Landlord guides
Guides for Ontario landlords
Plain answers to the questions landlords ask us most, checked against Ontario's own guidance and dated so you know they're current.
All guides
Each guide starts with a short answer, then the detail.
Landlord guide · Toronto rent data
Average rent in Toronto: September 2026, by unit size and district
Toronto's one- and two-bedroom asking rents by district, how they compare with signed leases and existing tenancies, and what they mean for landlords.
Read the guideLandlord guide · The law
Landlord rights and responsibilities in Ontario: a plain guide for 2026
Entry, repairs, deposits, rent increases and ending a tenancy, including the September 2026 changes at the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Read the guideLandlord guide · LTB forms
LTB forms for landlords: which notice and which application to use
The Landlord and Tenant Board forms a landlord is likely to need, matched to each situation, with notice periods, deadlines, fees and the 2026 updates.
Read the guideLandlord guide · LTB forms
The N4 form: Ontario's notice for unpaid rent, and the L1 that follows
The 7-day N4 notice, how to give it, when it's void, and the L1 application and hearing, with 2026 Landlord and Tenant Board data.
Read the guideLandlord guide · Rent data
Average rent in Ontario cities: September 2026
Asking rents in 30 Ontario cities, with one- and two-bedroom rents and how they changed in a year.
Read the guideLandlord guide · Rent
Rent control in Ontario: the 1.9% guideline for 2027, and which units it covers
How rent control works: the 2026 and 2027 guideline, the units that are exempt, and the notice rules.
Read the guideLandlord guide · Applications
Ontario rental applications: what landlords can ask, and what they can't
What you can ask for, what you can't, and how to use income fairly.
Read the guideLandlord guide · Local rules
Ontario rental rules by city: licences, short-term rentals and added units
Rental licences, short-term rental rules, added units and grants in 87 Ontario cities and towns, each with its source.
Read the guideLandlord guide · Leases
Ontario lease agreement: what landlords need to know about the standard lease
When you must use it, what goes in it, and which terms don't count.
Read the guideLandlord guide · Deposits
Rent deposits in Ontario: last month's rent, key deposits and interest
The two deposits Ontario allows, the yearly interest and the top-up.
Read the guideLandlord guide · Safety
Carbon monoxide and smoke alarm law in Ontario: what landlords must do in 2026
The January 2026 carbon monoxide change, where smoke and CO alarms go, who does what in a rental, and the fines.
Read the guideLandlord guide · Rental fraud
How to spot a fake pay stub on a rental application
The checks that catch edited pay stubs, job letters and references.
Read the guideLandlord guide · Tenant screening
The 27-point tenant screening checklist for Ontario landlords
Every check Zola runs before it puts an applicant forward, and how to do each one.
Read the guideLandlord guide · Short-term rentals
Toronto's short-term rental rules for 2026: who can host, and what it costs
Principal residence only, registration, the 180-night cap, the 6% tax and fines, and why investment units rent long-term.
Read the guideLandlord guide · Property tax
Vacant home tax in Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa: what landlords need to know
The rates (3% in Toronto, 1% in Hamilton and Ottawa), who must declare, how a tenancy counts, and the deadlines.
Read the guideNot sure which guide you need?
Pick the line that sounds like you.
- I'm about to sign a lease with a new tenantOntario standard lease
- What can I ask on a rental application?Ontario rental application
- How much deposit can I take?Rent deposits in Ontario
- How much can I raise the rent next year?Rent control and the rent increase guideline
- An applicant's documents look too perfectHow to spot fake pay stubs
- What are the local rules where my rental is?Rental rules by city
- What can I do, and what must I do, as a landlord?Landlord rights and responsibilities
- My tenant hasn't paid the rentN4 form: unpaid rent
- Which LTB form do I need?LTB forms for landlords
- My place might sit empty for a whileVacant home tax
- Can I rent it on Airbnb instead?Toronto short-term rental rules
- Do I need carbon monoxide alarms on every floor?Smoke and CO alarm law
- I'd rather someone did all of this for meTenant placement
Still not sure? Call or text 437-448-6162 and we'll talk it through, free.
Guides by service
Each guide links to the service that does the work for you.
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