Tenant rights in Ontario: the LTB and rent rules

Ontario tenants have more protection than renters in most US states, but one date, November 15, 2018, decides how much of it you get. Learn the rules before you sign, not when the N12 lands in your mailbox.

The short version

Most private landlords must use Ontario's standard lease. If yours didn't, ask in writing. They have 21 days to provide it [2].
Rent can usually go up once every 12 months, with 90 days' written notice on the proper form. The guideline cap is 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027 [1].
Big exception: units first occupied as residences after November 15, 2018 aren't covered by the guideline. Many new condos fall in this group [1].
A notice is not an eviction. You can stay until you agree to leave or the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) orders it, and only the Sheriff can enforce an order [4].
Several rules changed on September 21, 2026, including N12 compensation and the N4 notice period for unpaid rent [4][5].

How Ontario renting differs from back home

In much of the US, a landlord can decline to renew your lease and you're out at the end of the term. Ontario works differently. When a fixed-term lease ends, you don't have to move out or sign a renewal. You simply become a month-to-month tenant, and the lease rules keep applying [3]. A landlord can only end your tenancy for a reason allowed by law, and if you don't agree to leave, they have to go through the LTB [4].

That's real security. The trade-off is that the system runs on forms, notice periods and a tribunal, and the details matter.

The standard lease

Landlords of most private rental units, from a homeowner renting out a basement to a big property management company, must use Ontario's standard lease template for new leases [2]. It doesn't apply to care homes, most social and supportive housing, co-ops and a few other special tenancies [2].

If you're entitled to one and didn't get it [2]:

Ask your landlord for it in writing.
They must give it to you within 21 calendar days.
If they don't, you can withhold one month's rent.
If you still don't have it 30 days after withholding, you can keep that month's rent.

You can't withhold more than one month, and you still pay rent for the rest of the lease [2].

Deposits: what's allowed

This is where American habits trip people up. Ontario doesn't allow damage deposits or pet deposits, and a landlord can't charge deposits, fees or penalties the law doesn't permit [3]. A rent deposit can't be used as a damage deposit [3]. The common setup in Toronto is first and last month's rent, with the "last month" held as a rent deposit. A refundable key deposit is also allowed. The law limits both amounts [3]. In practice, the rent deposit can't be more than one rental period's rent, and landlords pay interest on it each year.

Rent increases: the guideline and the 2018 exemption

Here's how increases work for a rent-controlled unit [1]:

At least 12 months must pass since your last increase or since you moved in.
Your landlord must give written notice at least 90 days before the increase, on the LTB's form (the N1, Notice of Rent Increase) [1][6].
The increase can't exceed the annual rent increase guideline, unless the LTB approves an above-guideline increase [1].

Year	Ontario rent increase guideline
2026	2.1% [1]
2027	1.9% [1]

So on CAD 2,600 a month (about USD 1,860 in November 2026), a 2.1% increase is about CAD 55 (about USD 40). USD conversions use the Bank of Canada rate of 1.3989 CAD per USD (November 5, 2026) [7].

The post-November 2018 exemption

The guideline doesn't apply to units "occupied for the first time for residential purposes after November 15, 2018" [1]. That covers most new buildings and many basement apartments created after that date [1]. In those units, the 12-month and 90-day notice rules still apply, but there's no cap on the amount.

Toronto's condo boom means many of the newest towers downtown and along the subway lines are exempt. Before you sign, ask the landlord when the unit was first occupied and get it in writing. A unit with a 2017 occupancy date can be worth a lot more to you over five years than a shinier one from 2020.

Two more things to know [1]:

Starting rent isn't capped. When a unit turns over, a new tenant and landlord can agree on any rent.
Disputes have a deadline. If you were charged an improper increase, you can challenge it within 12 months of when it was first charged.

Evictions: N4, N12 and N13

Each eviction reason has its own LTB form. These are the ones Americans ask about most [4][6].

N12: the landlord, a buyer or family wants to move in

The N12 is used when the landlord, a family member, a caregiver, or a buyer of the unit intends to live there [6].

Notice: at least 60 days, and the termination date must be the last day of a rental period or of the lease term [4].
Compensation: for notices served before September 21, 2026, one month's rent or another unit you accept. For notices served on or after September 21, 2026 with at least 120 days' notice ending on the last day of the tenancy or term, no compensation is required [4]. That 120-day exception doesn't apply when the N12 is given because a buyer needs the unit [5].
Bad faith: if the LTB finds the notice was given in bad faith, it can order the landlord to pay rent differences for up to a year, up to 12 months of the last rent, and reasonable moving and storage costs [2]. Tenants file a T5 for this [6].

N13: renovation, demolition or conversion

The N13 covers demolition, repairs that need the unit empty, and conversion to another use [6].

Notice: at least 120 days, ending on the last day of a rental period or term [4].
Compensation: in a building with five or more units, three months' rent or another unit you accept. In smaller buildings, one month's rent or another unit [4].
Right of first refusal: if you want to move back after repairs, tell the landlord in writing before you move out [2][4]. From September 21, 2026, the landlord must update you in writing on completion dates and give you at least 60 days to exercise your right [5].
Late claims: you can file with the LTB up to two years after you move out or six months after the work is finished, whichever is later [2][5].

N4: unpaid rent

For N4s given on or after September 21, 2026, the minimum notice period dropped from 14 days to 7 days [5]. Also new: for landlord applications filed on or after that date, a tenant who wants to raise maintenance problems at an arrears hearing generally has to pay 50% of the claimed arrears at least seven days before the hearing [5].

With either an N12 or an N13, you can leave earlier than the termination date by giving at least 10 days' written notice [4].

Using the Landlord and Tenant Board

The LTB is the independent tribunal that settles tenant and landlord disputes [2]. Think small claims court, but just for housing.

Common tenant applications [6]:

Form	Use it when
T2	Your landlord is interfering with your rights, such as harassment, changed locks or cut-off services
T5	You moved out after an N12 or N13 given in bad faith
T6	Your landlord won't do repairs or maintenance

How to file:

Create an account on the Tribunals Ontario Portal. Filing T2, T5 and T6 online costs CAD 48 (about USD 34), versus CAD 53 another way [6].
Upload evidence: photos, emails, texts, receipts and your lease.
Consider free mediation before the hearing. Nobody has to settle [2].
Attend the hearing, which is often by video.
If you disagree with a decision, move fast. The deadline to ask for a review was cut to 15 days from 30 in 2026 [5].

You can reach the LTB at 1-888-332-3234, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For free or low-cost legal help, Legal Aid Ontario can connect you to a community legal clinic at 1-800-668-8258 [2]. A lawyer or clinic can check your situation; this guide is general information.

The American checklist

Keep records like it's an IRS audit. Pay rent by e-transfer, not cash, and keep every notice.
Ask the occupancy-date question before you sign. Knowing whether your unit is rent-controlled is the single biggest money question.
Don't panic at a notice. Read which form it is, check the dates and get advice. Ask in our community group for Americans in Canada for clinic and moving tips from people who've been there.
Leaving Canada? A month-to-month tenant can end the tenancy with written notice on the LTB's form, usually at least 60 days ahead. Plan your move home around it.

Tenant rights in Ontario: rent control, the standard lease and the LTB