Ontario Lease Agreement Checklist: 10 Clauses Every Tenant Must Check Before Signing

Signing an Ontario residential lease is one of the biggest financial commitments most renters ever make — yet many tenants sign without reading past the rent amount. That is risky. Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act (RTA, 2006) makes a long list of common landlord clauses unenforceable, but only if you spot them before they cause a problem. Use this 10-point Ontario lease agreement checklist before you sign anything.

1. Is it the Ontario Standard Lease (Form 2229)?

For most private residential tenancies that started on or after April 30, 2018, landlords must use the Residential Tenancy Agreement (Standard Form of Lease), known as Form 2229. If your landlord hands you a custom Word document instead, you have the right to demand the standard form in writing — and to withhold one month's rent if they don't provide it within 21 days.

2. Rent amount, due date, and method of payment

The lease must clearly state the monthly rent, when it is due, and which payment methods are accepted. A landlord cannot require post-dated cheques or automatic withdrawals as the only payment method.

3. Last month's rent deposit — and nothing else

In Ontario, the only legal deposit is last month's rent. Damage deposits, pet deposits, cleaning deposits, and key deposits above actual replacement cost are all illegal. If you see any of these, flag the clause.

4. Rent increase rules

For most units first occupied before November 15, 2018, rent can only rise once every 12 months, by the provincial guideline, with 90 days' written notice on Form N1. Watch for clauses that try to lock in larger or more frequent increases — they are void.

5. Entry and privacy

A landlord must give 24 hours' written notice to enter, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., for a specific reason (repairs, showings, inspections). Any clause that says the landlord can enter "at any time" or "with reasonable notice" is unenforceable.

6. Maintenance and repairs

The landlord is responsible for keeping the unit in a good state of repair, regardless of whether you noticed the issue before moving in. Be cautious of clauses pushing repair costs, appliance servicing, or pest control onto you.

7. The "no pets" trap

No-pets clauses are void under section 14 of the RTA — full stop. Landlords can still evict for damage or serious disturbance, but they cannot enforce a blanket pet ban that you signed.

8. Guests, subletting, and assignment

You have the right to have guests. You also have a statutory right to assign or sublet with the landlord's consent, which cannot be arbitrarily refused. Watch for clauses banning either outright.

9. Termination and N-form notices

The lease cannot shorten the notice periods set out in the RTA, nor let the landlord evict you without an order from the Landlord and Tenant Board. Any "self-help eviction" clause — changing locks, shutting off utilities — is illegal.

10. Addendums and "house rules"

Many problem clauses hide in the addendum: smoking bans across the property, mandatory tenant insurance with specific minimums, parking surcharges, utility splits. Read every page of the addendum — these terms must still comply with the RTA to be enforceable.

Don't sign blind

A 60-second LeaseScore check at leasescore.co will flag illegal, risky, or missing clauses across all ten of these areas — so you negotiate before you sign, not after you've moved in.