Ontario, much like all provinces and states in Canada, focuses on the well-being of all of its residents, and as tenants make up a good majority of the population in Ontario, the law also sets out both the rights and responsibilities for tenants in Ontario, which, for some reason, are unknown to most tenants in the city. This is why, in this blog post, we will look at what rights are granted to tenants in Ontario by the local law, and what the landowner or landlord is allowed to do and what they aren’t allowed to do to a rental property that is occupied by a tenant.
Unfortunately, the general information and knowledge around tenants’ rights and responsibilities in Ontario is low. Most people who do rent apartments or houses have no idea about the rights that the law has accorded them, and most of them allow their landlords to trample over their rights as a tenants, like coming in for unannounced inspections of the property.
They might own the property, but in tenancy, the person occupying the property and whose name is on the lease has their own set of rights that they need to know about, and if the situation demands it, they might even be able to educate their landlord on it.
Let’s start by looking at the most common and basic rights that tenants have in Ontario.
Tenants’ Rights in Ontario: A Guide
Knowing your rights as a tenant in Ontario will allow you to make full use of your rental property, and will also allow you to protect your privacy despite the fact that you are living in a rental property. The relationship between landlords and tenants might have a specific power dynamic between them, but the laws and regulations of Ontario allow tenants to exercise their own rights and live life as they wish. Here are some common aspects of a tenant’s guide to their rights in Ontario.
Entry
While this is usually common knowledge, in some cases, some overbearing landlords may take advantage of the fact that homr renters with trees or tenants may not know about it. By law, a landlord is not allowed to enter into the property or rental unit without the express consent of the tenant. This means that a landlord cannot essentially drop in on the rental property, regardless of whether you’re present at the property or not.
For situations like inspections, repairs or for showing the apartment or house to future prospective tenants, they need to provide a written notice to the tenant 24 hours before the visit is scheduled to take place, and even then, they are required to stay within the bounds of time: from 8 am in the morning to 8 pm. That means they are not allowed after hours, and unless it is an emergency, they will always require the tenants’ consent and proof of prior written notice to enter the property.
Discrimination
Even before a tenant becomes a tenant i.e. gets the property on rent or lease, their rights have been laid out clearly, not just within the Ontario codebook, but federal anti-discrimination laws. The anti-discrimination laws bar landlords from turning away prospective landlords based on age, disability, family, marital status, race, religion, sex or gender.
This means that unless criminal activity or intent is obvious or some other financial issues are in the way, landlords are not allowed to discriminate and refuse access to a rental property based on the aforementioned criteria. Should any landlord do that, they will be liable for litigation.
Rent increase
Rent increase is another point where many landlords can be counted as guilty of overlooking the law, as can the tenants for not knowing what their rights are, what Ontario law allows in its handbook and what it does not allow. As of 2025, the law states that rent increase is only limited to 2.5 per cent. That means that a landlord will be within their rights to increase the rent by 2.5 per cent every year.
If they go above that, they will be going contradictory to the law, and a tenant can take them to court over this discrepancy and failure to adhere to the law. Beyond that, landlords are also supposed to provide a notice of the increase in rent to the tenants at least 90 days before the increase is supposed to go into effect, further providing a cushion to the tenant. If a landlord does not provide due notice or enforce an increase in rent over 2.5 per cent, a tenant reserves the right to dispute the change with the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB within 12 months. This is addressed in the Residential Tenancy Law.
Eviction
Eviction is a sensitive topic, as it is tantamount to uprooting a person’s life and removing them from their abode, their home. As such, eviction is taken extremely seriously, and eviction laws in Ontario are also very stringent, and usually favoured towards the tenants.
As such, a landlord can only evict a tenant in certain circumstances. For starters, they need to provide sufficient written notice and time to move out, and even then, landlords are supposed to apply for an receive an eviction order from the LTB, which can be challenged if a tenant can defend why they should not be evicted from the property.
Let’s look at different reasons for eviction and how tenants’ rights are protected in Ontario.
Personal-use eviction: If the landlord wants to use the unit for themselves or their family, or they are selling the property, they must offer the tenant another unit or give them the equivalent of one month’s rent.
Renovations/ repairs: The landlord must compensate the tenant for eviction due to renovations, repairs, or demolition. They should also give the tenant the first right of refusal to move back into a unit after renovations.
Non-payment of rent: If a tenant fails to pay their rent, the landlord can and will serve them with a Form N4. That means that the tenant usually has about 14 days or two weeks to move out. However, tenants can forgo this if they pay back the rent owed.
JAS Legal Services: Your Trusted Paralegal for all Matters of Tenancy!
Jorge Andres Steinmetz at JAS Legal Services is your trusted paralegal for all matters related to tenancy and housing. Regardless of your issues or your case, JAS Legal Services can help you get on the ground of your case, promising you excellent results and an amicable resolution to your case that protects your legal, financial and social rights and helps keep you one step ahead, always.
