Your First Apartment in Ontario: 10 Things to Check Before You Sign

Most private residential leases in Ontario must use the province's standard lease form. It sets out the basics in plain language, and the Residential Tenancies Act protects you even if the lease says something different.

The 10-point checklist

1. The standard lease. For most rentals, the landlord must use it. If they don't, you can ask for it in writing.
2. Who the landlord is. Get the landlord's legal name and an address for serving notices.
3. The rent and what it includes. Is hydro, heat, water, parking, storage or laundry included? Write it down.
4. Deposits. A landlord can ask for a rent deposit (usually last month's rent) and a refundable key deposit. Damage deposits aren't allowed.
5. Rent control. Units first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the annual rent increase guideline. Ask when the unit was first occupied.
6. Tenant insurance. Many leases require it, and it protects your belongings either way.
7. Rules about guests, pets and smoking. Read any extra terms carefully: some aren't enforceable, but you want to know what the landlord expects.
8. Repairs. Note anything broken and get a written promise of when it will be fixed.
9. Move-in photos. Take dated photos and video of every room before you unpack.
10. Receipts. Pay by a method that leaves a record, and ask for receipts.

Red flags

• Asking for a large "security" or damage deposit, or several months of rent up front as a condition.
• Refusing to give you a copy of the signed lease.
• Pressure to sign the same day without seeing the unit.

After you move in

Keep the lease, receipts and photos together. If a problem comes up, these are the documents the Landlord and Tenant Board will want to see.

Sources

• Residential Tenancies Act, 2006
• Ontario's standard lease
• Landlord and Tenant Board (Tribunals Ontario)

Read next: Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms in Ontario Rentals: Who's Responsible?

General Ontario legal information, not legal advice for your matter, and reading it does not create a retainer. Sources checked 15 October 2026: check the current law, forms and dates before you act.

Photos from Pexels: A modern apartment building under a blue sky · House keys on a wooden table.

This article is general information for people in Ontario, not legal advice. Rules, forms and deadlines change, and every situation is different. Check the current rule or speak to a licensed legal professional before you act.