On this page, find key information about the rent regulation laws in place in your province or territory, including about:
* The information on this page was last updated in May 2024.
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?
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?
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:
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
What is the temporary rent control policy?
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?
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:
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?
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:
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?
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?
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?
What is the temporary rent control policy?
This informational pamphlet examines the issue of renovations and upgrading that lead to evictions from rental housing, which denies people their right to security of tenure – a key component of the right to housing. We outline how “renovictions” are playing out across Canada, and how advancing the right to housing can help to address these issues.
This pamphlet was produced by the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) and the National Right to Housing Network (NRHN).
The Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS) commits to address the housing needs of the most vulnerable, promote community building and encourage partnerships to advance the right to housing. How will this be done?
This pamphlet examines the extent to which governmental budgeting and resource allocation is contributing to meeting the goals the federal government has set out in the NHS, as well as its commitments to implement the right to housing as outlined in the National Housing Strategy Act (NHSA).
This pamphlet was produced by the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) and the National Right to Housing Network (NRHN).
Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) is a planning tool used by municipal governments to encourage or mandate developers who intend to build new dwellings, to “set aside” a portion of these units for affordable use. Such units may be allocated for sale or lease at affordable rates. Developers may also have the option of building the affordable units in other locations within a city, or they may be able to pay cash in lieu of actually developing the units. Municipal governments may offer incentives such as further relaxations on building height or “density bonusing” to generate more investments from developers in affordable housing.
The rationale for adopting the policy partly stems from a general failure among many local governments to effectively leverage the dynamics of the market to create affordable housing options for low - and moderate-income people. For instance, in Toronto out of the 230,000 new housing units that were constructed or slated for development over the last five years, only 2% offered rents at or below market rates. Most of the new buildings are condominiums or detached homes. Housing options available for those living on fixed incomes like seniors or for people making a living off precarious employment like many young adults, are negligible.
Local planning and infrastructure investment decisions have created conditions to promote private development activity in major cities across Canada, but not enough affordable housing has emerged out of this process. Specifically, zoning amendments such as density relaxations and encouragement of mixed -use development signal greater economic activity, in turn promoting speculative behaviour in land markets. Prospective investors and developers make projections about potential development revenues generated based on the policy changes and related market and operational variables, in practice materializing into inflated investments in land. To maximize profit margins, new housing built on these lands are priced at rates that are targeted towards higher income earners.
The strategy is thus investor driven - one that endeavours to increase returns at exponential rates. The housing needs of households in the low- and moderate-income range are effectively overlooked, leading to a form of market failure that warrants some form of government intervention. Indeed, public policy appears to have created conditions for the development industry to reap windfall profits without many conditions in place to capture a meaningful portion of the proceeds for the greater needs of the public.
IZ closes part of this gap. By requiring or negotiating with developers to provide affordable housing options either directly or through cash in lieu, evidence from most jurisdictions that have experimented with the policy shows that affordable options can be created over time with varying levels of success. Plus, it is likely that the restrictive orientation of the IZ policy tool has a dampening effect on the skyrocketing prices of land in many cities.
Opponents of the policy tend to point to the policy’s cost prohibitive design. This, they suggest, leads to rising house prices, the burdens of which are carried by prospective homeowners, or supply could be constricted at a city-wide level. However, the theoretical basis and evidence to support such claims are fragile.
Firstly, property buyers tend to be sensitive to dramatic price shifts, so developers are left with little room to pass on high costs to these groups without risking losing market share. To the extent that there may be some increase in house prices in select cases, the role of IZ in this increase is minimal. In areas such as the Washington-Baltimore region, where the effects of the policy on supply have been studied, there appears to be no evidence of any negative effects after the introduction of the IZ policy.
While IZ clearly demonstrates potential, it can only work in cities with hot property markets, ones which are experiencing population and economic growth. If house prices are not escalating rapidly enough, then developers do not have the room to internalize the costs of the policy and generate sufficient returns. In fact, within cities, some neighbourhoods might be experiencing faster growth than others, implying the need for a differentiated approach to applying the policy.
Further, IZ primarily benefits moderate-income earners. A private developer can only do so much in creating affordable housing options. To sustain the arrangement, the prospective homeowner or renter must be earning a reasonable income generated from employment. This helps cover costs of rent or mortgage as well as maintenance and repairs over time. Its potential of helping meet the needs of this group is significant. Persistent shortfalls in affordable housing options can increase the risk of labour shortages on account of pricing out such households who then seek out cheaper options in other jurisdictions.
However, households in lower income categories such as newcomers and single-parent families have limited mobility options given that economic opportunities and social and physical infrastructure tend to be concentrated in larger cities. Neglecting such groups threatens the very economic dynamism and social fabric of large metropolises. A creative IZ policy that includes provisions for more stringent affordability requirements in some areas along with additional supports may hold some potential in covering a wider spectrum of income groups including households living in more precarious economic conditions.
Several European countries have experimented with various forms of IZ over the years. The United States, given its long history with implementing the policy, and comparable federal structure to Canada is noteworthy. IZ started emerging in the 1970s in American urban policy as federal housing programs started to wind down.
Today, there are over 500 IZ programs in about half of the country’s states, with jurisdictions ranging from large cities such as Chicago to smaller communities like Telluride, Colorado. The majority of initiatives is concentrated in California, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Key facts include:
The extent to which IZ can generate a significant number of affordable housing stock is contingent on the calibration of the policy, the permutations and combinations of which are determined by local context.
Montreal and Vancouver were the first Canadian cities to start experimenting with voluntary forms of inclusionary zoning. As provinces empower municipalities to adopt the policies, more are considering following suit. Notably, Toronto has proposed a mandatory program that will last for 99 years. Such actions point to an increasing recognition amongst municipal governments across Canada that value capture tools are a critical way to address the growing housing crisis in the country.
It can be stressful dealing with maintenance issues in a unit or building, especially if the landlord has not taken steps to fix the issue. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, landlords are obligated to deal with maintenance issues, however a tenant does not have the right to withhold rent when a landlord fails to properly address a maintenance issue. Tenants may have legitimate concerns about the condition of their building or unit, however if they choose to withhold rent, they could be at risk of eviction if they do not pay the full amount of their rent on time.
If you have a maintenance concern in your unit or building and your landlord is not addressing the problem, you can:
It can be difficult for tenants to know where to start when they are dealing with a maintenance issue.
If you have a maintenance concern in your unit or building, you can:
Tenants who live in condominiums are considered “tenants” under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), and the owner of the condominium is the tenant’s landlord. Under the RTA, the landlord is responsible for providing and maintaining the unit in a good state of repair and fit for habitation, and for complying with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards.
The landlord may refer some repairs or maintenance concerns to the condominium corporation depending on the nature of the issue, but it is still the landlord’s responsibility to manage the repair request from the tenant. If the landlord thinks that the condominium corporation should be responsible for the repair, it is the landlord’s responsibility to bring that concern to the condominium board.
If you are a tenant in a condominium and have a maintenance concern, you can:
Often, the responsibility for repairs in housing co-operatives will be set out in either the co-operative’s Occupancy By-law or a Maintenance and Repair By-law. Typically, the co-operative’s Board is responsible to address maintenance issues within a member’s unit, but not always. Members of housing co-operatives should consult their by-laws to find out who is responsible for specific repairs, and to confirm if the members are responsible for any repairs themselves.
Members of housing co-operatives are not considered “tenants” under the Residential Tenancies Act. This means that housing co-op members cannot file applications with the Landlord and Tenant Board if they have maintenance or repair concerns. Any concerns must be brought to the co-operative board.
enants who have damaged something in their unit are usually responsible for the cost of the repairs, unless the damage is caused by regular wear and tear over time. If tenants cause damage to their unit or the common area and they do not cover the cost of repairs, they could receive a notice of eviction from their landlord. If the damage is very serious, tenants could face an eviction notice even if they pay for the repairs. Tenants are also responsible for any damage caused by their guests.
If you or a guest have damaged something in your unit or building, you can contact your landlord to discuss how much the repairs may cost.
If you have received a notice of eviction for causing damage to your unit or building, you can:
Tenants do not need to pay for repairs for maintenance issues that are caused by regular wear and tear or use over time. Unless a tenant or their guest caused the damage, they are not responsible for the cost of the repairs. Landlords are responsible for making the repairs and for covering the cost.
If you are concerned about your rights when requesting repairs, you can:
The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) provides free, individualized services to renters in Ontario who are facing challenges in their housing.
Over the span of a year, CCHR – formerly known as the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA) – in collaboration with Canada without Poverty, spoke to an array of people belonging to various marginalized communities about how they survive with very little financial support. This booklet summarizes our findings, gives insight into what poverty looks like in Canada and puts into question whether a lack of financial literacy is the cause of poverty.
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