How to Find a Rental in Ontario

Rent is only part of what a home costs each month. Before you start viewing, add up the costs that may sit on top of it: hydro, heat and water if they are not included, internet, tenant insurance, parking and laundry.

Ask each landlord exactly which utilities are included and whether any are billed separately. Two units with the same rent can differ by a few hundred dollars a month once these are counted. Our estimator below lets you add them up.

At the start of a tenancy, Ontario law allows a landlord to collect a rent deposit of no more than one month's rent, which must be used for the last month of the tenancy, and a refundable key deposit. A landlord cannot charge a damage or security deposit.

Write down the few things you will not compromise on before you search: the neighbourhoods or commute you need, the number of bedrooms, whether you need parking, in-suite laundry, outdoor space or step-free access, and when you need to move.

Rent varies more by building type, unit size and transit access than by city name. A newer condominium suite near a subway station, a basement apartment in a house and a room in a shared home are different products at different prices, even on the same street.

• Commute: check the actual trip at the time of day you will travel.
• Building: a purpose-built rental, a condominium owned by an individual and a house each come with a different landlord relationship.
• Move-in date: many Ontario leases start on the first of the month, so start looking six to eight weeks ahead.

See the unit in person, or by a live video call if you cannot attend, before you pay anything. At the viewing, look at the condition of windows, floors, appliances and bathrooms, run the taps, and check for signs of water damage or pests.

• Which utilities are included, and how are the others billed?
• Is parking, a locker or laundry included in the rent or charged separately?
• Who handles maintenance requests, and how?
• For a condominium: are there building rules on move-in times, elevators or pets?
• For a basement or secondary unit: is it a legal unit, and are there working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms?

Ask whether the unit was first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018. If it was, the annual rent-increase guideline does not apply to it.

Rental fraud is common in busy markets. Warning signs include a rent well below similar homes nearby, a landlord who cannot show you the unit, pressure to pay a deposit before a viewing, and requests for payment by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency.

• Never pay before you have seen the unit and confirmed who owns or manages it.
• Pay deposits by a traceable method and get a receipt.
• Be wary of listings that copy photographs from elsewhere; a reverse image search can reveal them.
• If something feels wrong, walk away. You can report fraud to your local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Landlords usually ask for a rental application, proof of income, references and consent to a credit check. A complete, organised file is often what separates applicants for a popular unit. Our Ontario Rental Application Guide explains what a landlord may and may not ask.

You do not have to provide your Social Insurance Number to rent a home, and a landlord cannot refuse you for a reason protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Most residential tenancies in Ontario must use the province's standard form of lease. Read it, including any additional terms, before you sign. Terms that conflict with the Residential Tenancies Act are void, even if you have signed them; for example, a clause that bans pets in the unit is void under the Act, although condominium rules may still restrict pets.

If your landlord has not given you the standard lease, you can ask for it in writing. If they do not provide it within 21 days, you may be entitled to withhold one month's rent.

On move-in day, walk through the unit with the landlord or property manager if possible, note any existing damage in writing, and take dated photographs. Keep copies of your lease, receipts and all correspondence.

Arrange tenant insurance before you move in. It typically covers your belongings and your liability to others, and many landlords ask to see proof of it.