismissed.
Episode 16
Is My Rental Actually Abandoned? An Ontario Landlord's Guide
The two-part legal test for tenant abandonment in Ontario, why occupants aren't tenants, and handling unpaid utility bills without shutting off service.
Episode 17
Tenants, Occupants, and Guests: Who's Allowed to Live in an Ontario Rental
The legal difference between tenants, occupants, and guests in Ontario — what landlords control, and how joint tenancy and student housing work.
Episode 18
When Should Ontario Landlords Call the Police?
When should Ontario landlords call police instead of the LTB? Paralegal Rob Di Lisi and Kevin Breitner explain police jurisdiction over rental issues.
Episode 19
How to Garnish a Tenant's Wages in Ontario After an LTB Order
How Ontario landlords convert an LTB order into an enforceable judgment and legally garnish a tenant's wages or bank account to collect unpaid rent.
Episode 20
The Best of Rob Di Lisi: Cash for Keys, Occupants & Buying Tenanted Property
A compilation of paralegal Rob Di Lisi's guidance on cash for keys, the tenant-vs-occupant distinction, and buying a tenanted property in Ontario.
Episode 21
Building a Legal Basement Apartment in Ontario: A Contractor's Guide
What Ontario landlords need to know about permits, plumbing, fire safety, and ceiling height to build a legal, code-compliant basement apartment.
Episode 22
The Legal Side of Basement Apartments: What Ontario Landlords Must Know
How the RTA applies to basement apartments, tenant rights, and the legal responsibilities every Ontario landlord must meet before renting one out.
Episode 23
Real Estate Market Opportunities for Ontario Landlords in 2025
Investor Gary Hibbert on where Ontario landlords are finding cash-flowing deals in 2025, from Peterborough conversions to garden suites and BRRRR.
Episode 24
3 Financing Mistakes Ontario Landlords Make on Basement Apartments
Mortgage agent Sylvia Ho breaks down three basement-apartment financing mistakes and the rental cash damming fix that can save landlords tens of thousands.
Episode 25
Basement Apartment Insurance in Ontario: What Landlords Must Disclose
Insurance broker Azita Fathi explains what Ontario landlords must disclose when renting a basement apartment, and how undisclosed rentals get denied.
Episode 26
The BRRRR Strategy for Ontario Landlords, Explained
RPI Education founder Monika Jazyk breaks down the BRRRR strategy and how Ontario landlords use it to add units and pull equity out tax-free.
Episode 27
How SOLO Supports Small Ontario Landlords
SOLO president Kevin Costain explains how the nonprofit supports small Ontario landlords through education, LTB hearing data, and advocacy at Queen's Park.
Episode 28
Is Now the Time to Buy Pre-Construction in the GTA?
Graywood Developments' Kaleigh Kelly explains why the GTA condo oversupply creates a buyer's window, and what to check before buying pre-construction.
Episode 29
Private Equity Real Estate Funds: An Alternative to Direct Landlording
How Ontario landlords can use RSPs and TFSAs to invest passively in private equity real estate funds, per Equivest Capital Partners' Dan Stuart.
Episode 30
A $150,000 Cash-for-Keys Settlement: What Went Wrong
A paralegal's breakdown of a $150,000 Ontario cash-for-keys settlement and the landlord and realtor mistakes that caused it.
Episode 31
Legal Basement Apartments in Ontario: Permits, Insurance & Financing
A four-expert guide to legal basement apartments in Ontario: permits, RTA rules, insurance disclosure, and rental cash-damming financing.
Episode 32
Ontario's Bill 10: What It Means for Landlord Liability
How Ontario's Bill 10 makes landlords liable for tenant drug activity, and why 'reasonable steps' is undefined, per advocate Kayla Andrade.
Episode 33
Schedule B Lease Clauses: What Ontario Landlords Can't Actually Enforce
Paralegal Rob Di Lisi reviews a real Ontario Schedule B lease and flags which landlord clauses — pet deposits, NSF fees, insurance — aren't enforceable.
Episode 34
Ontario Landlord Legal Essentials: Evictions, Tenant Death, and Collecting on LTB Orders
A paralegal and lawyer explain the three legal ways to evict in Ontario, the 30-day rule when a tenant dies, and how to collect after an LTB order.
Episode 35
Are Realtors Responsible for Placing Bad Tenants in Ontario?
Paralegal Rob Di Lisi explains why realtors generally aren't legally responsible for vetting tenants, and what landlords should verify themselves.
Episode 36
Ontario Landlord Court Options Beyond the LTB: Small Claims, Superior Court, and Provincial Offenses
A litigation lawyer explains when the Landlord and Tenant Board can't help, and which of Ontario's other courts to use instead.
Episode 37
Joint Venture Real Estate Contracts in Ontario: A Lawyer's Guide to JV Agreements
Real estate lawyer Shawn Quigg explains the four must-have elements of a joint venture contract for Ontario real estate partnerships.
Episode 38
Ontario Standard Lease: Common Mistakes That Cost Landlords Money
Paralegal Rob Di Lisi breaks down the Ontario Standard Lease mistakes that cost landlords money — utility sections, key deposits, and the 21-day deadline.
Episode 39
Cottage & Airbnb Investing in Ontario: What New Short-Term Rental Owners Need to Know
Yours Truly Hospitality's Brad McRae joins Kevin Breitner to explain licensing, pricing, and management costs for Ontario cottage and Airbnb rentals.
Episode 40
Airbnb vs. Long-Term Rentals: Which Makes More Money for Ontario Landlords?
Short-term rental manager Brad McRae compares Airbnb and long-term rental returns, licensing limits, and the mistakes that can wipe out a host's profit.
Episode 41
Ontario N13 Form Guide: Renovation Evictions and Tenant Rights
How Ontario's N13 renovation-eviction notice works, Toronto's new TRAP bylaw, and the two-year window tenants have to sue for bad faith.
Episode 42
What Really Happens at an Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board Hearing
Paralegal Rob Di Lisi explains LTB hearing blocks, mediation, no-shows, and why even a 'slam dunk' non-payment case isn't guaranteed to go your way.
Episode 43
The Rent-to-Own Strategy: 20-24% Passive Returns Without Landlord Headaches
Investor David Pereira explains how Ontario rent-to-own deals work, the real ROI math, tenant-buyer vetting, and using it to exit properties in a down market.
Episode 44
How to End an Ontario Tenancy the Right Way: N9 vs. N11
Paralegal Rob Di Lisi explains the legal difference between Ontario's N9 and N11 forms, filing for an ex parte order, and how to prep a unit for turnover.
Episode 45
State of the Market: Ontario Real Estate Outlook (2025 Report)
A 2025 Ontario market-outlook presentation from RE/MAX Hallmark broker Steve Tabrizi. This report is dated — see the note for current information.
Episode 46
From Police Officer to 600+ Rental Units: Scaling with Joint Ventures
Adrian Pannozzo explains how he went from one duplex on a HELOC to 600+ units, using the BRRR strategy, joint ventures, and CMHC's MLI Select program.
Episode 47
A CPA's Guide to Real Estate Tax Structuring for Ontario Landlords
CPA Michael Matthew breaks down personal vs. corporate ownership, CCA depreciation, and the most commonly missed landlord tax deductions.
Episode 48
Defending T1, T2, T5 & T6 Applications at Ontario's LTB
Paralegal Robert Di Lisi explains the T1, T2, T5, and T6 tenant applications Ontario landlords face at the LTB and how to defend against each one.
Episode 49
Surviving Ontario's Condo Market: Appraisals, Cash Flow & the Smith Maneuver
Mortgage broker Roberto Pelaccia explains how Ontario investors are handling pre-construction appraisal shortfalls and using the Smith Maneuver to manage rental cash flow.
Episode 50
LTB Hearing Didn't Go Your Way? Appealing to Ontario's Divisional Court
Lawyer Gibrian Malicki-Sanchez explains when and how Ontario landlords can appeal an LTB order to the Divisional Court within the 30-day window.
Episode 51
Scaling Your Ontario Rental Portfolio: From Single-Family to Multifamily
Investor lawyer Shawn Quigg breaks down when to incorporate, how to escape the 'murky middle,' and why a secondary will matters for scaling Ontario landlords.
Episode 52
Rent Protection Insurance for Ontario Landlords: How RenterCare Works
Naresh Vyas of Rental Deposits Now explains RenterCare, rent protection insurance for Ontario landlords covering unpaid rent, paralegal costs and damage.
Bonus
The Insurance Gap: Why Vacant Rentals Need Different Coverage
An Ontario landlord's insurance claim was denied after a rental sat vacant between tenants — the insurer denied it because the policy still read 'rental,' not 'vacant.'