Ontario introducing new mandatory 'easy-to-understand' standard rental lease

The province is introducing a “simple” rental agreement that will soon be mandatory for private residential leases.

The lease will be required for landlords and tenants in agreements using single and semi-detached houses, apartment buildings, rented condominiums and secondary units (such as basement apartments).

There is currently no standardized form for rental agreements in Ontario. The government says that the new lease form is written in easy-to-understand language and is templated to capture basic information such as names and addresses, the total rent and when it’s due, and any rules or terms about the rental unit or building.

The form also outlines the rights and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords, and explains what can (and cannot) be included in a lease. For example, landlords cannot ban guests or pets.

“The standard lease will help protect tenants by providing clarity around their rights,” said  Geordie Dent, Executive Director of the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations, in a statement. “It is easy to understand and will eliminate much of the confusion we have seen in the past around residential tenancies.”

The new form is required for residential tenancies entered into on or after April 30, 2018, and will be available in 23 languages.

See also

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