renting in Ontario

Got an N4 Notice? The Full Path From Unpaid Rent to Eviction in Ontario

In Ontario, an N4 is a landlord's notice to end a tenancy for non-payment of rent — not an eviction order. Since September 21, 2026 the termination date only has to be 7 days after the notice is given (plus 5 if mailed), and a tenant can void the N4 by paying all arrears before that date. Only after an L1 filing and an LTB hearing can an eviction order be issued.

Sublet or Assign? Two Very Different Things Every Ontario Tenant Should Get Right

In Ontario, subletting and assigning a lease have very different legal consequences. After an assignment you are fully out and your responsibility ends; during a sublet you remain responsible to the landlord. Both need the landlord's consent, which cannot be unreasonably withheld. Here is the difference under the Residential Tenancies Act.

Your Landlord Wants More Than the Guideline? Ontario’s Above Guideline Increase (AGI) Explained

Ontario's 2026 rent increase guideline is 2.1%. To raise rent above it, a landlord must apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) for an Above Guideline Increase (AGI) on specific grounds — capital expenditures, new security services, or an extraordinary tax increase — and receive a written order. Here is how it works and what tenants can do.

Ontario Rent Increase Rules 2026: The 2.1% Guideline, the N1 Notice, and Above-Guideline Increases

Ontario's 2026 rent increase guideline is 2.1% (capped at 2.5% by law). This guide covers which units are exempt, the N1 notice and 90-day rule, the 12-month interval, and above-guideline (L5) increases.

Repairs in an Ontario Rental: Landlord vs Tenant — Who Pays for What

Mostly the landlord. Under Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA), section 20, a landlord must keep the rental unit and the residential complex in a good state of repair, fit for habitation, and in compliance with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards — and this duty is mandator

How Ontario’s Last Month’s Rent Deposit Really Works: One Month Max, Interest Owed, Not a Damage Deposit

In Ontario, a landlord can only collect a last month's rent deposit (at most one month for monthly tenancies), usable only for the final month's rent — not as a damage deposit. Landlords must pay annual interest equal to the rent-increase guideline, which is 2.1% in 2026. Here's how much can be collected, how interest works, what's illegal, and what to do if an illegal deposit was taken.

What Are You Actually Signing in an Ontario “Agreement to Lease”? And How It Relates to the Standard Lease

In Ontario, agents typically use OREA's Agreement to Lease to get a tenant and landlord to a deal, and it's legally binding once accepted. But per Ontario rules, most residential tenancies must also use the government Standard Lease, which the landlord must provide within 21 days of the tenancy starting. Here's how the two relate, the deposit rules, and a pre-signing checklist.

When Your Ontario Fixed-Term Lease Ends, Do You Have to Move? Understanding Security of Tenure

What happens when an Ontario one-year fixed-term lease ends? Per the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, s.38, a fixed term that isn't renewed or terminated automatically becomes a month-to-month tenancy on the same terms. Tenants need sign nothing to stay, and landlords can't evict merely because the term ended. Here's how security of tenure works.