Whether you are a first-time renter or an experienced tenant, this will help you understand your rights and responsibilities.

This is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Should you require further information about renting in your province or territory, including specific details about legal orders, notices and applicable forms, contact your local authority or consult with a lawyer.

Types of Rental Periods
All types of rental periods are allowed; however, the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) takes precedence over leases. In other words, when terms in the lease do not comply with RTA, the RTA takes precedence over the lease.

Is a signed lease required?
No. If the tenancy agreement is not in writing, the tenant must be provided with written notice of the legal name and address of the landlord for the purpose of giving notice or delivering other documents. The landlord must provide the tenant with this information within 21 days after the tenancy begins. If the landlord fails to provide the required information, the tenant's obligation to pay rent is suspended until the landlord complies.

Is a signed move in/move out condition report required?
No. A checklist is recommended but not required.

Deposits
Landlords can collect a rent deposit up to one month's rent, but this deposit is not a security deposit. In Ontario, security deposits are not allowed. Last month's rent may be collected as a deposit, but it can never be used to apply to damages. Landlords collect the last month's rent, or if rent is paid weekly the last week's rent, at the beginning of the tenancy and pay the tenant interest based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index (the rate of inflation for the year running from June to May) at the beginning of the next year, to be paid out every year. This deposit may only be applied to the last month's rent. It is not considered a damage or security deposit.

Key Money
Requiring key money is illegal.

Post-dated Cheques
Post-dated cheques can be suggested, but a person cannot be refused a rental unit for refusing to give them. Landlords must provide tenants with a rent receipt.

Renewal of a Lease Term
The landlord and tenant can agree to extend or renew the tenancy on the same terms and conditions, or on modified terms and conditions. If both parties can't reach an agreement once the lease expires, the tenancy automatically becomes a month-to-month arrangement.

Terminating a Tenancy (Lease): Notice and Timing
Prior to a lease terminating, it is the responsibility of landlord and tenant to re-negotiate terms or terminate the lease. Tenants can give notice during a fixed term lease, provided that the date of termination is not any earlier than the last day of tenancy. Landlords may only terminate a tenancy for specified reasons as set out in the legislation and cannot terminate simply because a fixed term has expired. When a fixed term tenancy goes to a month to month term, the landlord cannot force a tenant to sign another lease or agree to another fixed term. When a lease is renewed, unless otherwise agreed, other than the new term of the lease, all other conditions of the lease remain the same with the exception of rent increases, which are not automatically carried forward. The landlord can raise the rent with 90 days written notice.

Landlords must provide notice in writing to the tenant, and required notice times vary depending on the reasons for the notice. Please refer to the detailed online and print brochures: "Terminating a Tenancy by a Tenant" and "Reasons for Terminating a Tenancy by a Landlord".

The tenant can terminate daily or weekly tenancies with 28 days written notice. Otherwise tenants must give 60 days notice when moving.

Assignments and Sublets
Landlords must approve or disapprove, in writing, the tenant's request to sublet. The original tenant can dispute a landlord's decision to reject the sublet by applying to the Landlord and Tenant Board using the appropriate form. If the original tenant wants to return to the premises after the sublet period and renew the lease, he or she would be subject to a rent increase if 12 months have elapsed since the previous increase for the tenant - or since the tenant moved in - and 90 days written notice is required.

Rent Increases: Notice and Timing
Ontario sets rent guidelines each year. Landlords must give 90 days written notice and can only increase the rent once every 12 months. Rent increases must follow the provincial guidelines published each August. To increase rent beyond the guideline, the landlord must apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for permission. (Capital expenses are capped at 3 per cent above the guideline, per year for a maximum of 3 years.) Note: that there are some residential tenancies that are exempt from the rent control provisions of the legislation; although the 12 month rule and 90 day notice requirement still apply.

If there are serious outstanding maintenance issues a tenant can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board to stop all rent increases and above guideline increases. In severe cases tenants would pay all or portions of their rent to the Board until maintenance and repair issues were resolved.

Note: Rent increase rules apply to an existing tenancy. Once the tenant moves, the landlord can increase the rent for that unit to whatever the market will bear.

Late Rent Payments
The day after rent is due, if it is unpaid; the landlord can give a "Notice to terminate for nonpayment of rent." The tenant then has 14 days if they are monthly or yearly renters, and 7 days if they are daily or weekly renters, to pay. If this grace period passes and no rent has been paid, the landlord can file an application to the Landlord and Tenant Board for rent arrears.

Evictions
There are numerous grounds for eviction but the main reason is rent arrears. Evictions for rent arrears in Ontario proceed as follows: One day the tenant is late paying rent; landlord serves notice to tenant; tenant has 14 days to pay rent; on the 15^th day landlord pays a filing fee for Application to evict a tenant for Nonpayment of Rent and to Collect the Rent the Tenant Owes; the Landlord and Tenant Board gives notice of hearing as soon as possible; landlord serves Notice package on the tenant; landlord signs the certificate as proof.

Unlike the previous legislation, there is no default process under the RTA and all applications will go to a hearing. The hearing is held as soon as possible. If the landlord is successful in their claim, the landlord arranges with the provincial Sheriff to evict the tenant.

Landlords can 'fast-track' evictions of tenants who cause wilful and excessive damage. In this case the notice period is shortened from 20 to 10 days and tenants cannot void the notice by repairing the damage. In cases of excessive wilful damage eviction can be immediate.

Permitting Landlord Entry to the Premises (Times and Reasons)
The situations where a landlord may enter the premises may be written into the lease. Typically, landlords must give 24 hours written notice. The written notice must specify the reason for entry, the day of entry and a time of entry between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. A landlord can enter a unit without written notice if there is an emergency or if the tenant consents to the entry.

May the tenant withhold rent for repairs?
No.

Changing Locks
Allowed provided the landlord gives the tenant a key for any new lock.

May a landlord refuse to rent to a tenant who has pets or smokes?
The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) does not cover individuals before they become tenants, so a landlord could refuse to rent on the basis of smoking and/or pets.

If a no pets and no smoking clause is written into a lease and the landlord discovers that the tenant has a pet and/or smokes in the rental unit, is this grounds for the landlord to evict the tenant?

A landlord cannot evict a tenant because they have a pet in violation of a "no pets" clause in the lease. The RTA does not address smoking. However, a landlord may have grounds to evict a tenant, either for having a pet or for smoking, if the pet or smoke damages the property or bothers other tenants.

Other
Under the RTA, February is considered to have 30 days for the purpose of the tenant giving a termination notice.

For general information about renting in Ontario contact:

Landlord and Tenant Board
Toronto South Regional Office
79 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 212
Toronto, Ontario
M4T 1M6
Tel.: 416-645-8080
Fax: 416-326-9838
Toll-free: 1-888-332-3234 (within Ontario)
http://www.ltb.gov.on.ca
Visit the Web site link above to see the complete listing of regional offices.

Landlord and Tenant Board
This organization was formed to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. The site includes applications, forms, notices, answers to frequently asked questions and standard organizational information.

http://www.ltb.gov.on.ca/
(See provincial contact for publications, above.)