Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to certain rules.

Does my province have a rent control policy?

No, Alberta does not have a rent control policy, and there are no limits to how much a landlord may increase the rent. But there are some rules in the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) on how and when rent can be increased.

What are the rules around rent increases?

• After a renter moves in, a landlord must wait at least 12 months before raising the rent. After that, any rent increases must also be 12 months apart.
• A landlord must give at least 3 months’ notice before the rent goes up for a month-to-month lease, and 12 weeks’ notice for a week-to-week lease. No written notice is required for a fixed term lease. A fixed term lease starts and ends on specified dates.
• A landlord cannot increase the rent midway through a fixed term lease agreement and must wait until the fixed-term agreement has ended.

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to certain rules.

Does my province have a rent control policy?

Yes, British Columbia has a rent control policy in the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) which sets the maximum limits by which landlords can increase the rent every year.

What are the rules around rent increases?

• After a renter moves in, a landlord must wait at least 12 months before raising the rent. After that, any rent increases must also be 12 months apart.
• Each year a landlord can only increase the rent according to the limits set in the RTA.
• Sometimes a landlord can raise the rent if the Residential Tenancies Branch, the body that resolves disputes between landlords and tenants, decides that they can or if the renters agree to an increase in writing.
• If a landlord does not raise the rent, they cannot apply a rent increase retroactively the following year.
• A landlord must give at least 3 months’ notice before the rent goes up.

Can my landlord increase my rent by more than what limit allows?

If a landlord wants to raise the rent beyond the limits allowed in the RTA, they can apply to the Residential Tenancies Branch. The RTA lists specific reasons why a landlord can apply for an above limit which include:

• A landlord has completed repairs or renovations that could not have been foreseen under reasonable circumstances and will not happen again within a reasonable time frame.
• Where an extraordinary increase in operating expenses has caused the landlord to incur a financial loss.
• Where the landlord incurs a financial loss from financing costs related to a purchase which could not have been foreseen under reasonable circumstances.

Do rent control limits apply when renters change?

When a renter leaves a unit, there are no legal limits for how much a landlord can increase the rent for a new renter.

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to certain rules.

Does my province have a rent control policy?

Yes. Manitoba has a rent control policy in the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA)which sets the maximum limits by which landlords can increase the rent every year. There is currently a rent freeze in place which means that for 2022 and 2023 the rent increase limit is 0%.

What are the rules around rent increases?

• After a renter moves in, a landlord must wait at least 12 months before raising the rent. After that, any rent increases must also be 12 months apart.
• A landlord must give at least 3 months’ written notice before they raise the rent.
• Some units are exempt from rent control limits in the RTA.
• When a property owner decides to rent their home or other type of unit as a residential unit for the first time, they can set the rent without following the rent control limits in the RTA. But they cannot increase the rent for 12 months after the renter moves in. After the first year, the annual rent increase limit will apply.

Can my landlord increase my rent by more than what limit allows?

A landlord may apply to the Director of Residential Tenancies to be allowed to raise the rent above the annual limit. If a renter objects to the increase, they may file an objection with the Director.

Do rent control limits apply when renters change?

If a renter moves out of a unit in a building that has four or more units, the rent charged for the new renter may be increased to the average rent being charged for similar units in the same building if notice is given to the new renters. But if a renter moves out of a rental unit in a building that has three units or less, the landlord can increase the rent by any amount that they decide, if they provide notice to the new renters.

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to certain rules.

Does my province have a rent control policy?

Yes. New Brunswick has a rent control policy in the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) which says that landlords cannot increase the rent to more than what is reasonable in relation to the rent charged for comparable units in the same geographical area.  However, the policy only applies if a tenant takes steps to enforce it.

What are the rules around rent increases?

• After a renter moves in, a landlord must wait at least 12 months before raising the rent. After that, any rent increases must also be 12 months apart unless the landlord and renter have agreed otherwise in writing.
• Landlords must give at least 3 months’ written notice before they raise the rent for a fixed term lease (a lease that starts and ends on specified dates), and at least 6 months’ notice for a lease that is week-to-week, month-to-month, or year-to-year.
• If a rent increase amount is for more than what is reasonable in relation to the rent charged for comparable units in the same geographical area, the tenant can apply to a residential tenancies officer to cancel the increase. However, if the tenant does not file that application, then the increase is allowed. 
• If a rent increase amount is for more than the consumer price index (inflation rate), the tenant can apply to a residential tenancies officer to delay part of the increase by one to two years. However, if the tenant does not file that application, then the whole increase can take place in the first year. 

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to some rules.

Does my province have a rent control policy?

No. Newfoundland and Labrador does not have a rent control policy, and there are no limits to how much a landlord may increase the rent. But there are some rules in the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) on how and when rent can be increased.

What are the rules around rent increases?

• After a renter moves in, a landlord must wait at least 12 months before raising the rent. After that, any rent increases must also be 12 months apart.
• A landlord has to give a renter 6 months’ written notice before they raise the rent for a month-to-month or fixed term lease, and 8 weeks’ notice for a week-to-week lease.
• If a landlord wants to raise the rent because they are providing a new or additional service, the landlord and renter can agree to the increase in writing and there is no need for written notice from the landlord in this case.

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to certain rules.

Does my territory have a rent control policy?

No. Northwest Territories does not have a rent control policy, and there are no limits to how much a landlord may increase the rent. But there are some rules in the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) on how and when rent can be increased.

What are the rules around rent increases?

• After a renter moves in, a landlord must wait at least 12 months before raising the rent. After that, any rent increases must also be 12 months apart.
• Landlords must give renters 3 months’ written notice before raising the rent.
• If a renter wants to end their lease because of a rent increase, the landlord must give the new renter a copy of the last notice of rent increase and rent the unit at the same price. This does not apply to subsidized housing.

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to certain rules.

Does my province have a rent control policy?

No. Nova Scotia does not have a permanent rent control policy, and there are no limits to how much a landlord may increase the rent. But there are some rules in the Residential Tenancies Act on how and when rent can be increased. The province implemented a temporary rent control policy in November 2020 in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, which is set to expire on December 31, 2023.

What are the general rules around rent increases?

• After a renter moves in, a landlord must wait at least 12 months before raising the rent. After that, any rent increases must also be 12 months apart.
• A landlord must provide 4 months’ written notice before raising the rent for year-to-year and month-to-month leases, and 8 weeks’ written notice for week-to-week leases.
• For fixed term leases, which start and end on specified dates, the lease must state the amount of any rent increases and the dates of when they will start, which cannot be more than once in one year.
• These rules do not apply to subsidized housing.

What is the temporary rent control policy?

• As of 2024, landlords cannot raise the rent by more than 5% annually. Since this is a temporary policy, it might change in future years.
• This does not apply to renters signing a new lease, except renters who have a fixed-term lease and are signing a lease for an additional fixed-term in the same rental unit. It also does not apply to renters living in subsidized housing.

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to certain rules.

Does my territory have a rent control policy?

No. Nunavut does not have a rent control policy, and there are no limits to how much a landlord may increase the rent. But there are some rules in the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) on how and when rent can be increased.

What are the rules around rent increases?

• Landlords cannot increase the rent more than once in a 12-month period.
• Landlords must provide renters with 3 months’ written notice before they raise the rent.
• If a renter wants to end their lease because of a rent increase, the landlord must give the new renter a copy of the last notice of rent increase and rent the unit at the same price. This does not apply to subsidized housing.

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to certain rules.

Does my province have a rent control policy?

Yes, Ontario has a rent control policy in the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) which sets the maximum limits by which landlords can increase the rent every year. In Ontario these are referred to as guidelines.

What are the rules of rent increases?

After a renter moves in, a landlord must wait at least 12 months before raising the rent. After that, any rent increases must also be 12 months apart.

Landlords must give renters a written notice of at least 90 days before the rent goes up. The notice should be on one of the forms from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).  Even if the landlord does not use the LTB form, a notice might still be valid if it includes all the information that can be found on the LTB form.

Can my landlord increase my rent by more than what limit allows?

Landlords can apply to the LTB for permission to raise the rent by more than what is allowed in the guideline. This is referred to as an above guideline increase or AGI. The RTA lists specific reasons why a landlord can apply for an AGI which include:

• An increase in the cost of municipal taxes and charges.
• Extra costs incurred from repairing the building or one or more of the units in it.
• Operational costs related to security services provided for the building by someone other than the landlord. Renters can challenge a landlord’s application for an AGI at the LTB.

If the landlord gets approval for an AGI, they must still wait 12 months between rent increases and give 90 days’ written notice to the renter before the rent goes up.

Do rent control limits apply when renters change?

When a renter leaves a unit, there are no legal limits for how much a landlord can increase the rent for a new renter.

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to certain rules.

Does my province have a rent control policy?

Yes, Prince Edward Island has a rent control policy in the Rental of Residential Property Act. Each year the amount of rent increase that is allowed is decided by the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC). IRAC considers several factors to calculate the rent increase limit including vacancy rates, the economic outlook for the province, and changes to the Consumer Price Index.

What are the rules around rent increases?

• After a renter moves in, a landlord must wait at least 12 months before raising the rent. After that, any rent increases must also be 12 months apart, even if a new renter moves into the unit.
• For a weekly lease, landlords must provide at least 3 weeks’ written notice before raising the rent and 3 months’ written notice for a monthly lease.

Can my landlord increase my rent by more than what limit allows?

If a landlord wants to raise the rent above the limit that is allowed, they must apply to the Office of the Director of Residential Rental Property, and the Director will decide on the increase. A hearing must take place which may be attended by the renter. The Director will consider different factors when making their decision including:

• Whether the increase is necessary to prevent the landlord from sustaining a financial loss in the operation of the rental units;
• Increased operating costs or capital expenditures provided by the landlord;
• The expectation of the landlord to have a reasonable return on their capital investment; and
• The date and amount of the last rent increase.
• Other factors that were added in 2023. More time will be needed to find out how the new factors will affect the Director’s decisions.

Do rent control limits apply when renters change?

Rent increases are attached to the unit and not the renter. Rent cannot be automatically increased between different renters. If a new renter moves in, the landlord can only increase the rent according to the rules around rent increases mentioned above. If a landlord wants to increase the rent beyond the limit, they must apply to the Office of the Director of Residential Rental Property.

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to certain rules.

Does my province have a rent control policy?

Yes, but it only applies if a tenant refuses a proposed increase within one month of receiving notice of it.  If a tenant doesn’t refuse, then a landlord can increase the rent by any amount.

What are the rules around rent increases?

• A landlord must give proper notice of any rent increase.
• Both the landlord and renter must agree that a rent increase is reasonable before the rent is raised. The renter has the right to accept or refuse the proposed increase within 1 month of receiving notice of it.
• If a renter rejects a proposed rent increase, the landlord may apply to the Quebec Rental Board so that it can determine what the rent should be or make a decision on the rent increase.
• The Quebec Rental Board publishes guidelines every year on suggested rent increases, but landlords are not required to follow them.
• If a lease provides for a change in rent, the landlord or renter may apply to the Quebec Rental Board to contest the change if it is too little or too much and ask the Board to decide on the rent amount.
• A renter or someone who is subletting a unit may apply to the Quebec Rental Board to have their rent determined by the Board, if their rent is higher than the lowest rent paid during the 12-month period preceding the beginning of the lease or sublease, unless that rent has already been determined by the Board.
• In all instances where rent is determined by the Board, it will remain in force for the term of the lease.

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to certain rules.

Does my province have a rent control policy?

No. Saskatchewan does not have a rent control policy, and there are no limits to how much a landlord may increase the rent. But there are some rules in the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) on how and when rent can be increased.

What are the rules around rent increases?

• In a fixed term lease, which has a specific end date, landlords are not allowed to raise rent during the duration of the lease unless at the beginning of the lease the landlord and renter agree on how much the increase will be and when the rent will be raised.
• For a periodic lease, which is a lease that continues until it is ended by the tenant or landlord according to the rules of the RTA, landlords must give the renter written notice at least 12 months before raising the rent and cannot raise the rent more than once a year.
• If a landlord is a member of the Saskatchewan Landlord Association or the Network of Non-Profit Housing Providers of Saskatchewan, they may give a renter 6 months’ advance written notice before raising the rent and shall not increase rent more than twice each year.
• These rules do not apply to subsidized housing in which a tenant’s rent is based on their household income.

Can my landlord increase my rent?

Yes, subject to certain rules.

Does my territory have a rent control policy?

No. Yukon does not have a permanent rent control policy and there are no limits to how much a landlord may increase the rent. But there are some rules in the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act on how and when rent can be increased. A temporary rent control policy was introduced in May 2021 that will be in place until January 31, 2023.

What are the general rules around rent increases?

• After a renter moves in, a landlord must wait at least 12 months before raising the rent. After that, any rent increases must also be 12 months apart.
• A landlord must give a renter 3 months’ written notice before raising the rent.

What is the temporary rent control policy?

• Landlords cannot raise the rent by more than the annual rent limit that is set by the territory. For 2022 the limit is 3.3%.
• The annual rent limit is tied to a renter not the rental unit. When a landlord begins a lease with a new renter, they may agree to a new rent which could be below, at, or above Yukon’s annual rent limit. Once the new lease begins, it is then subject to the annual rent limit.
• Annual rent limits do not apply to housing where the rent is tied to the renter’s household income.

Under the Residential Tenancies Act, landlords have the right to request proof of income from prospective tenants, and they have the right to refuse to rent to someone if they believe their income is not high enough to afford the rent. However, receipt of social assistance is a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code, and to prevent discrimination based on receipt of social assistance, under the Code, landlords do not have the right to request that prospective tenants provide the source of their income. This means that in some cases, when landlords ask for a letter of employment, it could act as proof of discrimination if the landlord refused a tenant who did not provide proof they are employed. Some prospective tenants may be refused by landlords because their income is not much higher than the monthly rent amount, even if they work full-time. While this is a serious concern for many tenants as housing in Ontario becomes increasingly unaffordable, it is not a violation of the Human Rights Code.

If you think a landlord has refused to rent to you based on the source of your income (for example, if you receive public assistance like Ontario Works or ODSP) contact CCHR for support:

• Call: 1-800-263-1139   OR   416-944-0087
• Email: cchr@housingrightscanada.com

If you need assistance finding affordable housing in Toronto, contact the Housing Help Centre:

• Call: 416-285-8070
• Website: www.shhc.ca

For more information, check out our other FAQ sections on:

• Housing laws in Ontario

• Human Rights 101

In Ontario, the Human Rights Code protects individuals from discrimination in housing based on sixteen protected grounds, which include race, ethnic origin, disability, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, and family status, among others. If a landlord has refused to rent to you due to one of these aspects of your identity, it is against the law.

If you think you are facing discrimination when trying to access housing, CCHR may be in a position to advocate on your behalf.

Contact CCHR for support:

• Call: 1-800-263-1139   OR   416-944-0087
• Email: cchr@housingrightscanada.com

You may also wish to file an application with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.

The Human Rights Tribunal is one of eight Ontario Tribunals. When a complaint is filed with the Tribunal, they will determine whether or not the Code has been violated. Applicants that file with the Human Rights Tribunal may need to attend a mediation session or a hearing and provide evidence of their complaint. If the Tribunal determines that there has been a violation of the Human Rights Code, the Tribunal may order a remedy, for example financial compensation.

• Find out more about the human rights system in Ontario

If you would like assistance filing a human rights complaint, contact the Human Rights Legal Support Centre:

• Call: 1-866-625-5179
• Visit: www.hrlsc.on.ca

For more information:

• FAQs on Human Rights

The Ontario Human Rights Code protects individuals from being discriminated against for their “record of offences,” when accessing employment but not when accessing housing. For example, an employer cannot discriminate against a potential employee for having a criminal record unless the offences listed on the record would have a real effect on their ability to do their job.

• Find out more about discrimination based on a criminal record

Landlords can choose not to rent to individuals who have a criminal record without violating the Ontario Human Rights Code. However, requiring potential tenants to submit a criminal record check as part of a rental application process could constitute “adverse effect discrimination.” Adverse effect discrimination happens when seemingly neutral policies, practices, or rules have discriminatory effects on particular groups. For example, if a landlord requests a criminal record check or police check from all applicants for a unit, this could have a discriminatory effect on some groups of applicants who have had interactions with police connected a protected ground, such as mental health disability. The landlord’s policy could be discriminatory.

• Find out more about identifying discrimination in rental housing

If you are applying for housing and are asked for a criminal record or police check, contact CCHR for support:

• Call: 1-800-263-1139   OR   416-944-0087
• Email: cchr@housingrightscanada.com

Finding accessible housing in Ontario can be very difficult, and waitlists for accessible units are often very long. For many tenants, it is easier and quicker to request accommodations from their housing provider to make their current unit accessible rather than wait for an accessible unit to become available.

If you need to request accommodations in your current unit, contact CCHR for support:

• Call: 1-800-263-1139   OR   416-944-0087
• Email: cchr@housingrightscanada.com

If you need assistance finding accessible housing, regardless of the nature of your disability, contact the Centre for Independent Living (CILT)

• Call: 416-599-2458
• Email: cilt@cilt.ca

If you need assistance finding affordable housing in Toronto, contact the Housing Help Centre:

• Call: 416-285-8070
• Website: www.shhc.ca