Who is covered by Ontario's tenant rules
The Residential Tenancies Act covers most private rentals: apartments, houses, condos, basement apartments and rooms in rooming or boarding houses. Many of the rent rules do not apply to university and college residences or to non-profit and public housing, although those units are still covered by most other rules, such as maintenance and reasons for eviction.
The Act does not apply if you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner. Ask about this before renting a room in the owner's home.
Ontario's standard lease
For most tenancy agreements signed on or after April 30, 2018, the landlord must use Ontario's standard lease form. It does not apply to care homes, mobile home park and land lease sites, most social and supportive housing, and co-operative housing. The landlord must give you a copy within 21 days after you sign it.
If you are entitled to a standard lease and did not get one, ask your landlord for it in writing. If you still do not have it 21 calendar days after asking, you can withhold one month's rent, and if you still have not received it 30 days after withholding, you can keep that rent. You cannot withhold more than one month's rent.
A lease cannot take away a right under the Act. Extra terms that try to do so are void, for example a term that bans pets (condo rules may still restrict some pets), bans guests or roommates, or makes you pay for repairs that are the landlord's responsibility.
Deposits: last month's rent only
An Ontario landlord can only collect a deposit for the last month's rent and a refundable key deposit. You do not have to pay any other deposit, such as a damage deposit or a pet deposit. If you paid more, you can apply to the LTB to get the money back.
The rent deposit cannot be more than one month's rent (or one week's rent if you pay weekly). It can only be used for the rent of your last month, never for damage. Your landlord must pay you interest on it every year, at the same rate as the rent increase guideline. When your rent goes up, the landlord can ask you to top up the deposit to match the new rent and can use the interest for that.
A key deposit, including for remote entry devices or cards, must be returned when you give back your keys at the end of the tenancy.
- A landlord cannot insist that you pay by post-dated cheques or automatic debit. These can be suggested, but you cannot be refused the unit for saying no.
- The landlord must give you a free receipt for any rent payment or deposit if you ask for one.
Rent control and the 2026 guideline
When a new tenancy starts, you and the landlord agree on the rent. After that, the rent can usually be increased only once every 12 months, with at least 90 days' written notice on the proper LTB form (N1, N2 or N3).
For most units, the increase cannot be higher than the guideline set each year by the Ontario government, based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index and capped at 2.5%. A landlord who wants more must apply to the LTB for an above-guideline increase.
Exemption: new buildings, additions and most new basement apartments occupied for the first time as residences after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline. The 12-month and 90-day notice rules still apply to them.
- You can dispute an improper increase within 12 months after it was first charged.
| Year the increase takes effect | Guideline |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.5% |
| 2026 | 2.1% |
| 2027 | 1.9% |
Notice rules for ending a tenancy
The end of a lease does not mean you have to move out. If you do not sign a new lease, you become a monthly tenant on the same terms.
A landlord can end a tenancy only for reasons allowed by the Act, such as unpaid rent, damage, or the landlord or a family member moving in. A notice from your landlord does not mean you must leave. The landlord must apply to the LTB, you can attend the hearing, and only the Sheriff can enforce an eviction order. A landlord cannot lock you out on their own, and you cannot change the locks without the landlord's permission.
If the landlord, a family member or a caregiver will move in, or a buyer of the property will, the landlord must pay you one month's rent or offer you another unit. Under current rules, if the landlord gives 120 days' notice or more for personal use, Ontario says the one-month compensation is not owed. If the unit is being sold and a buyer will move in, check ontario.ca or the LTB for how this rule applies. If an eviction is done in bad faith, the LTB can order the landlord to pay up to 12 months of rent plus reasonable moving and storage costs.
| If you want to leave and you | Give at least | Ending on |
|---|---|---|
| Pay monthly | 60 days' written notice (Form N9) | The last day of a rental period |
| Have a fixed-term lease | 60 days' written notice (Form N9) | No earlier than the last day of the lease |
| Pay daily or weekly | 28 days' written notice | The end of a weekly period |
Repairs, heat and landlord entry
Your landlord must keep the property in a good state of repair and meet health, safety and maintenance standards, even if you knew about a problem when you rented. You must keep the unit reasonably clean and repair or pay for damage caused by you or your guests, but not normal wear and tear.
Do not hold back rent because repairs are not done. You could be evicted for withholding rent without LTB approval. Instead, put your request in writing and, if nothing happens, file a maintenance application (Form T6). The LTB can order remedies such as letting you pay less rent until the work is done.
A landlord cannot shut off vital services: hot or cold water, fuel, electricity, gas and heat. Heating equipment must be able to keep the unit at 20°C from September 1 to June 15, and some municipal by-laws are stricter.
- For repairs or inspections, the landlord must give 24 hours' written notice stating the reason and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
- No notice is needed in an emergency or if you agree to let them in.
What a landlord can ask newcomers
The Ontario Human Rights Code gives everyone the right to equal treatment in housing. According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, a landlord may ask for rental history, credit references and credit checks (a credit check needs your permission), and may ask about your income, but must also look at the rental and credit information available.
A lack of rental or credit history should not count against you. The Commission notes that recent immigrants and refugees may have no rental history in Canada, and that no credit rating is not the same as a bad one. A landlord can ask for a guarantor only if they require one from all tenants, and it is illegal to apply a rent-to-income cut-off such as 30%, unless you are applying for subsidized housing.
The Commission says housing providers should use means other than your Social Insurance Number to run a credit check. If you are asked for it, you can offer other ways to show you can pay, such as information about your income and references.
- Protected grounds include ethnic background, religious beliefs, disability, family status and receipt of public assistance, among others in the Code.
- Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario: 1-866-598-0322 (hrto.ca).
- Human Rights Legal Support Centre, for legal help with a complaint: 1-866-625-5179.
How to apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board
The LTB resolves disputes through mediation, where a mediator helps both sides agree, or adjudication, where a member holds a hearing and issues an order.
- Write to your landlord first and keep your evidence.
- Pick the right form: T2 for tenant rights, T6 for maintenance, T1 for money the landlord owes you, such as deposit interest.
- Create a Public Secure account and file through the Tribunals Ontario Portal. T2 and T6 are filed through the portal.
- Pay the fee: $48 through the portal or $53 on paper for T1, T2 and T6. Fees are non-refundable, and a Fee Waiver Request is available if you cannot afford it.
- Attend your hearing with your evidence. For free legal help, call Legal Aid Ontario at 1-800-668-8258 to find a community legal clinic.
Common newcomer mistakes
Newcomers are often asked for things the law does not require.
We don't provide legal opinions; for advice on your file, contact an RCIC-verified consultant or a lawyer.
- Paying a damage deposit, or several months of rent upfront, beyond the last month's rent deposit.
- Signing without a standard lease, or without a copy within 21 days.
- Assuming a notice from the landlord means you must leave immediately.
- Withholding rent to force repairs instead of filing a T6.
- Giving your SIN to a landlord when other proof would do.
- Not asking whether a unit first occupied after November 15, 2018 is exempt from the guideline.