Ontario's standard lease: a plain-language guide
Since 2018, Ontario has had a standard lease: a government template that most residential landlords must use for new written tenancy agreements.
Who has to use it
The standard lease applies to most private residential rentals, including houses, apartments, condos and basement apartments. It doesn't apply to care homes, mobile home parks and land lease communities, most social and supportive housing, certain special tenancies, or co-operative housing.
What if the landlord doesn't provide it?
- A tenant who is entitled to the standard lease can ask for it in writing.
- The landlord then has 21 days to provide it.
- If they don't, the tenant can withhold one month's rent. If the landlord still hasn't provided it 30 days after that, the tenant doesn't have to repay the withheld rent.
- A tenant can never withhold more than one month's rent this way.
Additional terms
The lease has a section for extra terms, such as no smoking, snow removal or who pays which utilities. Any extra term that conflicts with the Residential Tenancies Act is void, even if both sides sign it. For example, a clause that bans guests, requires a damage deposit, or says the tenant can be evicted without an LTB order has no effect.
Tips
- Landlords: download the latest version from ontario.ca and fill in every section, including who pays for each utility.
- Tenants: read the additional terms carefully and keep a signed copy.
Rooms where you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner usually aren't covered by the RTA, so the standard lease isn't required. A written agreement is still a good idea.