Renting in Ontario, explained in plain English.

At least 90 days' written notice using the LTB's Form N1, and only once every 12 months for the same tenant — even if you're on a month-to-month tenancy.

For units first occupied on or before November 15, 2018, yes — the 2026 provincial guideline is 2.1%, meaning a $2,000/month unit can go up by at most $42 without your landlord applying to the LTB for an above-guideline increase (which requires proof of specific costs like major renovations or a property tax jump). Units first occupied after November 15, 2018 aren't covered by the guideline, so there's no legislated cap on the amount — but your landlord still owes the same 90-day written notice.

Only a last month's rent deposit, capped at one month's rent, which gets applied to your final month when you move out. Security deposits, damage deposits, and pet deposits are all illegal in Ontario, no matter what a lease says. A landlord can ask for a key deposit, but only up to what the keys/fobs actually cost to replace.

Yes — landlords must pay annual interest on it, at a rate equal to that year's provincial rent increase guideline (2.1% for 2026), typically paid or credited around your tenancy's anniversary. If your rent goes up, the deposit itself has to be topped up to match one month at the new rent, and landlords often apply the interest owed against that top-up.

A landlord can ask you to cover the actual cost of a credit check, but broad "application fees" on top of that aren't permitted. They also can't require post-dated cheques or automatic payments as a condition of renting to you, though you can agree to either voluntarily.

A "no pets" clause in an Ontario lease is generally unenforceable — the Residential Tenancies Act overrides it. A landlord can still apply to the LTB to evict over a specific pet causing real damage, a serious allergy for another resident, or a condo bylaw violation, but a blanket ban on pets isn't enforceable on its own.

For most private residential tenancies, yes — landlords are required to use the province's Standard Lease template (a small number of tenancy types, like care homes and co-ops, are exempt). If your landlord gives you a lease that isn't the Standard Lease, you can request the correct version, and most of your rights under the Residential Tenancies Act apply either way.

Your landlord is required to keep the unit and the building in a good state of repair and compliant with health/safety/maintenance standards for the entire tenancy — this obligation exists regardless of what your lease says, and you generally can't be asked to take it on yourself. Keys & Co. tenants can submit and track repair requests directly through the tenant portal.

No — except in a genuine emergency (like a fire or flood). For anything else (repairs, showing the unit, inspections), your landlord must give at least 24 hours' written notice specifying the time (between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.), and can only enter for the reason stated.

Generally at least 60 days' written notice (Form N9), timed to end on the last day of a rental period (e.g. the end of a month for a monthly tenancy) — not just 60 days from whenever you happen to give notice.

They can end your tenancy for landlord's-own-use or a close family member's use, but they owe you compensation and must give proper written notice via Form N12. The compensation and notice-period rules changed as of September 2026, so if you receive an N12, it's worth confirming the current requirements directly with the LTB before responding.

Your landlord can serve an N4 (Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent), but that notice alone doesn't end your tenancy — they still have to apply to the LTB and get an order. Paying what you owe before the LTB hearing (or arranging a payment plan the landlord accepts) generally stops the eviction. Reach out to your landlord or property manager as early as possible if you're going to be short.

No. A landlord can't change your locks, cut off utilities, remove your belongings, or otherwise force you out on their own — that's an illegal eviction (a "self-help" eviction), and you can file a complaint over it. Only the LTB can issue an eviction order, and even after that, only a Court Enforcement Officer (Sheriff) can physically carry it out — never the landlord.

Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) publishes free, plain-language tenant guides, and your local community legal clinic can advise on or represent you at an LTB hearing, often at no cost depending on income. The LTB's own website also has guides and forms for every notice type mentioned here.