For Landlords

Owning a Rental in the GTA

What Ontario law actually requires of you, what your unit should rent for, and the templates that keep a tenancy running smoothly. Free to use, no signup.

What Should It Rent For? Talk to Mo

Landlord's Guide

Screen better, market smarter, and manage your investment with confidence

Managing Your Rental Property

From listing to lease, the landlord's complete process

1

Set the Right Rent

Research comparable rentals in your neighbourhood, same bedroom count, similar amenities and finishes. Pricing too high leads to vacancy (which costs more than a slightly lower rent). We can provide a free rental market analysis for your unit before you list.

2

Market Your Listing Effectively

Professional photos make a significant difference in inquiry volume. List on MLS (only available through a licensed agent), Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, Zumper, and PadMapper. Write a detailed description that accurately represents the unit, false advertising attracts problem tenants.

3

Screen Tenants Thoroughly

Collect a complete application: ID, employment letter, pay stubs, bank statements, credit report, and references. Run a credit check (with written consent). Contact previous landlords by phone, not just email. A great tenant is worth waiting for.

4

Use the Standard LTB Lease

Ontario requires landlords to use the standard Residential Tenancy Agreement (the Ontario Standard Lease (Form 2229E)). Any clauses you add cannot override the RTA,illegal clauses are void. Use Schedule A for additional terms. Both parties must sign; provide a copy within 21 days.

5

Collect First & Last Month's Rent

Ontario law allows landlords to collect a maximum of first and last month's rent as a deposit. No additional damage deposits are permitted. The last month's deposit earns interest at the Ontario rent increase guideline rate annually, track this and apply it at lease end.

6

Maintain the Property & Communicate

Respond to maintenance requests promptly and document every interaction in writing. Conduct annual inspections (with 24-hour written notice). Good landlord-tenant relationships dramatically reduce turnover, disputes, and LTB applications.

Tenant Screening Checklist

  • Credit Score 650+
    Use Equifax or TransUnion, get written consent first
  • Income ≥ 2.5–3× Monthly Rent
    Verify with employment letter + pay stubs
  • Previous Landlord Reference
    Call, don't just email. Ask: "Would you rent to them again?"
  • Stable Employment History
    2+ years at same employer or consistent self-employment income
  • No Prior Evictions (N4/N8)
    Ask directly, previous LTB decisions are public record

Know the RTA Rules

  • ⚠ 24 hours written notice required to enter (except emergencies)
  • ⚠ Rent increases: 90 days notice, once per 12 months max
  • ⚠ No damage deposits beyond first + last month's rent
  • ⚠ Last month's deposit earns interest annually
  • ⚠ N4 notice for non-payment: 14 days before LTB filing

Landlord Tips

Hover each card to learn more

Market Your Listing Professionally

Good photos reduce vacancy by weeks...

Listings with professional photos receive significantly more inquiries and rent faster. Natural light, decluttered spaces, and a clean unit go a long way. We can list your rental on MLS (the only way to get on Realtor.ca) as well as all major rental platforms, giving your listing maximum exposure to qualified tenants.

Price for Zero Vacancy

One vacant month costs more than a slightly lower rent...

If you're asking $2,500/month and a comparable unit rents for $2,400, the extra $100/month will cost you $2,400+ in vacancy if it sits for even three weeks. Price competitively at market, a great tenant in quickly is always better than chasing $100/month for months.

Use the Standard LTB Lease

Any lease you create must follow Ontario's RTA...

Ontario requires landlords to use the province's Standard Lease (Form 2229E) for most private residential tenancies. Clauses that violate the RTA are void, even if the tenant signs them. Use Schedule A for additional terms, but ensure they are compliant. We can help you understand what you can and cannot include.

Maintenance: Respond Fast

Slow responses lead to LTB applications...

Under the RTA, landlords must maintain the unit in a good state of repair. Ignoring maintenance requests gives tenants grounds to file with the LTB (T6 form), withhold rent, or repair and deduct. Respond to requests in writing, document your actions, and keep records. A proactive landlord rarely faces LTB issues.

Annual Rent Increase Strategy

Raise rent annually to stay at market rate...

Ontario's rent increase guideline is typically 2–3% annually. Many landlords skip increases with good tenants, then find themselves significantly below market when they eventually need to reset. Use the guideline each year (with proper 90-day notice) to stay at market gradually, rather than facing a large gap when tenants turn over. Note: units first occupied after Nov 15, 2018 have no rent control.

Navigating the LTB

Know the process before you need it...

The Landlord and Tenant Board processes eviction applications, rent arrears claims, and maintenance disputes. Common forms: N4 (non-payment of rent), N8 (end of tenancy for cause), L1 (application to evict for non-payment). Timelines are long,3–6 months or more. A paralegal or lawyer experienced in LTB matters is worth the cost when things escalate.

Templates You Can Actually Use

No signup needed. Print them, fill in the blanks, hand them to your tenant.

Post it on the wall

House Rules (printable)

A fill-in-the-blank sheet to post inside a cupboard door or above the laundry: how to reach you, rent, waste and recycling, thermostat and pipe protection, care of the unit, and quiet hours. Written to be a courtesy, not a lease.

Download PDF
Rules + maintenance

Ontario Landlord Starter Pack

What the law actually requires of you on leases, deposits, rent increases, repairs and entry — plus a seasonal maintenance calendar that prevents most emergency calls, and the honest maths on vacancy versus chasing a higher rent.

Download PDF

Landlord Questions, Answered

Straight answers on the rules that carry real penalties if you get them wrong.

The province's Standard Lease, Form 2229E, for most private residential tenancies. Your own additional terms go in Section 15, but anything there that contradicts the RTA is void even with a signature. Be careful with templates found online — a number of leases circulating in Ontario are built on other provinces' forms and have no legal effect here. If you don't provide the standard lease when asked, the tenant has specific remedies, including withholding one month's rent in defined circumstances.
A last month's rent deposit, capped at one month. That is it. Damage deposits, security deposits, pet deposits and cleaning deposits are prohibited under sections 105 and 106. You must pay the tenant annual interest on the deposit at the guideline rate, and you can only ever apply it to the final month's rent — not to damage, not to cleaning. A key deposit is permitted only up to the actual cost of replacing the key.
2.1% for rent-controlled units, and 1.9% for 2027. You need 90 days' written notice on Form N1 and at least 12 months since the last increase or the start of the tenancy. Units first occupied after 15 November 2018 are exempt from the guideline and can be increased by any amount, with the same notice and timing rules. If that exemption is ever disputed, the burden of proof is on you — keep your occupancy permits and builder documents.
It's a common instinct and it usually costs money. Skipping increases for several years leaves you well below market, and then you face either a large gap at turnover or a difficult conversation. Taking the guideline each year is a modest, predictable change that most tenants accept without friction. Weigh it against the real cost of vacancy: one empty month on a $2,600 unit is $2,600 plus advertising plus your time — far more than the few hundred dollars a year the increase represents.
The standard is a good state of repair and fit for habitation, and the expectation is a reasonable timeframe judged against the severity. No heat in January is not the same as a sticky cupboard door. Practically: acknowledge in writing the day you receive it, give a date, and document what you did. Slow or silent responses are what turn a $200 repair into a T6 application, an abatement of rent and a file that follows you.
You can write one, but it has no legal force — section 14 of the RTA makes it void. You may decline to rent to an applicant with a pet at the selection stage, and you may apply to the LTB later if an animal causes real damage, a serious allergic reaction to another occupant, or is inherently dangerous. If the property is a condominium, the condo declaration may restrict pets and that is enforceable — a useful distinction many small landlords miss.
24 hours' written notice, stating the reason and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Genuine emergencies and the tenant's consent at the time are the exceptions. Routine inspections are perfectly reasonable when you give proper notice; showing up unannounced is not, and it is one of the fastest ways to lose an otherwise good relationship.
You can ask for and verify income, employment, credit history and references, and you can require a guarantor where the file is thin. What you cannot do is screen on any ground protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code — including family status, receipt of public assistance, age, disability, ethnic origin or religion. Refusing an applicant because they have children, or because their income is from ODSP, is discrimination. Apply the same criteria in the same order to every applicant and write down your reasons.
N1 rent increase · N4 notice for non-payment of rent · N5 for damage or disturbance · N11 mutual agreement to end a tenancy · N12 landlord or purchaser's own use · L1 application to evict for arrears. Be realistic about timelines: LTB hearings commonly take several months, so the practical strategy is prevention and early conversation rather than relying on the process.
Two things that pay for themselves: MLS exposure, which is the only route onto Realtor.ca and reaches a very different pool of tenants than the free classifieds, and screening discipline — consistent criteria, verified income, real reference calls. The most expensive mistake in this business is not a low rent, it's the wrong tenant. We can also tell you what your unit should genuinely rent for today rather than what a neighbour is asking.

This is general information for Ontario tenancies, not legal advice — Mo Realty Team are licensed realtors, not lawyers or paralegals. Rules change and every situation has its own facts. For anything contested, contact the Landlord and Tenant Board at 1-888-332-3234, or a licensed paralegal. Tenants can get free help through their local community legal clinic via legalaid.on.ca. Figures current as at August 2026.

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