For Renters

Renting in the GTA

Find a place, and know your rights once you are in it. Ontario tenant rules explained plainly, plus a free guide you can keep on your phone.

Browse GTA Rentals Talk to Mo

Renter's Roadmap

From application to key handover, what every renter needs to know in Ontario

Finding & Securing a Rental

Your step-by-step guide to renting in Ontario's competitive market

1

Know Your Budget

A common guideline: rent should not exceed 35% of your gross monthly income. Factor in hydro, internet, parking, and tenant insurance (typically $15–$30/month). Always ask what utilities are included in the rent before you apply.

2

Build a Strong Application

Landlords receive multiple applications. Stand out with a complete package: government-issued ID, employment letter, recent pay stubs (last 3 months), bank statements, credit report, and a brief reference letter from a previous landlord if available.

3

Know Your Credit Score

Most landlords require a credit score of 650+. Check yours for free at Equifax or TransUnion before applying. Low score? Offer a larger deposit (where legally permitted), a co-signer, or first and last months' rent upfront.

4

Review the Lease Carefully

In Ontario, leases must use the standard LTB (Landlord and Tenant Board) lease form. Read every clause, especially regarding rent increases, maintenance responsibilities, pets, parking, and subletting. Don't sign anything you don't understand.

5

Document the Unit Before Move-In

Photograph and video every room, wall, appliance, and fixture on move-in day. Email the photos to yourself and your landlord immediately. This is your protection if there's a dispute over the last month's rent or deposit at move-out.

6

Know Your Rights (RTA)

The Residential Tenancies Act protects you. Landlords cannot enter without 24 hours written notice (except emergencies). Rent increases require 90 days written notice and can only happen once per year. Know the LTB,it's your recourse if issues arise.

Documents You'll Need

  • Government-Issued Photo ID
    Driver's license, passport, or PR card
  • Employment Letter
    On company letterhead, confirming position, salary, and start date
  • Last 3 Pay Stubs
    Or Notice of Assessment (NOA) if self-employed
  • Bank Statements (3 months)
    Shows financial stability and deposit funds
  • Credit Report
    Pull your own from Equifax/TransUnion (free),shows your score before the landlord sees it
  • Reference Letter
    Previous landlord, employer, or professional reference

Credit Score Tips

  • ✓ Keep credit utilization below 30% of your limit
  • ✓ Never miss a payment, set up auto-pay
  • ✓ Keep old credit accounts open (length matters)
  • ✓ Avoid applying for multiple new credits at once
  • ✓ Check your report for errors, dispute them free

Smart Renter Tips

Hover each card to learn more

Get Tenant Insurance

Protects your belongings from $15/month...

Your landlord's building insurance does NOT cover your personal belongings. Tenant insurance covers theft, fire, and water damage to your contents, plus liability if someone is injured in your unit. It's typically $15–$30/month and many landlords now require it. Don't skip it.

Rent Increase Rules

Ontario caps annual rent increases...

In Ontario, rent increases are capped by the provincial Rent Increase Guideline (typically 2–3% annually). Your landlord must give 90 days written notice using the proper LTB form. Increases can only happen once every 12 months. Units first occupied after Nov 15, 2018 are exempt from rent control.

Maintenance & Repairs

Landlords must maintain the unit in good repair...

Under Ontario's RTA, landlords must keep the unit in good repair, comply with health/safety standards, and respond to maintenance requests in a reasonable timeframe. Always submit maintenance requests in writing (email is fine). If issues aren't resolved, you can file with the LTB,and you don't lose your tenancy for doing so.

Breaking a Lease Early

You have options, and protections...

If you need to leave before your lease ends, you can sublet your unit (landlord approval required but cannot be unreasonably withheld), assign your lease to a new tenant, or negotiate a mutual agreement to end the tenancy. The landlord must mitigate losses, they can't simply hold you liable if they refuse a qualified replacement tenant.

Low Debt-to-Income Matters

Less debt means a stronger application...

Landlords assess your ability to pay rent reliably. A low debt-to-income ratio signals financial stability. Before applying for a rental, pay down high-interest credit card balances, avoid taking on new car loans, and ensure your total monthly debt obligations are manageable relative to your income.

LTB,Know Your Board

The Landlord and Tenant Board is your resource...

The LTB adjudicates disputes between landlords and tenants in Ontario. As a tenant, you can file an application for issues like maintenance failures, illegal rent increases, harassment, or illegal entry. Filing does not put you at risk of eviction unless you've violated your lease. Visit tribunalsontario.ca/ltb for forms and information.

Tools for Renters

Rent vs. Buy Calculator

Is renting or buying better for your situation? Enter your numbers below, we'll do the real math including mortgage, taxes, maintenance, and opportunity cost.

Start from: GTA 2026 defaults pre-loaded

Your Numbers

$
$500$8,000/mo

Assumptions (adjust as needed)

5%50%
3%9%
0.3% (Toronto)1.5%
0.5%3% of value
0%8%/yr
3% (GIC)12% (stocks)

Results

Rent Equivalent to a Purchase of
—
at current assumptions
Monthly Mortgage
—
Property Tax / mo
—
Maintenance / mo
—
Opportunity Cost / mo
—
Total Monthly Cost of Owning —
Your Monthly Rent $3,000

5-Year Net Worth Comparison

Renter's Invested Savings
—
Buyer's Home Equity
—

Renter invests the difference between rent and ownership cost. Buyer builds equity through payments + appreciation.

 This calculator is for educational purposes only. Results are estimates based on your inputs. Consult a qualified real estate professional, mortgage broker, and financial advisor before making any housing decisions. CMHC mortgage insurance not included in calculations for LTV > 80%. Land transfer tax, legal fees, and closing costs not included in purchase comparison.

Not sure if renting or buying is right for you right now? Send Mo your numbers.

Take This With You

No signup needed. Download it, print it, keep it on your phone.

Ontario tenant guide

Know Your Rights as a Renter

Two pages covering the five things renters most often get wrong: pet clauses, illegal deposits, rent increase rules, who is responsible for repairs, and the Standard Lease. Plus quick answers on hanging a TV, reporting repairs, utilities and entry notice.

Download PDF

Renter Questions, Answered

The questions we actually get asked, with the sections of the Act behind each answer.

In Ontario, no. Section 14 of the Residential Tenancies Act makes any “no pets” clause void, even if you signed a lease containing one. A landlord can still refuse to rent to you in the first place, and they can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board to evict later if the animal genuinely damages the property, causes a serious allergic reaction to someone in the building, or is inherently dangerous. Two real exceptions worth knowing in the GTA: a condominium declaration can restrict pets and those rules do bind you as an occupant, and a genuine no-pet rule can apply where you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner. Our advice: raise it honestly before you sign rather than after you move in.
No. Ontario allows a last month's rent deposit only, capped at one month's rent. Damage deposits, security deposits, pet deposits and cleaning deposits are prohibited under sections 105 and 106 of the RTA. Your last month's deposit can only ever be applied to your final month of rent — never to damage, never to cleaning — and your landlord owes you annual interest on it at the rent increase guideline rate. A key deposit is allowed only up to the actual replacement cost of the key.
Rent can only increase once every 12 months, with at least 90 days' written notice on LTB Form N1. The guideline for 2026 is 2.1% and 2027 is already set at 1.9%. The important exception: units first occupied for residential purposes after 15 November 2018 are exempt from the guideline, so the increase can be any amount — the 12-month gap and 90 days' notice still apply. A lot of newer GTA condos fall into this category, so ask which side of that date your building sits on before you sign.
Report it in writing anyway, even if you plan to fix it yourself. Two reasons. First, it starts the clock on your landlord's legal duty to repair under section 20. Second, and more important for you, it protects you from being blamed at move-out for an alteration you were never authorised to make. Handle the genuinely trivial things yourself as a matter of course — a burnt-out bulb, a smoke alarm battery. Anything involving plumbing, heat, electrical, appliances, pests or water, put it in an email.
Usually yes. Picture hooks and a properly mounted television are generally treated as reasonable use of the unit. The expectation is that you patch and repaint the holes back to their original state before you leave, which is a normal part of your obligation to repair damage beyond ordinary wear and tear. Anything structural — cutting into studs, running cable inside a wall, removing anything — ask first and get the answer in writing.
Your landlord must keep the unit in a good state of repair and fit to live in, and comply with health, safety and maintenance standards. That duty applies even to problems that existed before you moved in and even if you saw them at the viewing. A lease clause making you responsible for all repairs is unenforceable. Your side: ordinary cleanliness, and repairing damage that you or your guests cause beyond normal wear.
Use a method that creates a paper trail — e-transfer, direct deposit or cheque. Avoid cash; if you must pay cash you are entitled to a free receipt. A landlord cannot require post-dated cheques or pre-authorised debit as a condition of renting to you, although you can agree to it voluntarily. Keep every confirmation. If a dispute ever reaches the LTB, your payment records are the whole case.
Whatever your lease says — this is one area the RTA leaves to your agreement, so read that section of the Standard Lease closely before signing. If hydro or gas is in your name, open the account for the day your lease begins, not the day you physically move in, or you can be billed for the gap. Photograph every meter on day one. It takes ten seconds and settles arguments later.
Generally 24 hours' written notice, stating the reason and giving a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. The exceptions are a genuine emergency, or where you agree at the time. A landlord cannot simply let themselves in whenever they like, and repeated entry without notice is something the LTB takes seriously.
You have three routes: assign the lease to someone else, sublet for part of the term, or agree a mutual end with your landlord on Form N11. A landlord cannot unreasonably refuse a qualified replacement tenant. What you cannot do is simply hand back the keys — you remain liable for rent until the unit is re-rented or the term ends.
Your landlord's policy covers the building. It does not cover your belongings and it does not cover your liability if you flood the unit below you. Contents and liability coverage typically runs $15 to $30 a month in the GTA. Many leases now require it, and it is worth carrying even where they don't.
Keep every request in writing and keep the replies. Then file a T6 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board. Filing is your legal right and cannot be used as grounds to evict you. One warning: do not withhold rent to force the issue. That hands your landlord grounds against you and undermines an otherwise strong case.

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.

Ready to Get Started?

Speak with our team today, no pressure, no obligation, just honest advice.

Book a Free Consultation 416-886-6306