A substantial breach is when a tenant breaks one of their covenants (obligations) in section 21 of the Residential Tenancies Act or the landlord breaks one of their covenants (obligations) in section 16 of the Residential Tenancies Act (for example, the landlord does not meet minimum housing standards). A substantial breach can also happen when a tenant commits a series of breaches of the tenancy agreement and the total effect is substantial.
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