Canada Ontario RTA 2006 Key Sections for Landlords

The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA, SO 2006, c. 17) is the operating manual for every Ontario residential landlord. It codifies what a landlord may ask for, must provide, and cannot do. This deep-dive walks through the sections an Ontario landlord touches every year — Standard Form of Lease (s.12.1), deposits (s.105–106), entry rights (s.27), repair obligations (s.20), rent increases (s.119, s.116), and termination (s.44, s.48, s.59, s.50). Use this as the working reference; use a paralegal or lawyer for a specific tenant dispute.

The full RTA text is at:

• https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17

The Ontario rent guideline page is at:

• https://www.ontario.ca/page/residential-rent-increases

The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) is at:

• https://tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/

1. Coverage and Exemptions — RTA s.5

Most private rental units in Ontario are RTA-covered. The exemptions in RTA s.5 include:

• Vacation rentals (less than 21 days);
• Units where the tenant must share kitchen or bathroom with the owner (or owner’s immediate family) — common-law landlord-tenant rules apply but the RTA does not;
• Some post-secondary student housing;
• Care homes (separate Part IX rules);
• Mobile home parks (separate Part X rules).

A basement apartment with its own kitchen and bathroom is RTA-covered even if it is in the same building as the owner’s residence — this is one of the most common landlord misunderstandings. The shared-facilities exemption only applies if the tenant must share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner, not with another tenant.

2. Standard Form of Lease — RTA s.12.1

Since 30 April 2018, RTA s.12.1 has required Ontario landlords to use the prescribed Standard Form of Lease (Form 2229E) for most private residential tenancies. The form is downloadable from:

• https://forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca/en/dataset/047-2229

Mandatory contents include:

• Parties (landlord legal name + service address per RTA s.12);
• Rental unit address;
• Term (fixed or month-to-month);
• Rent amount, due date, and payment method;
• Services and utilities included;
• Rent deposit (Last Month’s Rent) if any;
• Smoking policy;
• Tenant insurance recommendation (optional);
• Additional terms (must not contradict the RTA).

If a landlord fails to provide Form 2229E within 21 days of a tenant’s written request, the tenant may withhold one month’s rent under RTA s.12.1(6). The landlord forfeits that month if Form 2229E is not delivered after the tenant withholds.

Exemptions from the standard form (RTA s.12.1(2)) include care homes, mobile home parks, social and affordable housing, and co-ops with members.

3. Deposits — RTA s.105 and s.106

Ontario is the most restrictive Canadian deposit regime. Under RTA s.106, the only deposit a landlord may collect is the Last Month’s Rent (LMR), equal to one month’s rent. Specifically prohibited:

• “Security deposit” of any amount;
• Pet deposit;
• Cleaning deposit;
• Damage deposit;
• Key deposit beyond the actual replacement cost of the key (RTA s.105 — typically CAD 5–50, fully refundable).

The landlord must pay annual interest on the LMR equal to the rent guideline (2.1% for 2026), under RTA s.106(6). This can be paid to the tenant or applied to the next year’s rent.

Charging an unlawful deposit is recoverable through the LTB. Tenants who pay an unlawful deposit and later claim it back almost always succeed at the LTB.

4. Entry by Landlord — RTA s.27

Under RTA s.27, a landlord may enter a rental unit only:

• With written notice at least 24 hours in advance, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., for purposes set out in s.26 (showings, inspections, repairs);
• In an emergency;
• With the tenant’s consent at the time of entry;
• For housekeeping in care home units; or
• For a final showing within 30 days before a previously-noticed termination.

Entering without notice or outside the 8-to-8 window — even if the landlord owns the unit — is a violation that the LTB will sanction.

5. Landlord’s Repair Obligation — RTA s.20

Under RTA s.20, the landlord must keep the unit:

• In a good state of repair;
• Fit for habitation; and
• Compliant with health, safety, housing, and maintenance standards.

This obligation cannot be contracted away by the lease. A “tenant accepts as is” clause does not displace the s.20 duty. Tenants who experience a breach can apply to the LTB under RTA s.29 (Application by tenant) for repair orders, rent abatement, or termination of tenancy.

6. Tenant’s Obligations — RTA s.33–s.34, s.64

Under RTA s.33, tenants must keep the unit clean to a reasonable standard. Under RTA s.34, tenants are responsible for any damage they (or their guests) cause beyond ordinary wear and tear. Under RTA s.64, tenants may not substantially interfere with the reasonable enjoyment of other tenants or the landlord.

These three sections form the basis for landlord termination notices for tenant misconduct (Forms N5, N6, N7).

7. Rent Increases — RTA s.116 and s.119

Under RTA s.119, a landlord may increase rent only once per 12 months from the date of the last increase or the start of the tenancy, whichever is later.

Under RTA s.116, a landlord must give at least 90 days’ written notice of a rent increase using Form N1. The form is on the Tribunals Ontario website:

• https://tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/forms-filing-fees/

The 2026 rent increase guideline, published under Ontario Regulation 516/06, is 2.1%. Above-guideline increases require an LTB application under RTA s.126 — typically only granted for extraordinary capital expenditures or operating cost increases.

8. Termination by Tenant — RTA s.44

Under RTA s.44, a tenant on a periodic (month-to-month) tenancy must give the landlord at least 60 days’ written notice to terminate, ending on the last day of a rental period. Form N9 is the prescribed form.

A tenant on a fixed-term tenancy generally must wait until the end of the term and serve N9 60 days before that date.

9. Termination by Landlord — RTA s.48, s.50, s.59

The RTA distinguishes carefully among grounds for landlord termination:

Compensation for N12 is one month’s rent (RTA s.48.1). For N13, compensation is three months’ rent or alternative similar accommodation, plus right of first refusal back into the unit at the previous rent (RTA s.51, s.53). Landlord misuse of N12 or N13 — for example, evicting “for own use” but then re-renting at higher rent — is investigated by the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit and can result in fines of up to CAD 50,000 per offence.

After serving the appropriate N-form and waiting the notice period, the landlord must file an L1 or L2 Application with the LTB to obtain an order for possession. Filing fees: L1 (non-payment) and L2 (other grounds) are CAD 186.

10. Pets — RTA s.14 and s.76

Under RTA s.14, a “no pets” clause in a tenancy agreement is void. The Ontario legislator has decided that landlords cannot prohibit pets by contract.

The landlord can, however, evict for pet-related issues under RTA s.76:

• The pet causes damage to the unit;
• The pet causes an allergic reaction in another tenant or the landlord;
• The pet is dangerous; or
• The pet substantially interferes with reasonable enjoyment.

Each of these requires evidence, not just a “no pets” preference.

11. Self-Help Eviction — RTA s.234

Under RTA s.234, locking out a tenant, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities is an offence. Penalties include fines up to CAD 50,000 (individual) or CAD 250,000 (corporation) under RTA s.238, plus damages and reinstatement orders from the LTB.

The proper path is always through the LTB:

1. Serve the appropriate N-form.
2. Wait the prescribed notice period.
3. File L1 or L2 Application.
4. Attend hearing.
5. Obtain order.
6. Sheriff enforces.

Typical timeline: 8–16 weeks from notice to physical removal in a contested case.

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Disclaimer

Legal information, not legal advice. MmowW Scrib🐮 is operated by a licensed Gyoseishoshi (行政書士) office in Japan. We are not Canadian lawyers, paralegals, or notaries. For Ontario legal advice, consult a licensed Ontario paralegal or a lawyer admitted in Ontario.

Sources

1. Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 — https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17
2. Standard Form of Lease (Form 2229E) — https://forms.mgcs.gov.on.ca/en/dataset/047-2229
3. Landlord and Tenant Board — https://tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/
4. LTB forms and filing fees — https://tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/forms-filing-fees/
5. Ontario rent increase guideline — https://www.ontario.ca/page/residential-rent-increases