Tenant Rights and Responsibilities
The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) is an Ontario law that gives landlords and tenants specific rights and responsibilities. Follow the links below from the Ontario Government's website to learn more about your rights and responsibilities as a tenant:
- Eviction rules
- Easy-to-understand leases
- Who’s protected by rental rules
- Rent increase limits
- Where to get help
Sample Ontario Lease
Click here to see a sample of a standard Ontario lease (also called a residential tenancy agreement) from the Ontario Government along with a guide available in multiple languages to help landlords and tenants understand and sign their lease.
Be sure to read your entire lease before signing and if anything is unclear or you have any questions, ask your landlord! If you are unsure about the rights and responsibilities reflected in the lease, you can also reach out to the Landlord and Tenant's Board (LTB) at 416-645-8080 or the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations (FMTA) at 416-921-9494.
Need Support or Assistance?
If you have questions related to your tenancy or rights and responsibilities, you can contact the following organizations:
The Federation of Metro Tenant's Associations (FMTA):
Telephone: 416-921-9494
Email: hotline@torontotenants.org
Website: torontotenants.org
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The Centre for Immigrant and Community Services (CICS):
Phone: 416-292-7510 ext. 118 / 416-940-3308
Email: housing.support@cicscanada.com
Text/Whatsapp: 647-473-2065
WeChat: 1-647-473-2065
Instagram | Facebook
Website: cicscanada.com
Rent Increases
As you search for your new home, it's important to know your rights as a tenant when it comes to rental increases, especially if you plan to renew your lease in the future. In most cases, your landlord can only raise your rent each year by a certain percentage.
Follow the links below to learn about rent increase requirements:
Need Legal Guidance?
The Ontario Legal Information Centre offers a free 30-minute meeting with a lawyer to anyone in Ontario by telephone or in person at their Ottawa office in any area of law in English or French.
Click here to make an appointment.
Sample Forms
- Forms for Tenants
These are sample documents for tenants. If you don't see the form you are looking for or need more information about which application to file, visit Help for Tenants. - Forms for Landlords
Browse sample notices and documents which can be used by landlords to alert residents of rental increases, failure to complete payments, permission to sublet, and more.
Trouble Paying Rent?
There are a few different things your landlord can do if they think you have not paid all your rent. Use CLEO's Eviction Solution Explorer for free to learn what you can do if your landlord wants to evict you because you owe rent.
Visit the Steps to Justice website for more information on what your landlord can do if you owe rent.