Renting a home

The information below concerns residential tenancies covered by Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. Some living arrangements are exempt, including certain arrangements requiring the occupant to share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner or a qualifying member of the owner's family.

Ontario's standard lease is required for most private residential tenancy agreements entered into on or after April 30, 2018. Use the current government form; the updated version is required for applicable new agreements entered into on or after March 1, 2021. The form explains tenancy terms and key landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities. Additional terms cannot override the Residential Tenancies Act.

A landlord may require a rent deposit of no more than one rental period's rent or one month's rent, whichever is less. It must be applied to the final rental period, not to damage repairs. Annual interest is payable at the applicable rent increase guideline rate; the Act permits interest to be applied toward a lawful deposit top-up.

A refundable deposit for keys, fobs or entry cards is permitted, but cannot exceed their expected direct replacement cost. It must be refunded when they are returned. Damage and pet deposits cannot be required.

In most cases, at least 12 months must pass after the tenancy begins or the last rent increase. The landlord must give at least 90 days' written notice using the appropriate LTB form.

For units subject to the rent increase guideline, the 2026 guideline is 2.1%. An increase above the guideline requires LTB approval or another applicable statutory exception.

Certain newer buildings, additions and qualifying new units in existing houses may be exempt from the guideline under section 6.1 of the Residential Tenancies Act. The exemption depends on the statutory criteria and residential occupancy history, not simply when the current tenant moved in or when the unit was renovated. Confirm the property's status. Guideline-exempt units generally remain subject to the 12-month waiting period and 90-day notice requirement.

For entry requiring notice, a landlord must have a legally permitted reason and give at least 24 hours' written notice stating the reason, date and time of entry between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Exceptions include emergencies, consent at the time of entry and other circumstances permitted by law.

Landlords may request rental history, credit references, credit checks and income information in accordance with Ontario's Human Rights Code. Income must be considered together with any available rental and credit information. A lack of rental or credit history is not automatically a negative history. For ordinary non-subsidized housing, landlords cannot apply fixed rent-to-income cut-off ratios.

The Landlord and Tenant Board, part of Tribunals Ontario, resolves landlord–tenant disputes within its jurisdiction under the Residential Tenancies Act.

This page is general information, not legal advice.