Canada
Last verified August 7, 2026
Written for U.S. passport holders
Deposit Rules (Ontario)
- Rental law is provincial, not federal — this reflects Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act specifically; other provinces set their own rules.
- In Ontario, landlords cannot charge a security/damage deposit at all. They can only collect a 'last month's rent' deposit, capped at one month's rent, which must earn annual interest and be applied to your final month.
Rent Increases & Eviction
- Rent can only be raised once every 12 months, and only up to Ontario's annual rent increase guideline (1.9% for 2027) for units first occupied on or before November 15, 2018 — with at least 90 days' written notice on the official LTB form.
- Self-help eviction (changing locks, removing belongings) is illegal; landlords must obtain an order from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) before a tenant can be evicted.
The Gotcha
Ontario landlords legally cannot charge a security deposit at all — only a capped 'last month's rent' deposit that earns interest. If a landlord asks for an extra damage deposit on top of first and last month's rent, that request itself is against Ontario law, not just something you can negotiate down.
Sources
This page was drafted from the primary sources below. Rules change — check the linked page directly before relying on any of this.
- Renting in Ontario: Your rights — Government of Ontario
- Residential rent increases — Government of Ontario