Rules for rental agreements
In Ontario, the law makes certain rights and responsibilities part of every rental agreement, even if you and your landlord do not include them. For example, you always have the right to privacy.
Anything in your rental agreement that goes against the law is not valid. For example, your landlord must get an order from the Landlord and Tenant Board to evict you, even if your rental agreement says something different.
But there are some things the law lets you and your landlord decide. For example, you and your landlord can decide if parking is included.
Make sure you know what you are agreeing to before you sign anything.
Terms that cannot be included
If any of these terms are in your rental agreement, your landlord cannot make you follow them even if you sign it.
- no-pet clauses, except for rules included in condominium bylaws
- penalties for paying rent late or breaking the landlord’s rules
- requirement for post-dated cheques, automatic rent payments, or a damage deposit
Terms that are always included
There are terms that are always part of a rental agreement even if you didn’t talk about it with your landlord.
First, you have the right to live in your place as long as you want, unless your landlord has a legal reason to evict you.
You have the right to treat your place as your home, which includes the right to privacy. Read CLEO’s resource Privacy for more information.
If your building or complex has more than one rental unit, you also have the right to use the common areas. Common areas are things like hallways, driveways, lobbies, and grounds.
Your landlord is responsible for maintenance and repairs and must follow all the laws about housing standards. For more information, read CLEO’s resource Maintenance and repairs.
Your landlord must follow the rules about raising your rent. For more information, read CLEO’s resource Rent Increases.
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