Legal Rights and Responsibilities

Renting a home in Ontario creates a legal relationship between two parties: the tenant and the landlord. This relationship is not governed solely by personal agreements or private contracts—it is regulated by one of the most important housing laws in the province: the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA).

Whether you are living in a high-rise condo, basement apartment, single-family home, or student suite, the RTA provides a legal framework for your rights and responsibilities. These rules ensure safe, fair, and dignified rental conditions, while protecting landlords from non-payment or property damage.

Understanding the legal landscape is the most important step toward preventing problems and responding effectively if things go wrong. This chapter breaks down everything Ontario tenants need to know about the law, leases, rent increases, evictions, maintenance, inspections, discrimination, and dispute resolution.

8.1 The Lease Agreement: Foundation of the Legal Relationship

What is the standard lease?

Most private residential leases in Ontario must use the province’s standard lease template. It does not apply to care homes, mobile home park sites, co-operative housing, most social and supportive housing, and certain other special tenancies.

The lease covers the names of the parties, the rent and due date, what is included, the length of the term, and any additional agreed terms. Your landlord must give you a copy within 21 days after you sign it.

If you are entitled to the standard lease and do not get it, ask in writing. The landlord then has 21 days to provide it. If they do not, you can withhold one month’s rent, and if you still have not received it 30 days after withholding, you can keep that money. You cannot withhold more than one month’s rent.

Terms that cannot be enforced

No lease can override the Residential Tenancies Act, even if you sign it. For example:

• A “no pets” or “no guests” term is void, although condo rules on certain pets may still apply
• A damage or pet deposit is not permitted
• A term making you responsible for all repairs does not remove your landlord’s duty to maintain the unit

8.2 What Landlords Can and Cannot Legally Do

Landlords can:

• Ask for a rent deposit of up to one month’s rent, to be used for the last month, and a refundable key deposit
• Enter with 24 hours’ written notice, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., for permitted reasons such as repairs or showing the unit to a buyer
• Raise rent once every 12 months, following the rules
• Enter without notice in an emergency, or with your consent at the time

Landlords cannot:

• Charge illegal fees or deposits
• Enter without proper notice, except where the law allows
• Stop you from having guests
• Retaliate because you enforced your rights
• Shut off vital services, change the locks or interfere with your home to force you out

8.3 Rent Control and Increases

The rules depend on when the unit was first occupied.

First occupied on or before November 15, 2018

• Rent can generally rise only by the annual guideline: 2.5% for 2025, 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027
• Landlords need Board approval to increase above the guideline

First occupied after November 15, 2018

• Most such units are exempt from the guideline, so the increase may be any amount

All units

• Rent can rise only once every 12 months
• The landlord must give at least 90 days’ written notice on the proper form
• A landlord and a new tenant can agree on the starting rent at turnover

Disputing an increase: If you have paid an illegal increase, you can file a T1 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).

Example: You live in a condo first occupied in 2016. In 2026, your landlord raises your rent from $2,100 to $2,400 without proper notice. That is illegal. A legal increase of 2.1% would bring the rent to $2,144.10, on 90 days’ notice using the proper form.

8.4 Evictions: Legal Grounds and Tenant Protections

A landlord cannot evict you without going through the LTB. They must give you the proper notice, apply to the Board and obtain an order. Only the Sheriff can carry out an eviction. A notice alone does not mean you must leave.

Form N12: when the landlord or a family member moves in

• The person must genuinely intend to live there for at least one year
• The landlord must give one month’s rent or offer another acceptable unit, unless they give at least 120 days’ notice. This exception does not apply when a purchaser needs the unit.
• The person should normally move in within 60 days after the termination date. If not, and you file a T5, the notice is presumed to be in bad faith, though the landlord can respond at the hearing.

Form N13: renovations

• If you tell your landlord in writing that you want to return, you have a right of first refusal
• They must tell you the expected completion date, any changes to it, and when the unit is ready
• You must get at least 60 days to move back
• Your rent on return is capped at what could have been charged without the interruption

Unpaid rent hearings

For applications filed on or after September 21, 2026, a tenant who wants to raise other issues at the hearing, such as repairs, must pay the landlord half of the arrears claimed at least 7 days before the hearing, and give the landlord and Board a description of the issues by that date. Pay the landlord directly, not the Board, and keep a receipt.

If a landlord acts in bad faith

You can file a T5 application within two years after moving out, or for renovation cases within six months after the work ends if that is later. The Board can order up to 12 months’ rent, the rent difference for up to a year, and reasonable moving costs.

Reviews and new forms

Since July 1, 2026, the deadline to request a review of a Board order is 15 days, not 30, although the Board can extend it. Several forms changed on September 21, 2026, and older versions of forms including the N5, N6, N8, N12, N13, L1, L2, L9, L10 and T5 are not accepted after November 30, 2026.

8.5 Repairs, Maintenance, and Essential Services

Landlords must keep the unit and building in a good state of repair, and comply with health, safety and maintenance standards. This is true even if you knew about a problem when you moved in.

Your responsibilities

• Keep the unit reasonably clean
• Repair damage caused by you or your guests, whether deliberate or careless
• Report problems promptly, in writing

What to do when repairs are ignored

1. Notify your landlord in writing. Describe the issue, when you first noticed it, and a reasonable time to fix it. Keep a copy.
2. Document the problem. Take dated photos or videos, and note how it affects you.
3. Contact your municipality. A property standards officer may inspect and issue a work order.
4. File a T6 application. The Board can order repairs, a rent reduction, compensation or, in extreme cases, an end to the tenancy. Fee waivers may be available for low-income tenants.
5. Get advice. Community legal clinics and Legal Aid Ontario can help.

Vital services

Your landlord cannot withhold or interfere with heat, hydro, gas or hot and cold water. If this happens, contact your municipality, the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit and a legal clinic.

Example: Your landlord texts that they are “stopping by today” to check the windows. Without 24 hours’ written notice or your agreement, they cannot enter.

8.6 Dispute Resolution: Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB)

The LTB resolves most issues between tenants and landlords. Hearings may be held virtually, by phone or in person, and you can represent yourself or use a lawyer, paralegal or legal clinic.

Additional help

• Rental Housing Enforcement Unit: illegal lockouts, cut-off services and other offences
• Legal Aid Ontario: help for eligible low-income renters
• 211 Ontario: housing help and support programs

8.7 Discrimination in Rental Housing

The Ontario Human Rights Code protects you in housing on grounds including race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, marital status, family status, disability and receipt of public assistance.

Landlords may lawfully use income information, credit checks, references, rental history and guarantees, as allowed by regulation, but not to discriminate. Complaints go to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, generally within one year. The Human Rights Legal Support Centre gives free help.

Before you sign a lease

• Read the whole lease
• Confirm whether the unit is covered by the rent guideline
• Know which utilities and services are included
• Confirm the unit is legal, especially basement units
• Get every promise in writing, and save your messages

Illustrative Examples

These examples show how the rules can work. They are illustrations, and real outcomes depend on the facts.

1. Eviction Without Notice

Amanda’s Story Amanda (Toronto)

Amanda returned home from work to find the locks on her apartment changed and her belongings inside. Her landlord claimed she was being evicted due to non-payment, but Amanda had never received a formal N4 Notice to End Tenancy, nor had she missed a full month’s rent.

Amanda contacted the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit, who confirmed that only the Sheriff can legally carry out an eviction. With that pressure, her landlord restored her access, and Amanda was advised to file a T2 application for compensation related to the illegal lockout. She also received help from a legal clinic to have her rent records formally recognized by the LTB.

2. Illegal Rent Increase

Carlos (Mississauga)

Carlos received a handwritten letter from his landlord stating that his rent would increase from $2,000 to $2,240—a 12% jump—within 60 days. Carlos had been living in a rent-controlled unit, built in 2015.

After contacting the Landlord and Tenant Board, Carlos learned that the annual increase guideline was 2.5% for 2025, and that the notice he received did not meet the legal standard of a Form N1.

Carlos filed a T1 application, and the LTB ruled in his favour, ordering the landlord to issue a corrected rent and refund the overpayment. The landlord was also warned against future noncompliance.

3. Maintenance Neglect

Sana (Brampton)

During a January cold snap, Sana’s furnace broke down. She immediately notified her landlord, who promised to “look into it.” Days passed with no action, and the indoor temperature dropped to dangerous levels.

Sana documented the situation with photos, temperature logs, and email threads, and filed a T6 application with the LTB. At the hearing, the landlord claimed he was “waiting for parts,” but could not provide service records.

The LTB ruled that the landlord had failed to provide essential services and ordered an emergency repair within 24 hours. Sana also received a 30% rent reduction for the month,

4. Discrimination During Application

Leo (Richmond Hill)

Leo, a permanent resident and newcomer to Canada, applied for an apartment. He had sufficient income and a Canadian job offer. The landlord denied his application, stating, “You need a Canadian co-signer because you’re not from here.”

Leo applied to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, arguing that he was discriminated against based on citizenship and ethnic origin. With support from a legal clinic, Leo settled the case through mediation and was awarded financial compensation and the landlord agreed to attend anti-discrimination training.

5. Landlord Harassment

Priya (Oshawa)

Priya’s landlord began showing up at her door unannounced to check on the unit. He once entered while she was in the shower, citing “routine inspection.” Despite multiple verbal warnings, the behaviour continued.

Priya filed a T2 application for violation of privacy. She submitted her written requests, text messages, and calendar of unannounced visits as evidence.

The LTB ruled in her favour, ordering the landlord to stop all unauthorized entry and pay $1,000 in damages for harassment.

6. Bad Faith Eviction

Sam and Jason (Markham)

The couple received a Form N12 in 2025, stating the landlord needed the unit for their daughter. They were offered one month’s rent and asked to leave in 60 days. Six weeks after they moved out, the unit was relisted for $600 more per month.

Sam and Jason tracked the listing and took screenshots, then filed a T5 application for bad faith eviction.

At the hearing, the landlord admitted the relative never moved in. The LTB awarded Sam and Jason four months’ rent in compensation, plus moving expenses.

7. Illegal Deposit Demands

Fatima (Burlington)

Fatima was asked to pay last month’s rent plus a $500 “security deposit” to cover cleaning and key replacements “just in case.” She paid it, not realizing it was illegal.

After learning more about tenant rights from a newcomer support centre, Fatima contacted the LTB and filed a T1 claim.

The landlord was ordered to refund the $500 deposit in full. The adjudicator noted that such fees are unlawful and not enforceable, even if mentioned in the lease.