Know Your Rights As A Tenant Residing In Ontario

William Pool
Aug 25, 2017 · 3 min read

As a tenant in Ontario, you have legal rights that are described in the Residential Tenancies Act.

The Residential Tenancies Act applies to all who are renting and the Human Rights Code applies to every citizen in Ontario who is renting or otherwise.

Before You Rent

A landlord cannot deny you as a renter on his or her premises by discriminating against the following criteria:

  • Age
  • Race
  • Ethnic origin
  • Sex
  • Sex
  • Religion
  • Sexual orientation
  • Marital status
  • Family status
  • Physical abilities.

A landlord cannot deny you rent because you are not a Canadian by birth, or because you have children.

After You Are a Tenant Living in a Property

It is important to know your rights even before you move into your new home. Those rights include the following:

Right To A Safe Home: The home must be structurally safe and in good condition and this stands even if you were aware of existing issues with the house prior to renting.

Right To Essential Services: The comforts of your home encompass access to water, heat, electricity, and fuel (gas). Your landlord is restricted by the law to turn off these services even if you are behind on your rent. The only acceptable time for the services to be cut is when there are repairs to be done. Nevertheless, you may have to pay for the services or the landlord by meet the bills, which is a matter subject to the rental agreement.

Right To Heat: As per Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act, your home’s heat should not be dropped below 20°C; this is a mandatory service that the landlord should offer from 1st September to 15th June. Other cities have a higher heat standards and thus you should check with the local government to know the set standards in your community.

Right To Privacy: A landlord’s entry into your home is restricted to only certain situations. For instance, it could be that there are repairs to be done, to address an emergency or show the property to potential new tenants.

Controlled Rent Increases: The law allows landlords to increase rent once a year, but the increment should be within acceptable legal limits.

Protection From Unlawful Eviction: The law allows landlords to evict tenants, but this is restricted to certain reasons. Nevertheless, the law also gives you the right to have your concerns about the eviction heard at the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Right To Have Children: No law exists that denies you to have children thus you have every right to have kids in your home, and they are allowed to make some bit of noise. Your landlord cannot deny your family this right.

Right To A Tenancy Agreement: Your landlord should hand to you a written and signed copy of the lease agreement, and it should include your landlord’s legal name and address, and rent receipts.

As A Tenant

• Make timely rental payments and ensure that you pay the rent in full on the agreed date as stated in your lease.

• Ensure that your home is always clean and well maintained.

• Fix any damages that you, your family, or guests may cause to the house.

• Avoid making too much noise that disturbs your neighbors or other tenants. It is okay to be “reasonably noisy.”

• Respect and follow the city’s by-laws such as those that stipulate issues of over-crowding (there is a limit to how many people other than your family) can live with you in your house.

  • Honour the tenancy agreement; do not break any of the rules and condition as stipulated in the lease as well as those specified in the Residential Tenancy Act. You are allowed to downplay any rules and conditions in the leasing contract that are not in line with the Act.

Being a tenant can be overwhelming, as there is a lot to remember. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and do your research. Know your rights as a tenant!

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