Landlord & Tenant Rights in Ontario (2026)
This page is the free Ontario guide. No sign-in. Read on, or take the checklist as a PDF.
Facts checked October 2026 · See what changed · How we check
Rent increases, eviction notices, security deposits, and dispute resolution: everything landlords and tenants need to know in Ontario.
Ontario landlord-tenant guide
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Where to File a Dispute in Ontario
Open this section ↓↑ Close this sectionLandlord and Tenant Board (LTB)
https://tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/Filing fee: L1/L2 landlord applications: $186 online or $201 by mail/in person; tenant application fees vary by application type
Legislation: Residential Tenancies Act, 2006
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Rent Increases in Ontario
Open this section ↓✓Rent increases are limited
Rent increase guideline applies to units first occupied before November 15, 2018. Units built after that date are exempt.
Current guideline: 2.5% for 2024; 2.5% for 2025; 2.1% for 2026; 1.9% for 2027
Calculate the maximum increase for Ontario →Notice required for a rent increase: 90 days' written notice before effective date using Form N1
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Eviction and Notice to End Tenancy
Open this section ↓Month-to-month tenancy
60 days' notice, ending on the last day of a rental period
Fixed-term tenancy
Fixed-term automatically continues month-to-month unless tenant gives 60 days' notice before end date
Important forms & details
Form N4 (non-payment): 7 days, for every tenancy type (notices given on or after September 21, 2026). Form N5 (damage/conduct/overcrowding): 20 days + 7-day remedy. Form N6 (illegal act): 10-20 days. Form N7 (serious impairment of safety): 10 days. Form N8 (end of term): 60 days. Form N12 (own-use/purchaser): 60 days. Cause notices are specific LTB forms, not a flat 60 days.
Landlord entry: 24 hours' written notice for most entry; no notice for emergency
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Not sure which notice or application fits?
Open this section ↓WHICH NOTICE OR APPLICATION FITS? Two questions about the situation
Answer these and the checklist below shows what the LTB's own forms and instructions require for that situation. Every answer stays in your browser.
What is the situation?
This matches the situation to the form the LTB publishes for it. It does not tell you whether to proceed.If it is a damage/interference situation: has a notice for this been given before?
Only applies to the damage, overcrowding, or interference situation above (Form N5). Ignore this if that is not the situation.Guidepost is not a law firm and this is not legal advice. Your answers are used to produce your document and nothing else.How your answers are used
5
Deposits in Ontario
Open this section ↓✗Security Deposit
Security deposits are NOT permitted in Ontario. Only a last month's rent deposit and a key deposit (actual key replacement cost) are allowed.
✓Last Month's Rent
Allowed up to one month's rent. Landlord must pay annual interest at the rent increase guideline rate.
✗Pet Deposit
Pet deposits are NOT permitted. No-pet clauses are unenforceable. Landlords can pursue pet damage through the LTB.
↑ Close this sectionTenant insurance
Tenant insurance is separate from your landlord's policy. It may pay for loss of or damage to your own possessions, accidental damage you cause to the unit, injury to visitors and extra living costs if you have to move out, within the policy's limits.
Partner · Guidepost earns a commissionSquare One quotes tenant insurance online in Ontario.
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Key Forms and Documents: Ontario
Open this section ↓↑ Close this sectionGet form →N1
Notice of Rent Increase
Get form →N4
Notice to End Tenancy for Non-Payment of Rent
Get form →N5
Notice to End Tenancy: Interfering with Others / Damage / Overcrowding
Get form →N8
Notice to End Tenancy at End of Period or Fixed Term
Get form →N11
Agreement to End Tenancy (mutual)
Get form →N12
Notice to End Tenancy: Landlord's Own Use or Purchaser's Own Use
Get form →T2
Application About Tenant Rights (tenant files)
Get form →T6
Application About Maintenance (tenant files)
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Common Questions
Can a landlord evict me without reason in Ontario?Open this section ↓↑ Close this sectionCan a landlord evict me without reason in Ontario?
Generally no. Ontario landlords need a valid reason (non-payment, damage, landlord's own use, etc.) and must follow the notice requirements in the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. An eviction without proper grounds can be challenged at the LTB.
What can a landlord deduct from my security deposit?
Ontario does not permit security deposits. Security deposits are NOT permitted in Ontario. Only a last month's rent deposit and a key deposit (actual key replacement cost) are allowed.
How do I file a complaint against my landlord (or tenant) in Ontario?
File an application with the Landlord and Tenant Board at https://tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/. Filing fee: L1/L2 landlord applications: $186 online or $201 by mail/in person; tenant application fees vary by application type. Gather your evidence (lease, notices, photos, messages) before filing.
My landlord wants to enter without notice. Is that legal?
In most cases, no. Ontario requires 24 hours' written notice for most entry; no notice for emergency. Entry without notice (except for emergencies) is generally a breach of the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment and can be raised as a complaint at the LTB.
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Province-specific notice + serving instructions
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Ontario-specific things to know
- •Landlords must use the Ontario Standard Lease Form for most residential tenancies.
- •If landlord does not provide the standard lease within 21 days of tenant request, tenant may withhold one month's rent.
- •N12 (landlord's own use) requires one month's rent compensation paid on or before the termination date.
- •Since September 21, 2026 (Bill 60): a landlord who gives an N12 for their own use with at least 120 days' notice no longer has to pay one month's compensation or offer another acceptable unit. This does not apply to an N12 given because a purchaser needs the unit.
- •Tenants can dispute an N12 by filing a T5 if they believe the landlord is acting in bad faith.
- •LTB backlogs are significant, expect several months for a hearing.
- •Bill 60 shortened the N4 non-payment notice period from 14 to 7 days for notices given on or after September 21, 2026.
Official sources
Facts checked October 2026
Get your complete Ontario landlord/tenant document package for $14.
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Also see: landlord & tenant rules in other provinces
More than one unit? The Landlord Pass
Prepare the rent increase notices on this page for every property you hold, with the dates checked against the province rule that governs each one, and an alert when one of them moves.
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What the Pass doesInformational guide only. Guidepost is not a law firm. This guide explains the typical process and is not legal advice. Requirements can change. Verify current rules with the relevant government authority or a qualified professional before you act.