Tenant rights in Ontario

Entry: when a landlord can come in

Your home is still your home while you rent it. In most cases a landlord must give you written notice at least 24 hours before entering, say why they are coming, and name a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

There are exceptions. A landlord can enter without notice in an emergency, if you agree at the time of entry, if the rental agreement requires cleaning at stated times, or to show the unit to a prospective tenant after a notice to end the tenancy has been given (with reasonable effort to tell you first).

Rent increases

Rent can normally go up once every 12 months, and you must get 90 days written notice on the province's official form (N1). A notice that is late, verbal, or on the wrong form does not take effect.

If the unit was first occupied for residential purposes on or before 15 November 2018, the increase is capped by the annual rent increase guideline that Ontario publishes each year. Units first occupied after that date are generally exempt from the cap but still need the 90 days notice.

Anything above the guideline for a covered unit needs an order from the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Repairs and maintenance

The landlord must keep the unit and the building in a good state of repair, fit to live in, and compliant with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards. This applies even if you knew about a problem before you signed.

Put requests in writing and keep a copy. If nothing happens, you can contact your municipality's property standards office, and you can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board (form T6) about maintenance.

Withholding rent is risky: non-payment is the most common ground for eviction. Keep paying and use the formal routes instead.

Deposits and what a landlord may charge

A landlord may collect a rent deposit of no more than one month's rent, which must be applied to the last rental period — not to damage. A refundable key deposit is allowed.

Damage deposits, pet deposits and non-refundable fees are not permitted. Interest on your rent deposit is owed each year at the rent increase guideline rate.

Eviction: the real process

A landlord starts by serving a notice — for example N4 for unpaid rent, N5 for damage or disturbance, N12 where the landlord, a buyer or a close family member wants the unit. A notice is not an eviction.

If you do not move out or fix the problem, the landlord must apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board, and you get a hearing where you can respond. Only the Board can order eviction, and only the Sheriff can enforce it.

Changing the locks, removing your belongings or cutting off heat, water or electricity to force you out is illegal, and you can apply to the Board about it.

If you receive an N12, you are generally entitled to one month's rent as compensation or another unit, and the stated reason must be genuine — bad-faith notices can be challenged.

Where to get help

Community legal clinics across Ontario give free help to tenants who qualify; Legal Aid Ontario can point you to your local clinic. The Landlord and Tenant Board answers procedural questions about forms and hearings.

For urgent housing needs, 211 connects you with local services where it operates.