Ontario Standard Lease Requirements: What Landlords and Tenants Should Check

Most private residential tenancies in Ontario are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, and generally must use the province’s standard lease. This guide walks through the sections landlords are expected to complete and the details tenants should read closely before signing. It draws on Ontario’s Guide to Ontario’s Standard Lease, the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 and the Landlord and Tenant Board’s Guide to the Residential Tenancies Act. It is general information, not legal advice.

1. Use Form 2229 — the Standard Lease — without exception

For most private residential tenancies first entered into on or after April 30, 2018, you must use the current version of the Residential Tenancy Agreement (Standard Form of Lease), commonly called Form 2229. If you provide a non-standard lease and the tenant requests the standard form in writing, you have 21 days to deliver it. Miss the deadline and the tenant can withhold one month's rent.

2. Identify every party and the rental unit

Section 1 of Form 2229 requires the legal name of every landlord (including any property management company), the legal name of every adult tenant, the full address of the unit, and any included parking spaces, storage lockers, or other ancillary spaces.

3. Contact information and address for service

Section 2 requires an address for giving notices to the landlord and, where applicable, an email address you have agreed in writing to use for service of documents. Keep this current — improperly served notices routinely fail at the LTB.

4. Term, rent, and what's included

Section 3 fixes whether the tenancy is month-to-month or for a specific term, and Section 4 sets the rent amount, due date, and payment method. Section 5 itemizes which services and utilities are included (heat, hydro, water, internet, parking) and which are not. Vague "all in" or "tenant pays utilities" language is not enough.

5. Last month's rent — the only legal deposit

A landlord may generally collect a rent deposit of no more than one month's rent, applied to the last rental period, with interest paid to the tenant annually at the guideline rate. A refundable key deposit is also permitted, but it is limited to the reasonable cost of replacing the keys. Damage, pet and cleaning deposits are not permitted.

6. Smoking, pets, and other rules

You may add reasonable rules in Section 10 and the Appendix, but remember: no-pets clauses are void under section 14 of the RTA. You may prohibit smoking, restrict alterations, and set quiet hours, but you cannot waive a tenant's statutory rights.

7. Maintenance, repairs, and entry

The lease must reflect that the landlord is responsible for maintaining the unit in a good state of repair regardless of the tenant's awareness of any defect at move-in. Entry requires 24 hours' written notice between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for a specified purpose, except in emergencies or with the tenant's consent at the time.

8. Mandatory information sheet

Form 2229 includes an Information Sheet — pages that summarize key tenant and landlord rights, rent increases, and how to reach the LTB. You must give the tenant the complete form, including this sheet, not just the signature pages.

9. Additional terms in the Appendix

Anything you add in the Appendix (Section 15) must comply with the RTA. Common landlord additions — tenant insurance, utility allocation, parking surcharges — are fine if reasonable. Anything that conflicts with the RTA is void, even if signed.

10. Signatures, dates, and a signed copy to the tenant

Every adult tenant and every landlord must sign and date the lease. You must give a signed copy to the tenant within 21 days of signing. Failing to do so gives the tenant the right to withhold rent until delivery.

Check your own lease before you hand it out

Older lease templates often carry terms that no longer line up with the standard lease or the RTA. LeaseScore reviews the uploaded text against a structured Ontario-focused rubric and flags potential issues to look into further. It does not certify compliance and is not a substitute for legal advice.