Ottawa · Kanata to Orléans
Tenant placement in Ottawa, from Kanata to Orléans
We price, list, show and screen, then prepare the Ontario standard lease or a customized lease for your Ottawa rental. You approve the tenant. One flat fee of one month's rent plus HST, paid only when they sign.
Free · No obligation · $0 until your tenant signs · 10-Month replacement guarantee
In short
Zola places screened tenants in Ottawa homes and condos. The City's Rental Housing Property Management By-law requires a tenant information document at signing and replies to urgent requests within 24 hours, and most short-term rentals must be in the host's principal residence. You pay one month's rent plus HST when your tenant signs.
Ottawa rules to know before you rent
We don't have Ottawa reviews to show yet, so here are the City's own rules, and where to check them.
- A tenant information document at signingUnder By-law 2020-255, in force since August 31, 2021, landlords give tenants two copies of an information document with the lease: contact details, how to make service requests, fire safety, waste and parking. The tenant signs one copy for the landlord to keep, and changes must be shared within 30 days.Source: City of Ottawa, landlords: roles and responsibilities, checked October 18, 2026
- Service requests: 24 hours or 7 daysLandlords must accept requests in person, in writing or by text, respond to urgent ones within 24 hours and others within 7 days, and keep records of each. They also need an integrated pest management plan, and buildings of three or more storeys or 10 or more units need a capital maintenance plan.Source: City of Ottawa, landlords: roles and responsibilities, checked October 18, 2026
- Short-term rentals: principal residence and a permitRenting all or part of your principal residence for fewer than 30 nights needs a two-year host permit, listings must show the permit number and maximum guests, and hosts can list only on City-registered platforms. Cottages and suites in rural areas outside villages have their own permit.Source: City of Ottawa, short-term rentals, checked October 18, 2026
- A new zoning by-law, mostly in forceCouncil approved Zoning By-law 2026-50 on January 28, 2026. After an Ontario Land Tribunal decision on July 2, 2026, most of it is in force; parts under appeal still follow the stricter of the old and new rules. Check which applies before adding units.Source: City of Ottawa, new Zoning By-law, checked October 18, 2026
- Vacant Unit Tax: 1% and risingOttawa taxes units left unoccupied for more than 184 days in a year: 1% of the assessed value the first year, one point more for each further year in a row, up to 5%. A rental counts as occupied if tenants lived there at least 184 days, in stretches of 30 days or more. Owners declare every year by the interim tax due date. Our vacant home tax guide explains.Source: City of Ottawa, Understanding the Vacant Unit Tax, checked October 18, 2026
These are summaries to help you plan, not legal advice. Check the City's pages for your own property.
What we place in Ottawa
Every Ottawa placement uses the same process and the same flat fee.
- Tenant placementLandlords with a condo, house, basement unit, multiplex or apartment building to rent.
- CondosCondo owners renting out a unit, including owners who live abroad.
- Basement apartmentsHomeowners renting a basement or second unit, often for the first time.
- Houses and townhomesOwners renting a detached, semi-detached house or townhouse.
- Multiplexes and apartment buildingsOwners of duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and apartment buildings of any size.
- Tenant screeningLandlords who want an applicant's income, identity and history checked properly.
Renting in Ottawa: what we see
Ottawa is a capital of public servants, students, tech workers and families, spread from an urban core to large suburbs and a wide rural area.
Downtown, the Glebe and Sandy Hill
Condos and older houses near Parliament, the University of Ottawa and Carleton, rented to public servants, students and young professionals. Near the campuses, leases often start in May or September.
Kanata, Barrhaven and Nepean
Newer houses and townhouses in the west and south suburbs, close to the Kanata North tech park and Highways 416 and 417, rented to families and tech workers.
Orléans and the east end
Family houses and townhouses in Orléans and the east end, where many tenants live and work in both English and French and commute downtown.
Average asking rents in Ottawa, September 2026
| Unit | Asking rent | vs. a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom | $1,969 | down 0.1% |
| 2-bedroom | $2,445 | down 3.1% |
All listed units, every size: $2,200 a month on average.
Source: Rentals.ca and Urbanation, National Rent Report, published October 7, 2026, with September 2026 listings. These are asking rents on new listings, not what sitting tenants pay. Rents across Ontario
Ottawa rental rules at a glance
| Short-term rentals | The host's principal residence, with a two-year host permit, on City-registered platforms only. Source: short-term rentals |
|---|---|
| Additional units | New Zoning By-law 2026-50 is mostly in force; parts under appeal follow the stricter of the old and new rules. Source: additional units |
| Other local rules | A tenant information document at signing, and replies to urgent requests within 24 hours (By-law 2020-255). Source: other local rules A Vacant Unit Tax on units unoccupied more than 184 days in a year: 1% the first year, rising one point a year to 5%. Source: other local rules |
Checked October 18, 2026. Ontario-wide rules apply everywhere; we list only the local ones we found. Compare Ottawa with other Ontario cities
Where we work in Ottawa
We work across Ottawa by appointment and meet you and your applicants at the property, evenings and weekends included.
- Centretown
- The Glebe
- Sandy Hill
- Westboro
- Old Ottawa South
- Vanier
- Kanata
- Stittsville
- Barrhaven
- Nepean
- Orléans
- Riverside South
Also served around Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley: Russell, North Grenville, Carleton Place, Mississippi Mills, Arnprior, Smiths Falls, Perth, Renfrew, Pembroke, Petawawa, Deep River and Laurentian Hills.
How it works in Ottawa
A free strategy call on day 1, with a rental market analysis for your area; professional photos and a listing live within 12 to 24 hours; then showings, screening and a signed lease, usually about three weeks in all. You pay one month's rent plus HST when your tenant signs.
Ottawa questions
What do I have to give an Ottawa tenant at signing?
The standard lease, plus two copies of the City's information document for tenants. The tenant signs one copy for you to keep. Both go on our signing checklist.
Can I rent my Ottawa condo for short stays?
Only if it's your principal residence, with a City host permit, and your condo corporation allows it. Otherwise we place a long-term tenant on the standard lease.
What should a one-bedroom in Ottawa rent for?
It depends on the unit. One-bedroom asking rents averaged $1,969 in September 2026, about the same as a year earlier. We price against comparable listings near you.
Free · No obligation · $0 until your tenant signs · 10-Month replacement guarantee
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