Tenant Rights: Your Rights as a Renter Across Each Canadian Province

What are your rights as a renter in every Canadian province?

If you rent in Canada, there are rules in place to protect you. These legal rights are something which can help you stay protected, and ensure you’re treated fairly no matter where you’re renting across the country.

While support systems like tenant insurance help to keep you financially protected when you rent, there are also rules which landlords should follow to make the renting experience as fair and transparent as possible. In most cases, these change on a provincial basis – so where you live will play a big part in what basic legal rights you receive as a tenant.

Tenant rights by province in Canada

While federal legislation has been proposed to introduce the blueprint for a national renter’s bill of rights in Canada, it’s yet to be passed by Parliament. It has four core aims:

Providing everyone with a safe and affordable place to live
Ensuring fairness and transparency as part of the renting process
Addressing and preventing inequity and discrimination when renting
Safeguarding the system

The bill would ultimately aim to provide a fair, uniform and transparent renting experience for everyone in Canada, with a focus on creating a nationwide lease agreement, asking landlords to disclose the historical rent prices in their apartments, and cracking down on renovictions (where a renter is evicted because a landlord needs to carry out major renovation works).

However, because this bill is yet to come into effect, renters should take the time to understand exactly what their rights look like on a province-by-province basis instead. These rules change depending on where you live in the country.

Find your province below to understand what your legal rights look like as a Canadian renter.

Ontario

Renting Factor	Tenant Rights
Lease agreements	All lease agreements need to use Ontario’s standard lease template.
Deposits	Landlords can only collect a deposit for the last month of rent, as well as a refundable key deposit. They cannot collect deposits for damages.
Rent increase	Rental units that were initially occupied prior to November 15, 2018 are generally covered by rent control regulations. In these cases, landlords are limited to increasing rent by the percentage set out in the yearly rent increase guideline. The guideline for 2025 is 2.5%. In certain exceptional situations, a landlord may request approval from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) for an increase above the guideline. Any rent increase must also be accompanied by a minimum of three full months’ notice to the tenant.
Subletting	Sublets are only allowed if the landlord gives permission.
Pets	No-pet clauses are not allowed for lease agreements. Condo companies may have rules around pet ownership, and this can sometimes extend to renters in their buildings. If your pet causes damage or breaks bylaw rules regarding noise, you can face eviction.
Locks	Locks can only be changed with the permission of both parties, and can’t be done without giving either the landlord or a tenant a key. Landlords can’t lock a tenant out of a unit for any reason. Only a sheriff can evict a tenant.
Ending the tenancy	60 days notice is required for a renter to end a tenancy.
Eviction for cause	A landlord can write to the LTB and apply to evict a tenant for things like not paying rent or damaging a unit. 14 days notice is required for evicting a tenant for not paying rent.
No-fault evictions	A landlord can apply to the LTB to perform major renovations, or to take back the unit for themselves or someone in their immediate family. The notice period for this is 60-to-120 days.

BC

Renting Factor	Tenant Rights
Lease agreements	All rental contracts must be written with BC’s standard terms taken into account.
Deposits	Landlords can collect both a security deposit and a pet deposit, but neither can be more than half of one month’s rent.
Rent increase	Landlords can only increase rent by the amount laid out in the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB). In extenuating circumstances, a landlord can reach out to the RTB for a rent increase above this amount.
Subletting	A written sub-lease is required, and is only allowed with the permission of the landlord.
Pets	Landlords can decide if pets are allowed, as well as limit the total number of them. They can also set reasonable pet-related rules.
Locks	Locks can only be changed with the permission of both parties, and can’t be done without giving either the landlord or a tenant a key. Landlords can’t lock a tenant out of a unit for any reason. Only a court-approved bailiff can evict a tenant.
Ending the tenancy	Renters have to give one month’s notice to end a tenancy.
Eviction for cause	A landlord can evict a tenant for things like not paying rent or damaging a unit. 10 days notice is needed to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent.
No-fault evictions	A landlord can evict a tenant to perform major renovations, or to take back the unit for themselves or someone in their immediate family. The notice period for this is three-to-four months.

Alberta

Renting Factor	Tenant Rights
Lease agreements	There are no fixed rules around leases, other than that they cannot take away any tenant rights under the Residential Tenancies Act.
Deposits	Landlords can collect a security deposit which is no larger than one month’s rent. The landlord also has to pay interest on the deposit in accordance with provincial regulations.
Rent increase	Landlords can raise the rent once a year, and have to give three months’ notice. There are no rules about how much they can raise it by.
Subletting	Sublets are only allowed with the permission of a landlord.
Pets	Landlords can decide if pets are allowed, as well as limit the total number of them. They can also set reasonable pet-related rules.
Locks	Locks can only be changed with the permission of both parties, and can’t be done without giving either the landlord or a tenant a key. Landlords can’t lock a tenant out of a unit for any reason. Only a civil enforcement agent can evict a tenant.
Ending the tenancy	A month’s notice is needed for month-to-month leases, and 60 days for yearly contracts. No notice is needed for fixed term tenancies, which automatically end on the day specified in the rental agreement.
Eviction for cause	A landlord can evict a tenant for things like not paying rent or damaging a unit. 14 days notice is needed to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent.
No-fault evictions	A landlord can evict a tenant to perform major renovations, or to take back the unit for themselves or someone in their immediate family. The notice period for this is three months. One year’s notice is required before performing major renovations.

Quebec

Renting Factor	Tenant Rights
Lease agreements	All lease agreements in Quebec must use the lease form provided by the Tribunal administratif du logement. It’s common for agreements to end on June 30th every year, but there are no legal requirements for this.
Deposits	No deposits of any kind are allowed.
Rent increase	Three months notice is required, with landlords able to increase rent at the start of every renewal period. The amount is set by the Tribunal administratif du logement, using a fixed calculation.
Subletting	Subletting is allowed at the discretion of a landlord. They are legally forbidden from collecting additional fees, unless actual costs are incurred.
Pets	A landlord can decide if pets are allowed or not. They also have the right to collect an additional security deposit specific to pet damages.
Locks	Locks can only be changed with the permission of both parties, and can’t be done without giving either the landlord or a tenant a key. Landlords can’t lock a tenant out of a unit for any reason. Only a sheriff can evict a tenant.
Ending the tenancy	Leases in Quebec automatically renew. Tenants need to tell a landlord they don’t intend to renew within three months of their renewal date, or one month after receiving a renewal notice.
Eviction for cause	Landlords can apply to the Tribunal for eviction, for matters such as non-payment of rent or damages caused. They can apply for non-payment of rent once it’s three weeks late.
No-fault evictions	A landlord can evict a tenant to perform major renovations, or to take back the unit for themselves or someone in their immediate family. This can only take place at the end of a lease period, and requires six months’ notice. Some tenants are protected against no-fault evictions according to their age and income.

Manitoba

Renting Factor	Tenant Rights
Lease agreements	You are allowed either a written or verbal tenant agreement in Manitoba. Tenancy can be for a fixed term, or month-to-month.
Deposits	Landlords can collect a security deposit, pet damage deposit, and tenant services security deposits. Each deposit must be no more than one-half month’s rent. Landlords also have to pay interest on these deposits, set at the government rate.
Rent increase	Landlords must give three months notice, and can raise rent once per year. The maximum rent increase is set by the Residential Tenancies Branch.
Subletting	Landlords can approve or refuse to allow subletting. The maximum fee they can charge is $75.
Pets	Landlords can decide if pets are allowed. If they are, a pet damage deposit may be collected.
Locks	Locks can only be changed with the permission of both parties, and can’t be done without giving either the landlord or a tenant a key. Landlords can’t lock a tenant out of a unit for any reason. Only a sheriff can evict a tenant.
Ending the tenancy	Tenants have to give one month’s notice to end a tenancy. No notice is required for fixed-term tenancies.
Eviction for cause	Tenants can be evicted for failing to pay rent, or causing damages. A landlord may evict the tenant without notice, five days after non-payment of rent.
No-fault evictions	A landlord can evict a tenant to perform major renovations, or to take back the unit for themselves or someone in their immediate family. The notice period for this depends on the local vacancy rate. It usually falls between three and five months.

Nova Scotia

Renting Factor	Tenant Rights
Lease agreements	Leases can be verbal or written in Nova Scotia. The province recommends using its standard form of lease.
Deposits	A security deposit of no more than half a month’s rent can be collected. This has to be kept in a trust account, and returned within 10 days of the final day of a lease.
Rent increase	A landlord can raise rent once every 12 months. A rent increase cap is set at 5% until December of 2027. Landlords also have to give written notice of a rent increase four months before it happens.
Subletting	Sublets are allowed if the landlord agrees to it. They can’t charge a fee, but they can ask for reimbursement of any costs associated with the subletting. Tenants cannot charge subleeses any more than their original rent.
Pets	Landlords can decide if a pet is allowed, as well as how many. However, they cannot collect any pet-related deposits.
Locks	Locks can only be changed with the permission of both parties, and can’t be done without giving either the landlord or a tenant a key. Landlords can’t lock a tenant out of a unit for any reason. Only a sheriff can evict a tenant.
Ending the tenancy	Three months notice is required to end a yearly lease, while a month’s notice is needed for month-to-month leases.
Eviction for cause	Tenants can be evicted for failing to pay rent, or causing damages. Tenants have 10 days to dispute an eviction for non-payment of rent.
No-fault evictions	Landlords have the right to evict a tenant for renovations, or to take their property back for personal use. They must give a three-month notice period for this, and compensate the tenant with between one and three month’s rent.

Saskatchewan

Renting Factor	Tenant Rights
Lease agreements	Written and verbal leases are legal, but both must comply with Saskatchewan’s standard conditions.
Deposits	A security deposit of no more than a month’s rent can be taken. 50% of this has to be paid at the point of moving in, with the remainder needing to be paid within 2 months of this date. Deposits have to be held in an interest-bearing account.
Rent increase	Landlords can raise rent after 18 months, and then on an annual basis after that. There are no limits on how much it can go up by, but landlords do have to give a year’s notice for the initial increase. They must give two months’ notice for fixed-term tenants.
Subletting	Subletting is allowed with landlord permission. The maximum they can charge is $20.
Pets	Landlords can decide if pets are allowed, as well as the limit.
Locks	Locks can only be changed with the permission of both parties, and can’t be done without giving either the landlord or a tenant a key. Landlords can’t lock a tenant out of a unit for any reason. Only a sheriff can evict a tenant.
Ending the tenancy	Tenants need to give a month’s notice.
Eviction for cause	Tenants can be evicted for failing to pay rent, or causing damages. Tenants can be evicted without notice, 15 days after rent is late.
No-fault evictions	A landlord can evict a tenant to perform major renovations, or to take back the unit for themselves or someone in their immediate family. The notice period for this is usually two months.

New Brunswick

Renting Factor	Tenant Rights
Lease agreements	Agreements can be written or verbal, but have to conform to standard lease rules.
Deposits	Security deposits of no more than one month’s rent can be taken. These have to be submitted to the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office within 15 days. Tenants can pay a deposit directly to Service New Brunswick instead if they want, and have to apply for their deposit to be returned after their tenancy ends.
Rent increase	Landlords can raise the rent once every 12 months. This is currently capped at 3% per year. Six months’ notice is required to raise it.
Subletting	These are allowed if the landlord agrees to it.
Pets	Landlords can decide if and what limit of pets are allowed in a lease. They cannot collect a deposit for them, though.
Locks	Locks cannot be changed without giving either the landlord or a tenant a key. Landlords can’t lock a tenant out of a unit for any reason. Only a sheriff can evict a tenant.
Ending the tenancy	Three months written notice is needed to end a yearly lease, while a month is required for month-to-month leases.
Eviction for cause	Tenants can be evicted for failing to pay rent, or causing damages. A 15-day notice is required for eviction relating to a non-payment of rent.
No-fault evictions	A landlord may apply to the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office to evict a tenant to perform major renovations, or to take back the unit for themselves or someone in their immediate family. This notice period is normally three months.

PEI

Renting Factor	Tenant Rights
Lease agreements	Rental agreements in PEI must be in writing, using the standard form of a tenancy agreement for the province.
Deposits	Landlords can collect a deposit which is no larger than one rental period (usually a month). A written receipt is needed for this, with interest paid according to provincial laws.
Rent increase	Landlords can raise rent once every 12 months. Three months written notice is required, and rent cannot be raised more than the amount set out by the Director of Residential Tenancy.
Subletting	Subletting is allowed at the consent of the landlord. They cannot charge a fee, but can ask to be reimbursed for any expenses related to the subletting.
Pets	Landlords can decide if and how many pets are allowed. They cannot take a pet damage deposit.
Locks	Locks cannot be changed without giving either the landlord or a tenant a key. Landlords can’t lock a tenant out of a unit for any reason. Only a sheriff can evict a tenant.
Ending the tenancy	At least one month’s written notice is needed to end a lease.
Eviction for cause	Tenants can be evicted for failing to pay rent, or causing damages. Tenants have 10 days to dispute an eviction for non-payment of rent.
No-fault evictions	Landlords can apply to the Rental Office to evict a tenant for renovations or to take the property back for their personal use. The notice period for this is six months. In most of these cases, the landlord has to provide a month of rent, as well as cover moving expenses.

Newfoundland & Labrador

Renting Factor	Tenant Rights
Lease agreements	Both written and verbal lease agreements are legal, but it’s recommended to use the province’s standard rental agreement.
Deposits	Security deposits can be taken, but these are not allowed to be any more than three-quarters of a month’s worth of rent. Landlords also have to pay interest on these deposits.
Rent increase	Rent can be increased once every 12 months. Six months notice is required, but there is no restriction on how much rent can be increased.
Subletting	Subletting is allowed at the consent of the landlord. They cannot charge a fee, but can ask to be reimbursed for any expenses related to the subletting.
Pets	Landlords can decide if and how many pets are allowed. They cannot take a pet damage deposit.
Locks	Locks cannot be changed without giving either the landlord or a tenant a key. Landlords can’t lock a tenant out of a unit for any reason. Only the office of the High Sheriff can evict a tenant.
Ending the tenancy	One month’s notice is required, or two months for fixed term leases of 6-to-12 months.
Eviction for cause	Tenants can be evicted for failing to pay rent, or causing damages. A 10-day notice is required for eviction relating to a non-payment of rent.
No-fault evictions	A landlord can apply to the LTB to perform major renovations, or to take back the unit for themselves or someone in their immediate family. The notice period for this is no less than three months.

Sources:

How tenant insurance helps protect you financially as a renter

The legal rights we’ve laid out above are a part of renting in different Canadian provinces. However, they won’t entirely protect you financially should something go wrong in your home. This is where having a tenant insurance policy could make a big difference.

While provincial laws ensure your legal rights are protected, tenant insurance helps to support you financially as a renter in a number of ways:

Temporary displacement. If your home becomes unlivable for a short period of time, tenant insurance can help to cover your additional living expenses. That means things like the cost of paying for hotels, extra commuting costs, pet boarding, and any extra rent amounts you have to pay compared to your usual rate.

Your belongings. The contents coverage part of your tenant insurance means your belongings are financially protected (up to your chosen limit) if they’re damaged or stolen. Sometimes you can even get coverage for them going missing without an obvious cause, although this may need an enhanced add-on.

Legal fees. Personal liability coverage will kick in if you’re sued for damages – either to a property you’re renting, or a person who was in your home. While it won’t stop you from facing a legal battle, it will help support the cost of one. Just remember you’ll only receive this liability insurance if the damages or injuries were accidental.

Landlord responsibilities in Canada

Landlords also have a duty of care to their tenants, beyond just following provincial laws. These are federal-wide rules, which are again focused on ensuring that tenants are treated fairly while they’re renting.

Keep the tenant’s home in good repair, ensure it remains suitable for living, and cover all costs related to meeting health, safety, housing, and maintenance requirements.
Ensure tenants have consistent access to fuel, electricity, hot and cold water, and other utility services such as cable and Internet, unless the tenant has agreed to arrange and pay for these services themselves.
Respect the tenant’s right to reasonably enjoy the property without unnecessary interference, including members of their household and guests.
Do not take possession of a tenant’s belongings without following the proper legal process, even in cases of unpaid rent or breaches of tenant obligations.
Do not harass, intimidate, obstruct, threaten, coerce, or otherwise interfere with the tenant.

Your duties as a tenant in Canada

Just as with any dynamic, it can’t be all take and no give. Renters in Canada have responsibilities too, which they need to follow in order for some of their rights to be protected. No matter where you rent in Canada, you’re expected to comply with some basic rules:

Pay rent in full and on time as agreed in the tenancy arrangement.
Maintain good behaviour, keep the rental property clean, and repair any damage caused intentionally or through negligence by the tenant or anyone allowed onto the premises by the tenant.
Do not harass, intimidate, obstruct, threaten, coerce, or interfere with the landlord.
Notify the landlord promptly if any serious issue arises related to repairs or essential services.
Allow the landlord access to the property, with proper notice, for repairs or to show the premises to prospective tenants or purchasers.

FAQs

Whose responsibility is it if there’s mold in my apartment?

It’s often the landlord’s responsibility to act when mold is present in an apartment. However, there are also times when it might fall on you. That could be situations like:

Failing to report a leak as soon as you spot it
Never or infrequently using exhaust fans in the kitchen or bathroom
Drying clothes inside without a dehumidifier or other ventilation system
Blocking air vents
Causing structural damage

When it comes to mold, it’s almost always the responsibility of those at fault. If the landlord carried out structural repairs, provided solid ventilation options, and didn’t neglect basic repairs, they are less likely to be the ones responsible for paying for remediation.

What are my rights if my heating, hot water or central air stops working?

Things like heating, air conditioning, and hot running water are usually considered vital services for a home. Because of that, a landlord will almost always need to take action as soon as they’re notified.

If a landlord fails to act, or even respond to you, here’s some of the action you can take across different provinces of Canada:

Ontario – Contact your local bylaw enforcement office (such as through 311) to request an inspection. Tenants can also file a maintenance application with the Landlord and Tenant Board to request repairs or compensation.

British Columbia – If a landlord cannot be reached during an emergency, tenants may arrange for urgent repairs themselves and deduct the cost from future rent, up to the value of one month’s rent. Speak to the Residential Tenancy Branch for more information.

Alberta – Landlords are required to address emergency repairs as quickly as possible. If they don’t you can report them to the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service.

Quebec – If heating fails and the landlord does not act, tenants may apply to the Tribunal administratif du logement to request repairs or seek a reduction in rent.

Can I be evicted at any time without warning?

In most provinces, you will receive at least two weeks’ notice before being evicted. However, in some places, such as Saskatchewan and Manitoba, you won’t necessarily get a warning for an eviction with cause. In all provinces, no-cause evictions require some kind of notice – usually of two months or more.

How much can a landlord increase my rent by?

Your landlord can only increase the rent by the specified maximum amount for your province. This varies, but you should be able to find the amount for the current year somewhere online. They also have to give you advanced warning of an increase – which is almost always at least three months prior (and usually more).

Originally published May 20, 2026, updated May 20, 2026

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