Renting in the GTA

Get approved faster, and know your rights once you’re in.

What landlords look for, what Ontario law protects, and whether renting or buying makes more sense for you right now.

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Bright living room in one of our Mississauga rentals
One of our rentals, Mississauga

Six steps to a yes

Landlords in the GTA see a lot of applications. A complete one gets read first.

  1. Set your budgetAim for rent under about 35% of gross income. Add hydro, internet and tenant insurance.
  2. Gather your documentsID, job letter, pay stubs, bank statements, credit report, a reference.
  3. Check your credit firstFree from Equifax or TransUnion. Know it before the landlord does.
  4. Read the leaseOntario uses the Standard Lease, Form 2229E. Ask about anything unclear.
  5. Photograph move in dayEvery room and appliance, emailed to yourself and the landlord.
  6. Know the rulesNotice to enter, rent increases, repairs. The basics are below.

What to have ready

Send it as one package. It is the fastest way to stand out.

  • Photo ID: driver’s licence, passport or PR card
  • Employment letter on letterhead, with your role, salary and start date
  • Last 3 pay stubs, or your Notice of Assessment if self employed
  • 3 months of bank statements
  • Your credit report, pulled by you, for free
  • A reference from a past landlord or employer
Apply & upload them here
Condo towers near the CN Tower, Toronto
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Your rights, in four numbers

Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act, the parts renters ask about most.

Download the 2 page guide →
2.1%Most a rent can rise in 2026For units first occupied before November 15, 2018. The 2027 cap is 1.9%.
90 daysWritten notice of a rent increaseAnd only once every 12 months.
24 hoursWritten notice to enterExcept in an emergency.
1 monthThe only deposit allowedLast month’s rent. Damage, pet and key deposits are not allowed.

General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, contact the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Quick answers

Tap any one to open it.

My credit is low. What can I do?

Bring a guarantor with good credit and income. You can also choose to offer extra months of rent up front: a landlord cannot demand it, but you can volunteer it to strengthen your application.

To build credit: keep card balances under 30% of the limit, pay on time with auto pay, and check your report for errors.

Do I need tenant insurance?

Yes. The landlord’s insurance does not cover your belongings or your liability. It usually costs $15 to $30 a month, and many leases require it.

Something is broken. Who fixes it?

Your landlord must keep the unit in good repair. Ask in writing (email is fine). If nothing happens, you can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board, and you cannot be evicted for doing so.

Can I leave before my lease ends?

You have options. A landlord cannot unreasonably refuse a sublet. If you ask to assign your lease and the landlord refuses or does not answer within 7 days, you can give notice to end your tenancy. You can also simply agree with the landlord to end it early.

Can my rent go up whenever the landlord wants?

No. Once every 12 months, with 90 days written notice, and capped by the guideline for most older units. Units first occupied after November 15, 2018 are not capped.

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

5-Year Net Worth Comparison

Renter's Invested Savings
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Buyer's Home Equity
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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.

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