Residential Tenancies Act, 2006주거 임대법 (RTA)

What is it?

The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) is the Ontario law that sets the basic rules for renting a home. It has been in force since January 31, 2007.

Its stated purposes are to protect tenants from unlawful rent increases and unlawful evictions, to set a framework for regulating rents, to balance the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants, and to have disputes decided by a tribunal, the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) (section 1).

The Act sits above the lease. It applies “despite any agreement or waiver to the contrary” (s. 3 (1)), and any term in a tenancy agreement that goes against the Act is void (s. 4 (1)).

Which rentals does it cover?

Almost every private home rental in Ontario is covered. The Ontario government lists single and semi-detached houses, apartments, condominiums and secondary units such as basement apartments as examples.

If you are not sure whether the Act applies to your rental, you can ask the LTB to decide with an A1 application.

Main rights of tenants

• A tenancy can only be ended in the ways the Act allows (s. 37). When a lease term ends you do not have to leave; the tenancy continues month to month.
• The landlord must keep the home “in a good state of repair and fit for habitation” (s. 20), even if you knew about a problem before you moved in.
• The landlord cannot substantially interfere with your “reasonable enjoyment” of the unit (s. 22). To enter, the landlord normally needs to give 24 hours’ written notice.
• The only deposits a landlord may take are a rent deposit for the last month (s. 105) and a refundable key, fob or card deposit no higher than the expected replacement cost (O. Reg. 516/06, s. 17). Damage deposits and pet deposits are not allowed (s. 134).
• Rent can go up only once every 12 months, after 90 days’ written notice on Form N1, and for most homes not by more than the government’s guideline.
• You can only be evicted with an LTB order. A notice from the landlord by itself does not mean you must move out. You have the right to a hearing.

Main rights and duties of landlords

• Before the tenancy starts, the landlord can collect a rent deposit (up to one month’s rent for a monthly tenancy). It can only be used as the last month’s rent, and the landlord must pay interest on it every year at the same rate as the rent increase guideline (s. 106).
• If the tenant does not pay rent (Form N4, then an L1 application), seriously damages the unit or seriously disturbs others, the landlord can apply to the LTB to evict.
• If the landlord, their spouse, child or parent genuinely needs the unit to live in for at least one year, the landlord can end the tenancy with a Form N12 (s. 48). The landlord must pay one month’s rent or offer another unit the tenant accepts (s. 48.1). But for notices given on or after September 21, 2026, no compensation is needed if the notice gives at least 120 days and ends the tenancy on the last day of a rental period or the lease term.
• The tenant must keep the unit ordinarily clean and must repair or pay for damage caused by the tenant or their guests. Normal wear and tear is not the tenant’s responsibility.
• Most new tenancies must use the Ontario standard lease, and the landlord must give the tenant a signed copy within 21 days of signing (s. 12).

Rent rules at a glance

The guideline figures were checked on ontario.ca on October 30, 2026. Each year’s guideline is published by August 31 of the year before.

Rules for ending a tenancy

See “Ending a tenancy” and “N12 notice” for the details.

What if the lease says something different from the Act?

A term that goes against the Act is void (s. 4 (1)). Even if you signed it, the LTB will not enforce it.

The Ontario guide to the standard lease gives examples of void terms: no pets, no guests or roommates, damage or pet deposits, and making the tenant pay for repairs that are the landlord’s job. A landlord can, however, require you to follow condo rules, which may limit pets.

The Human Rights Code sits above the Act. If the two conflict, the Human Rights Code wins (s. 3 (4)).

Where are disputes decided?

• The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) is the only body that decides applications under the Act (s. 168). It handles evictions, unpaid rent, repairs, unlawful increases and money owed.
• There are time limits. For example, a tenant must apply within one year to get back money the landlord collected against the Act (s. 135 (4)), and an application challenging a rent increase must be made within one year after the increase was first charged (s. 136 (2)).
• The Rental Housing Enforcement Unit handles things the Act makes offences, such as cutting off heat, electricity or water, harassment, or blocking a lawful entry. On conviction the fine can be up to $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation.
• Legal help: community legal clinics (Legal Aid Ontario) offer free or low-cost advice.

Buying or selling a home with a tenant

A sale does not end the tenancy. The Act’s definition of “landlord” includes the successors in title of the owner, so the buyer becomes the landlord under the existing lease, with the same rent, deposit and terms.

There is a special rule when the buyer wants to live in the unit. In a building with no more than three units, or for a single condo unit, the selling landlord can give the tenant a Form N12 on the buyer’s behalf after the purchase agreement is signed (s. 49). The buyer (or their spouse, child, parent and so on) must genuinely intend to move in, and the selling landlord must pay one month’s rent or offer another unit the tenant accepts (s. 49.1). The 120-day exception above does not apply to a notice for a buyer.

When you buy an investment condo, check the existing lease, the rent, the record of deposit interest payments, and whether the unit is exempt from rent control (first occupied after November 15, 2018). Buyers who skip this can find they cannot raise the rent or ask the tenant to leave.

Example