Selling, buying and leasing with tenants
Selling a home does not end the tenancy in it. This page sets out the rules on showings, the purchaser N12 notice and closing dates, the rules for arranging a lease, and how to refer a client.

Baljinder Srann is a lawyer and a real estate sales representative with Century 21, so advice on a tenancy takes into account the listing, the offer, the lease and the closing.
Selling a home with a tenant in it
A sale does not end a tenancy. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, a tenancy can be ended only in accordance with the Act. The Act’s definition of “landlord” includes the owner’s “successors in title”, and covenants about a rental unit “run with the land”. So when the sale closes, the buyer becomes the tenant’s landlord and the tenancy carries on.
If the buyer wants the home empty on closing, this page covers two routes: a purchaser N12 notice given by the seller, and an agreement with the tenant to end the tenancy.
Showings
The seller, or a registered broker or salesperson with the seller’s written authorization, may enter to let a potential purchaser view the unit. The tenant must get written notice at least 24 hours before, stating the reason for entry, the day, and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
- With correct notice, the Landlord and Tenant Board (the Board) says the landlord can enter even if the tenant is not home.
- The rule allowing showings without written notice after a notice of termination covers prospective tenants, not buyers.
- Entering a rental unit in a way the Act does not permit is an offence.
When the buyer wants to move in: the purchaser N12
The notice is Form N12, Notice to End your Tenancy Because the Landlord, a Purchaser or a Family Member Requires the Rental Unit. When it is given for a buyer:
- The seller gives it, as landlord, on the buyer’s behalf, and only once there is a signed agreement of purchase and sale.
- Who can move in. The buyer, the buyer’s spouse, a child or parent of either of them, or a caregiver for one of them. The buyer must in good faith require the unit for that person to live in.
- Building size. Three or fewer residential units. A condominium unit can qualify whatever the size of the building.
- Notice period. At least 60 days, ending on the last day of a rental period or, for a fixed-term lease, the end of the term.
- Compensation. The seller pays the tenant one month’s rent, or offers another unit the tenant accepts, by the termination date. The buyer does not take this on. A purchaser N12 needs compensation even with 120 days’ notice or more. No eviction order issues until it is paid.
- The declaration. If the tenant does not leave, the landlord can apply to the Board on Form L2. It must include a declaration or sworn affidavit from the person moving in that they in good faith require the unit for their own personal use.
- Leaving early. After getting the N12, the tenant can end the tenancy sooner on at least 10 days’ written notice.
- Bad faith. If the tenant leaves and none of the listed people moves in, the former tenant has one year to apply to the Board. The Board can order up to 12 months’ rent as compensation, the tenant’s higher rent for a year, moving costs and a fine. The Board’s Interpretation Guideline 12 says the buyer can be ordered to pay. A bad-faith notice used to get possession is also an offence.
For the full N12 and L2 process, see You need the unit back. The notice finder covers other notices.
Planning around a closing date
- Conditions. Guideline 12 says the Board may refuse or delay an application if a condition makes it uncertain that the sale will close. A copy of the agreement should go to the tenant and the Board at least 7 days before the hearing.
- Counting. Count the 60 days from the day the notice is given, without counting that day. For a fixed-term lease, the date cannot be earlier than the end of the term.
- Delivery. A mailed notice counts as given on the fifth day after mailing. The Board says to add five days for mail and one business day for courier. Posting the notice on the unit is not permitted.
- No extensions. The Board cannot extend a notice period. If the date is too early, the notice may not be valid and the seller may have to start over.
- The tenant may stay. A tenant who disagrees with the notice does not have to move out. The landlord can apply to the Board as soon as the notice is given, and no later than 30 days after the termination date. An eviction order cannot take effect before the termination date.
- Only the Sheriff enforces. Only the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) can enforce an eviction order. Neither the seller nor the buyer may remove the tenant or change the locks.
Agreements to end the tenancy
A landlord and tenant can agree to end a tenancy at any time, and no notice is needed then. The Board’s form is the N11, Agreement to End the Tenancy. It sets the end date, and the tenant must move out and remove their belongings by then. The Board says all the tenants should sign.
The agreement must be the tenant’s choice. A landlord cannot require a tenant to sign one. Harassing, coercing or threatening a tenant so that they move out is an offence.
If the tenant signs an N11 and does not leave, the landlord can apply to the Board on Form L3, without notice to the tenant, no later than 30 days after the agreed date. The order cannot take effect before that date, and the tenant can ask the Board to set it aside within 10 days after it issues.
Leasing a rental unit
Many agents also find tenants for landlords or help tenants rent. These are the Residential Tenancies Act rules to check when a lease is arranged and signed.
The lease form
Most tenancies agreed on or after April 30, 2018 must use the government’s standard form of lease. The current form is the Residential Tenancy Agreement (Standard Form of Lease), dated 2020/12. It does not apply to care homes, mobile home and land lease sites, most social and supportive housing, or co-operative housing.
- Signing. Your landlord client and the tenant sign it on or before the day the tenant is entitled to move in.
- Extra terms. The form’s sections cannot be changed. An added term that is inconsistent with them, or with the Act, is void. A “no pets” clause is one example.
- Name, address and copy. A written lease must give the landlord’s legal name and address for notices. The landlord gives the tenant a signed copy within 21 days after the tenant signs. Until both are done, the tenant’s obligation to pay rent is suspended.
If the standard form was required but not used, the tenant can demand it in writing, once. After 21 days without it, the tenant can withhold up to one month’s rent. The landlord can recover that rent only by providing the form within 30 days after the first payment withheld. A fixed-term tenant may also be able to end the lease early. The lease stays valid.
Deposits
The only security deposit the Act allows is a rent deposit. The regulation also permits a refundable key deposit. A damage or pet deposit is not allowed.
- Rent deposit. It can be required only on or before entering into the lease. It cannot be more than one month’s rent, or one period’s rent if that is less (one week’s rent in a weekly tenancy).
- Its use. It must be applied to the rent for the last rental period. The Board says it cannot be used for anything else, such as damage.
- Interest. The landlord pays the tenant yearly interest on it at the rent increase guideline.
- No move-in. If the tenant does not get vacant possession, the landlord must repay it, unless the tenant agrees to rent another of the landlord’s units.
- Key deposit. It can cover keys, remote entry devices or cards, up to the expected direct cost of replacing them.
Paying the rent
Neither the landlord nor the lease can require post-dated cheques or automatic payments, such as pre-authorized debits or credit card charges. The tenant can choose to pay that way. For a returned (NSF) cheque, the landlord can recover the bank’s charges and an administration charge of no more than $20.
Fees, commissions and key money
The Act says that, unless the regulation allows it, no landlord shall, directly or indirectly, collect or require from a tenant, prospective tenant or former tenant “a fee, premium, commission, bonus, penalty, key deposit or other like amount of money whether or not the money is refundable”. A landlord also cannot require payment for goods or services, beyond the rent, as a condition of renting.
- Who it binds. The same rule applies to a “superintendent, property manager or other person who acts on behalf of a landlord”, “with or without the authority of the landlord”.
- Exceptions. The allowed payments, listed in O. Reg. 516/06, s. 17, include the key and NSF charges above.
- Consequences. A tenant or prospective tenant can apply to the Board, within one year, to be repaid by the landlord, superintendent or agent. Charging it is also an offence.
The rent
- New tenant. The landlord and tenant decide the rent. The lawful rent is the rent first charged.
- Later increases. At least 12 months after the unit was first rented to the tenant, with at least 90 days’ written notice on the Board’s form, and within the yearly guideline unless an exception applies.
- Newer units. Units in a building or addition first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline, as are some newer units in houses. The 90-day and 12-month rules still apply. See Raising the rent.
When the term ends
- Month to month. When a fixed term ends without being renewed or ended, the tenancy continues monthly on the same terms. The tenant does not have to sign a new lease to stay.
- No exit agreement at signing. An agreement to end the tenancy, or a tenant’s notice to end it, signed when the lease is signed or as a condition of it, is void. Some student housing is excepted.
For notices, see the notice finder. Your client can also book a call.
Referring a client
Ask your client to contact us directly. They can book a call or phone the office. We check for conflicts with your client before we discuss the matter. With your client’s permission, we can keep you informed of dates that affect the deal, such as a termination date or a hearing date.
Questions from agents
Can the buyer get vacant possession on closing?
Only if the tenancy has ended by then. A sale does not end a tenancy, and the buyer becomes the tenant’s landlord on closing. The tenancy can end if the tenant agrees to leave, gives their own notice, or leaves after the seller gives a purchaser N12, which needs at least 60 days. If the tenant stays, the landlord needs an eviction order from the Board, and only the Sheriff can enforce it. The closing date does not change these rules.
Does the seller or the buyer give the N12?
The seller does. Once there is an agreement of purchase and sale, the seller, as landlord, gives the N12 on the buyer’s behalf. This is available only if the building has three or fewer residential units, or the home is a condominium unit. The seller also owes the tenant one month’s rent, or another unit the tenant accepts, by the termination date. That obligation does not pass to the buyer. If an application is needed, the person moving in signs the declaration filed with it.
What happens if the tenant is still there on the termination date?
The tenant does not have to leave just because the date has arrived. The landlord can apply to the Board on Form L2, no later than 30 days after the termination date, and the tenant can explain at a hearing why they disagree. An eviction order cannot take effect before the termination date. Only the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) can enforce it. Neither the seller nor the buyer may remove the tenant or change the locks themselves.
Does a new lease have to be on the standard form?
For most tenancies, yes. Most leases entered into on or after April 30, 2018 must be on the government’s standard form, and since March 1, 2021 that is the version dated 2020/12. Care homes, mobile home and land lease sites, most social and supportive housing and co-operative housing are left out. If the form was required but not used, the tenant can demand it in writing. After 21 days without it, the tenant can withhold up to one month’s rent. The lease itself stays valid.
What deposits can a landlord take?
A rent deposit and a refundable key deposit. The rent deposit can be required only on or before the lease is entered into. It cannot be more than one month’s rent, or one rental period’s rent if that is less. It goes toward the rent for the last rental period, and the landlord pays yearly interest on it. A key deposit can cover keys, remote entry devices or cards, up to the expected direct cost of replacing them. A damage or pet deposit is not allowed.
Can the landlord insist on post-dated cheques or automatic payments?
No. The Act says neither a landlord nor a tenancy agreement shall require a tenant or prospective tenant to provide post-dated cheques, or to allow automatic debits, credit card charges or any other automatic payment for rent. A tenant can choose to pay that way, and the Board says the two of them can agree on it. If a cheque is returned for non-sufficient funds, the landlord can recover the bank’s NSF charges and an administration charge of no more than $20.
Can a landlord charge a tenant a fee to rent the unit?
Not unless the regulation allows it. The Act says no landlord shall, directly or indirectly, collect or require from a tenant, prospective tenant or former tenant “a fee, premium, commission, bonus, penalty, key deposit or other like amount of money whether or not the money is refundable”. The same applies to a superintendent, property manager or other person acting on the landlord’s behalf. Exceptions include key and NSF charges. A tenant who paid an unlawful charge can apply to the Board within one year. Charging it is also an offence.
Sources (68)
Legal statements on this page come from Ontario's laws and regulations, the Landlord and Tenant Board's own forms, instructions and rules, and the other official sources listed below.
- A tenancy may be terminated only in accordance with the Act (RTA s. 37(1)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- "Landlord" includes the owner and the owner's heirs, assigns, personal representatives and successors in title (RTA s. 2(1)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Covenants concerning things related to a rental unit or the residential complex run with the land (RTA s. 18). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- A landlord or, with the landlord's written authorization, a registered broker or salesperson may enter on at least 24 hours' written notice to allow a potential purchaser to view the unit (RTA s. 27(2)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The written notice must state the reason for entry, the day of entry and a time of entry between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. (RTA s. 27(3)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- With correct notice, the landlord can enter even if the tenant is not at home (LTB brochure, A Guide to the Residential Tenancies Act). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- Entry without written notice if the tenant consents at the time of entry (RTA s. 26(1)(b)); entry without written notice after a notice of termination or an agreement to end applies to showing the unit to prospective tenants (RTA s. 26(3)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Entering a rental unit where the entry is not permitted by section 26 or 27, or without complying with them, is an offence (RTA s. 234(a)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- N12 official title, and the tenant may end the tenancy earlier on at least 10 days' written notice (N12 instructions, Sections A and C). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- Purchaser N12: a landlord of a complex with no more than three residential units who has entered into an agreement of purchase and sale may give the notice on behalf of the purchaser, where the purchaser in good faith requires the unit for residential occupation by the purchaser, spouse, a child or parent of either, or a caregiver (RTA s. 49(1)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- A landlord who owns a condominium unit and has entered into an agreement of purchase and sale of it may give a purchaser N12, whatever the number of units in the building (RTA s. 49(2); LTB Interpretation Guideline 12). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Purchaser N12 termination date at least 60 days after the notice is given and the day a period ends or the end of a fixed term (RTA s. 49(3)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- A tenant who receives a purchaser N12 may end the tenancy earlier on at least 10 days' notice (RTA s. 49(4), (5)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Purchaser N12: one month's rent or another acceptable unit; the obligation remains with the landlord who gives the notice and does not become the purchaser's (RTA s. 49.1). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Compensation must be paid no later than the termination date in the notice (RTA s. 55.1). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The 120-day exception to compensation applies only to a notice given under section 48, the landlord's own use, not to a purchaser N12 (RTA s. 48.1(2)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- For a purchaser N12, compensation must be paid regardless of the length of notice (LTB Interpretation Guideline 12, Compensation). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- No eviction order until the landlord has complied with the compensation sections, including s. 49.1 (RTA s. 83(4)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- An L2 based on a section 49 notice must be filed with the affidavit of the person who personally requires the unit, certifying that they in good faith require it for their own personal use; otherwise the Board refuses to accept it (RTA ss. 71.1(1), (2), 72(1)(b)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The LTB accepts a signed and dated declaration in place of an affidavit (LTB Rules of Procedure, Rule 1.5). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- L2 Schedule B, Reason 2: the person moving in declares that they in good faith require the unit for their own personal use; the LTB will not accept the application without the declaration, and a sworn affidavit may be filed instead (L2 instructions). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- A former tenant may apply where a section 49 notice was given in bad faith and no listed person occupied the unit, no more than one year after vacating; orders include increased rent for one year, general compensation up to 12 months' rent, moving and storage costs and an administrative fine (RTA s. 57(1)(b), (2), (3)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- In a T5 based on a purchaser N12, the purchaser should be named, and the LTB can order the purchaser to pay (LTB Interpretation Guideline 12, citing Elkins v. Van Wissen). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- Knowingly obtaining possession of a rental unit improperly by giving a notice to terminate in bad faith is an offence (RTA s. 233(k)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- An agreement of purchase and sale must exist before a purchaser N12; the LTB may refuse or delay the application if a term makes it uncertain the sale will be completed; a copy of the agreement should go to the tenant and the LTB at least 7 days before the hearing (LTB Interpretation Guideline 12). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- Do not count the day the notice is given; add five days for mail and one business day for courier; the notice cannot be given by posting it on the rental unit; an incorrect notice may not be valid and you may have to start over (N12 instructions, Sections C and D). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- A notice given by mail is deemed given on the fifth day after mailing (RTA s. 191(3)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The Board may not extend or shorten time requirements related to notices of termination (O. Reg. 516/06, s. 56, para. 1). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- For a fixed-term tenancy the termination date cannot be earlier than the last day of the term; a tenant who disagrees with the notice does not have to move out, and the landlord can apply to the LTB (N12 form, 2026/09). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- The landlord may apply to the Board immediately after the notice is given (RTA s. 71) and no later than 30 days after the termination date (RTA s. 69(2)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- An eviction order may not be effective earlier than the termination date in the notice (RTA s. 80(1)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- A landlord shall not recover possession unless the tenant has vacated or abandoned the unit, or a Board eviction order has authorized it (RTA s. 39). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Only the Court Enforcement Office (Sheriff) can enforce an eviction order; a landlord cannot personally remove a tenant or change the locks (LTB brochure, How a Landlord Can End a Tenancy). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- No notice of termination is needed if the landlord and tenant have agreed to terminate the tenancy (RTA s. 37(3)); such an agreement is void if made when, or as a condition of, entering into the tenancy agreement (RTA s. 37(5)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Landlord and tenant can agree to end the tenancy at any time, even during a lease; written agreements should be signed by all the tenants; a landlord cannot require a tenant to agree to end a tenancy (LTB brochure, How a Landlord Can End a Tenancy). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- N11 Agreement to End the Tenancy: sets the termination date; the tenant must move out and remove all personal possessions by that date; a landlord cannot require the tenant to sign it as a condition of renting (N11 form). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- Harassing, coercing, threatening or interfering with a tenant so that the tenant is induced to vacate is an offence (RTA s. 233(i)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- After an agreement to terminate, the landlord may apply without notice to the tenant, no later than 30 days after the agreed date; the order is effective no earlier than that date; the tenant may move to set it aside within 10 days after it is issued (RTA s. 77(1), (3), (5), (6)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Form L3 is used where the tenant gave notice or agreed to end the tenancy (L3 instructions). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- Most tenancy agreements entered into on or after April 30, 2018 must be in the prescribed form and meet the prescribed requirements (RTA s. 12.1(1); O. Reg. 9/18, ss. 1, 2). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The prescribed class leaves out care homes, mobile home and land lease sites, social and supported housing described in RTA ss. 6(1) and 7(1) and O. Reg. 516/06 s. 6, and rent-geared-to-income accommodation; for agreements entered into on or after March 1, 2021 the form is the Residential Tenancy Agreement (Standard Form of Lease) dated 2020/12; additional terms are allowed only if not inconsistent with the mandatory terms, and an inconsistent term is void (O. Reg. 9/18, ss. 1, 3, 4). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Standard lease 2229E (2020/12): all sections are mandatory and cannot be changed; it does not apply to care homes, sites in mobile home parks and land lease communities, most social housing, certain other special tenancies or co-operative housing; the end of an agreement does not mean the tenant has to sign a renewal or new agreement to stay; the tenant does not have to provide any other deposit, such as pet or damage deposits (Central Forms Repository, form 047-2229). forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca (opens in a new tab)
- A rent deposit cannot be used as a damage deposit; terms requiring deposits the Act does not permit, such as damage or pet deposits, are void (Ontario, Guide to Ontario's standard lease, updated October 27, 2025). Government of Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- The tenancy agreement must be signed by the landlord and the tenant on or before the day the tenant is entitled to occupy the unit (RTA s. 12.1(2)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- A provision in a tenancy agreement that is inconsistent with the Act or the regulations is void (RTA s. 4(1)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- A provision in a tenancy agreement prohibiting the presence of animals in or about the residential complex is void (RTA s. 14). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- A written tenancy agreement must set out the landlord's legal name and address for giving notices; the landlord must give the tenant a signed copy within 21 days after the tenant signs it and gives it to the landlord; until then the tenant's obligation to pay rent is suspended, and the landlord may require the withheld rent once it complies (RTA s. 12(1), (2), (4), (5)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- A tenant may demand a compliant agreement in writing once; after 21 days without it the tenant may withhold rent, up to one month's rent in total; the landlord may require that rent only if it complies within 30 days after the first payment withheld; the agreement is not void for not being on the form (RTA s. 12.1(5) to (9), (11)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- After a demand under s. 12.1(5), a tenant with a yearly or fixed-term tenancy may end it on at least 60 days' notice, effective on the last day of a rental period, if the landlord has not complied within 21 days or the tenant has not entered into the proposed agreement (RTA s. 47.0.1). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The only security deposit that a landlord may collect is a rent deposit collected in accordance with section 106 (RTA s. 105(1)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- A rent deposit may be required only on or before entering into the tenancy agreement; it is not more than the lesser of one rent period's rent and one month's rent; it may be increased after a lawful rent increase; interest is paid annually at the guideline in effect when payment becomes due; it is applied to the rent for the last rent period (RTA s. 106(1), (2), (3), (6), (10)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The rent deposit can only be used as the rent payment for the last month or week before the tenant moves out and cannot be used for anything else, such as repairing damage (LTB, A Guide to the Residential Tenancies Act). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- The landlord must repay a rent deposit if vacant possession is not given to the prospective tenant, unless the prospective tenant agrees to rent a different unit from the landlord (RTA s. 107). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Exempt from s. 134: a refundable key, remote entry device or card deposit not greater than the expected direct replacement costs; NSF charges charged by a financial institution to the landlord; an administration charge of not more than $20 for an NSF cheque (O. Reg. 516/06, s. 17). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Neither a landlord nor a tenancy agreement shall require a tenant or prospective tenant to provide post-dated cheques or to permit automatic debiting, automatic charging of a credit card or any other form of automatic payment for rent (RTA s. 108). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The landlord and tenant can agree that rent will be paid by post-dated cheques or automatic payments, but a landlord cannot require either (LTB, A Guide to the Residential Tenancies Act). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- Unless otherwise prescribed, no landlord shall, directly or indirectly, collect or require a fee, premium, commission, bonus, penalty, key deposit or other like amount from a tenant, prospective tenant or former tenant, or require payment for goods or services as a condition for granting the tenancy; the same applies to a superintendent, property manager or other person who acts on behalf of a landlord, with or without the landlord's authority (RTA s. 134(1)(a), (b), (2)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- A tenant, former tenant or prospective tenant may apply to the Board for an order that the landlord, superintendent or agent of the landlord pay back money collected or retained in contravention of the Act, no more than one year after it was collected or retained (RTA s. 135(1), (2), (4)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Charging or collecting amounts in contravention of section 134 is an offence (RTA s. 234(l)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Examples of illegal charges are key money, premiums, fees, bonuses, commissions or penalties, whether or not refundable; a prospective tenant may apply about an illegal charge paid to the landlord, the landlord's agent or the superintendent (T1 instructions, Reason 2). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- Subject to section 111, the lawful rent for the first rental period for a new tenant under a new tenancy agreement is the rent first charged (RTA s. 113). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- When a new tenancy is entered into, the landlord and tenant decide how much the rent will be (LTB, A Guide to the Residential Tenancies Act). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- A rent increase requires at least 12 months since the unit was first rented to that tenant or since the last increase (RTA s. 119(1)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- At least 90 days' written notice in a form approved by the Board (RTA s. 116(1), (3)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- No increase above the guideline except under section 126 or 127 or an agreement under section 121 or 123 (RTA s. 120(1)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The guideline and related sections do not apply to a unit in a building, or an addition, no part of which was occupied for residential purposes on or before November 15, 2018, or to certain newer units in houses; sections 116 and 119 are not among the sections excluded (RTA s. 6.1(2), (3)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- A fixed-term tenancy agreement that ends without being renewed or terminated is deemed renewed as a monthly tenancy agreement on the same terms (RTA s. 38(1)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- A tenant's notice to terminate, or an agreement to terminate, given or made at the time the tenancy agreement is entered into or as a condition of entering into it is void, except for certain student housing (RTA s. 37(4) to (7)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)