Rental Move-In Inspection: What to Check When Renting a House in Ontario

Step 1: Confirm You Signed the Ontario Standard Lease

Since 2018, most private residential tenancies in Ontario must use the government’s Residential Tenancy Agreement (Standard Form of Lease), Form 2229E. It standardizes the parties’ details, rent, deposits, and who pays which utilities.

If your landlord didn’t provide the standard lease, you have the right to request it in writing. If they still fail to provide it within 21 days of your request, you may withhold one month’s rent under the RTA’s procedure. Confirm the contract is compliant before any move-in handover—everything else rests on it.

Step 2: Know Ontario's Deposit Rules—Don't Overpay

This is where tenants most often get taken advantage of. Under the Ontario RTA, at move-in a landlord may legally collect only two things:

• Last month’s rent deposit—no more than one month’s rent, and it can only be applied to your final month’s rent, never to damages
• Key deposit—no more than the actual cost of replacing the keys, refundable without interest when you return them

Ontario explicitly prohibits damage, security, cleaning, and pet deposits. In addition, the landlord must pay you interest annually on the last-month’s-rent deposit. If a landlord asks for a “damage deposit,” it is illegal and you can refuse.

Step 3: Document the Whole Home's Condition on Day One

Ontario has no mandatory “move-in condition report” form, so documentation is entirely on you—and it determines whether you get your deposit back at the end. Before moving any furniture in, go room by room:

• Take time-stamped photos and video with your phone covering walls, floors, doors, windows, cabinets, bathrooms, and appliances
• Capture existing scratches, stains, and damage in close-up, and send them to the landlord in writing (text or email) to create a record
• Test everything: stove, oven, fridge, dishwasher, washer, hot water, toilets, faucets, every outlet and light
• Check for leaks, mold, and signs of pests like ants, cockroaches, or mice

Keep this evidence alongside any checklist the landlord confirms. At move-out it becomes your strongest proof of which wear existed before you arrived.

Step 4: Verify Utility Transfers and Meter Readings

When renting a house, utilities are usually the tenant’s responsibility (per the lease). On move-in day, do two things:

• Record every utility meter reading—electricity, gas, water—and photograph them so you aren’t billed for the previous occupant’s usage
• Set up the accounts—contact the local electricity, gas, and water providers to put accounts in your name with an agreed start date

Cross-check the lease clause on who pays which utility. Under Ontario rules, hot and cold water, fuel, electricity, gas, and heat are “vital services”—regardless of the lease, the landlord may not deliberately cut off or interfere with their reasonable supply.

Step 5: Confirm Safety Devices Are Present and Working

This step is about safety and is often skipped. Under Ontario’s Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07):

• Smoke alarms—required and working on every storey and outside all sleeping areas; the landlord is responsible for providing them and ensuring they work before the tenancy begins
• Carbon monoxide alarms—if the home has a fuel-burning appliance (gas furnace, fireplace, water heater) or an attached garage, a CO alarm must be installed outside sleeping areas

On move-in day, press the test button on each alarm to confirm it sounds. If any are missing or dead, notify the landlord in writing immediately—it’s their legal duty, and disabling an alarm can carry steep fines.

Step 6: Key Handover and Inventory Check

Finally, complete the physical handover:

• Count all keys, fobs, garage remotes, and mailbox keys you receive, matching the lease or the landlord’s description
• Confirm door locks, garage door, and window locks all open, close, and latch properly
• If the lease includes furniture or appliances (fully or partially furnished), check each item against an inventory and photograph it
• Ask about garbage and recycling days, HVAC filters, and water-heater maintenance

Put the key count and handover date into your written record with the landlord, so you don’t end up arguing over something as small as “one key short” at move-out.

If a landlord asks for a damage, security, or pet deposit, refuses to provide the Ontario standard lease, or demands a deposit larger than one month’s rent—these all violate the Ontario RTA and you can refuse. For disputes, contact or apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). Reading every clause before you sign is far easier than enforcing your rights afterward.

The single most valuable move-in action is this: film the entire home before you move in, and send it to the landlord on the record. A three-minute video can be exactly what gets your full deposit back at move-out. You can never over-document—and you can’t recreate it later.

Q: Can an Ontario landlord charge a damage deposit?

No. Under Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), a landlord may legally collect only a last month’s rent deposit (no more than one month’s rent) and a key deposit (no more than the cost of replacing the keys). Damage, security, cleaning, and pet deposits are all prohibited—if a landlord demands one, you can refuse.

Q: What's the most important thing to check on move-in day?

Documenting the home’s full condition. Ontario has no mandatory condition-report form, so it’s up to the tenant. Before moving furniture in, capture time-stamped photos and video of walls, floors, appliances, and bathrooms, photograph any existing wear, and send it to the landlord on the record. This is your strongest evidence for getting your deposit back at move-out.

Q: Who is responsible for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms?

Under Ontario’s Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07), the landlord must provide working smoke alarms on every storey and outside sleeping areas, and a carbon monoxide alarm if the home has a fuel-burning appliance or attached garage. Ensuring they work before the tenancy begins is the landlord’s legal duty; ongoing upkeep is shared with the tenant.

Q: What should I watch for with utility transfers?

On move-in day, first record and photograph the electricity, gas, and water meter readings so you aren’t billed for the prior occupant’s usage, then contact the local utilities to put the accounts in your name with an agreed start date. Check the lease for who pays what. Hot and cold water, fuel, electricity, gas, and heat are “vital services” the landlord cannot deliberately cut off.

Q: What if the landlord didn't give me the Ontario standard lease?

Since 2018, most private rentals in Ontario must use the standard lease (Form 2229E). If the landlord didn’t provide it, request it in writing; if they still fail to provide it within 21 days, you may withhold one month’s rent under the RTA. For questions or disputes, contact the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).