Residential Tenancies Act – Rights and Responsibilities

The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) serves to enforce, protect, and balance the rights and responsibilities of residential landlords and tenants. Both parties are responsible for following the laws in this act and the terms of the lease.

For more information regarding the Residential Tenancies Act, visit the Government of Ontario website, or click here.

As a Tenant

You are obligated to:

  • Pay rent in full for the rental unit
  • Maintain cleanliness of the rental unit
  • Honor your lease or tenancy agreement
  • Repair unwarranted damage to the rental unit
  • Leave the locking system unaltered on the door giving entry to the rental unit
  • Not harass, obstruct, coerce, threaten or interfere with a landlord

You have the right to:

  • Not be discriminated against because of your race, place of ethnic/ origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or disability
  • To file a human rights complaint, contact the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario: Toll Free: 1-866-598-0322 Website: www.hrto.ca
  • A safe home in accordance with the health, safety, housing and maintenance standards
  • Vital services such as hot and cold water, heat, etc.
  • Petition an unlawful eviction with the Landlord and Tenant Board
  • Have children in the home
  • Reasonable enjoyment/level of noise
  • Documents such as a written copy of your tenancy agreement, written notice of the landlord’s legal name and address, and rent receipts

As a Landlord

You are obligated to:

  • Maintain the residential complex to be fit for habitation to meet health, safety, housing and maintenance standards
  • Maintain the upkeep of common areas (lobby, hallways, etc.) of the residential complex
  • Provide access to vital services such as hot and cold water, heat, etc.
  • Respect the privacy of tenants and not interfere with their right to reasonable enjoyment
  • Provide a copy of the tenancy agreement, written notice of your legal name and address, and rent receipts as requested
  • Provide written notice to the tenant 24 hours before entering a rental unit with reasonable reason
  • Provide the tenant with replacement keys if the locking system is to be altered on the door giving entry to a rental unit during the tenant’s occupancy of the unit

You have the right to:

  • Choose a tenant using income information, credit checks and/or references, rental history, etc.
  • Collect a rent deposit with a maximum value of 1 rental period (1 month, 1 week, etc.)
  • Collect rent, in full, on the day that it is due
  • Increase rent once in a 12-month period (restrictions apply)
  • Evict a tenant with a specified termination date under order from the Landlord and Tenant Board
  • Enter a rental unit at any time without written notice in case of emergency or if the tenant consents to the entry