Regulatory Offence Lawyers

Cohen Highley LLP’s regulatory offence lawyers and licensed paralegals advise landlords, property managers, and housing providers across Ontario on compliance with the statutes that govern Multi-Residential Housing, including the Fire Code, the Building Code Act, the Residential Tenancies Act, the Condominium Act, the Human Rights Code, and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

Housing providers are routinely exposed to potential liability under these continually developing statutes, and noncompliance can result in penalties, fines, work delays, or business disruption. Our team assesses your operations, policies, and procedures to confirm whether your organization is meeting its legal requirements, and if your organization has already been charged, we manage the advocacy or litigation and help you put a plan in place to prevent a recurrence.

Regulatory Compliance & Defence Services We Offer

Our regulatory offences team supports landlords, property managers, condominium corporations, and housing providers with the following services:

  • We review your operations, leases, policies, and procedures against the statutes and codes that apply to your properties and identify gaps before they become violations.
  • We draft or update the internal policies, training materials, and reporting procedures your organization needs to meet its legal obligations under the Fire Code, Building Code Act, Human Rights Code, AODA, and related legislation.
  • If your organization has been charged with a provincial offence, we represent you through the Part I or Part III process, including negotiations with prosecutors and, where necessary, trial.
  • Following a charge or an internal audit finding, we help you implement a corrective plan designed to prevent recurrence and demonstrate good-faith compliance going forward.

Our Approach to Regulatory Offence Matters

We start by reviewing your current operations and any correspondence, orders, or charges you’ve received, so we understand your exposure before recommending next steps. Where no charge has been laid, that review includes a compliance audit of your policies and procedures against the statutes and codes that apply to your properties, followed by drafting or revising the policies, documentation, and training records needed to close any gaps we find.

If a charge has already been laid, we engage directly with the prosecuting authority to pursue an appropriate resolution under the Part I or Part III process, and represent your organization at trial if the matter proceeds that far. Once a matter is resolved, we work with you to put safeguards in place.

Why Choose Cohen Highley LLP

Being named in a regulatory proceeding puts you in a position where the next decision matters. You need a team that understands how to keep your operations compliant day-to-day and how to respond if a charge is already in front of you. Our Multi-Residential Housing team works exclusively with landlords, property owners, and housing providers, so the advice you get is shaped around the realities of running rental housing, not adapted from a general practice.

That focus means we can move quickly when something urgent lands on your desk, and just as importantly, help you avoid getting there in the first place. Whether you need a policy reviewed before a problem starts or representation once a charge has been laid, our team is positioned across London, Kitchener, Windsor, Strathroy, and Sarnia to support housing providers throughout Southwestern Ontario.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Cohen Highley LLP represent tenants in regulatory matters?

No. Our Multi-Residential Housing group, including our regulatory offences team, represents landlords, property managers, condominium corporations, and other housing providers exclusively. We do not act for tenants.

What should I do if my organization receives a notice, order, or charge?

Contact legal counsel as soon as possible and avoid responding to the notice or order until you’ve done so. Early legal advice affects the options available to you, particularly if the matter is proceeding under a Part I or Part III process under the Provincial Offences Act.

Can individual directors, officers, or property managers be personally charged, or only the corporation?

It depends on the statute and the circumstances. Some regulatory offences can be laid against the corporation, individual officers or directors, or both. Our team can review your specific notice or order and advise on who is exposed and why.

Does a compliance audit help if my organization has not been charged?

Yes. A compliance audit reviews your existing operations, leases, and policies against the statutes that apply to your properties and can identify and correct gaps before they result in a charge or order.

Is a municipal by-law violation handled the same way as a provincial charge?

Not necessarily. Municipal by-law enforcement and charges under provincial statutes like the Fire Code or Building Code Act can follow different processes and carry different penalties. We can advise on which framework applies to your matter and what it means for your response.

Our legal team is accessible, innovative, and professional.

Meet Our Team
We hold ourselves accountable for the quality of our work on every file and for every client. We are committed to meeting the needs of our clients, while acting fairly, firmly and with integrity. We will innovate and adapt to enable us to achieve practical and effective legal solutions.
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