Plain-language answer
During a tenancy, your belongings are yours, and a landlord generally has no right to remove, keep, or dispose of them — including over unpaid rent. If your things were thrown out, donated, sold, or locked away while your tenancy was still in effect (or during an unlawful lockout), that may be a serious breach with potential remedies through the Landlord and Tenant Board.
The picture changes after a lawful, sheriff-enforced eviction: Ontario law generally gives an evicted tenant a limited window — commonly described as 72 hours — to retrieve belongings, with the landlord required to make them available during that period. After the window, a landlord's obligations change significantly. Which situation you are in — mid-tenancy disposal, lockout, or post-eviction — determines everything, so establishing that first is essential.
Either way, the immediate steps are the same: document what was lost, where it went if you can find out, what it was worth, and get legal advice quickly, because time limits may apply to applications.
Why it matters
Belongings often include irreplaceable items — documents, medication, photos, tools people work with. Fast action sometimes recovers items before they are truly gone.
Compensation claims live or die on documentation. A specific, valued, evidenced list is a claim; "they threw out all my stuff" is a grievance.
Facts that affect the answer
Based on the information available, these are the kinds of facts that commonly change how a situation like this is assessed:
- Whether your tenancy was still in effect when the belongings were removed.
- Whether a sheriff-enforced eviction had occurred, and whether the retrieval window had passed.
- Whether the landlord claims the unit was abandoned — abandonment has specific legal meaning and specific procedures, and disputes about it deserve legal review.
- What was taken, what it was worth, and what evidence of ownership and value exists.
- Where the belongings went — storage, disposal, sale — and whether any can still be recovered.
Evidence to preserve
Preserve these now, in their original form
- A written inventory of everything missing, as detailed as memory allows, made immediately.
- Photos of the emptied unit or the belongings' last known location.
- Older photos showing the items in your unit — scroll your phone's camera roll for incidental shots.
- Receipts, warranties, order histories, or bank records showing what items cost.
- All communication with the landlord about the removal, and witness names.
Common mistakes
- Waiting weeks to make an inventory, when detail fades fast.
- Confronting the landlord angrily instead of asking, in writing, where the belongings are.
- Throwing away the evidence of the removal itself — dumpster photos, notes on the door.
- Assuming nothing can be done and not seeking advice, when the LTB can hear applications about landlords' conduct with tenant property.
- Missing application deadlines — tenant applications generally have time limits, so speed matters.
Possible official process
For belongings disposed of during a tenancy or unlawful lockout, a tenant application to the LTB (commonly a T2 about tenant rights) is the usual route; remedies depend on the findings and evidence.
After a lawful eviction, different rules govern the retrieval window and what happens afterward — a legal clinic can quickly identify which rules applied to your dates.
If you believe belongings were stolen rather than disposed of, you may also choose to report to police, keeping the occurrence number for your records.
Professional review recommended
Tools that help with this
Jurisdiction: Ontario · Last reviewed 2026-07-15 · currently under review. Rules, forms, and deadlines can change — always confirm against the official sources above.
This is legal information, not legal advice. RTO Pro is not a law firm. Deadlines and exceptions may apply to your situation — a qualified legal professional should confirm anything important before you rely on it.