A wing, not a sidebar.

For most private residential tenancies that began on or after April 30, 2018, Ontario law requires the Standard Form of Lease — the province's plain-language template that every written agreement must use. It sets out the parties, the rent, the term, and the rules in a consistent, enforceable format.

If a landlord doesn't provide it, a tenant can formally request one in writing; if it still isn't supplied within the timelines set by the Residential Tenancies Act, the tenant may have grounds to withhold a month's rent. We prepare every lease on the proper form so nothing about your agreement is ever in doubt.

For rent-controlled units, the province publishes an annual rent increase guideline — the maximum a landlord can raise rent in a year without applying to the Landlord and Tenant Board. An increase generally requires 90 days' written notice and can only happen once every 12 months.

• The guideline is set each year and applies to most existing tenancies.
• Units first occupied as a residential rental after November 15, 2018 are generally exempt from the guideline — increases on those units aren't capped by it, though notice rules still apply.

We always confirm a unit's control status before pricing, so owners and tenants both know exactly where they stand.

In Ontario, a landlord may collect a last month's rent (LMR) deposit — and no more than that as a rent deposit. The deposit can't exceed one month's rent (or one rental period's worth) and must be applied to the final month of the tenancy.

• Damage deposits are not permitted in Ontario — a landlord cannot require money held against potential damage.
• Interest is owed annually on the LMR deposit, typically at the rent-increase guideline rate.
• A key deposit is allowed only if it's refundable and no more than the actual cost of the key.

We collect and document the LMR correctly so the tenancy starts on solid footing for everyone.

Good screening protects the asset without crossing the line. Landlords may reasonably request credit checks, references, rental history, and proof of income or employment to assess an applicant's ability to pay.

That assessment must stay inside the Ontario Human Rights Code, which prohibits refusing a tenant based on grounds such as race, family or marital status, age, disability, receipt of public assistance, and more. Income information can be considered, but it can't be used as a backdoor to discriminate. We screen thoroughly and fairly — strong applicants, clean process, defensible decisions.

The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) resolves disputes and oversees how tenancies end in Ontario. A tenancy doesn't simply expire — ending one requires the correct written notice on the proper form and proper service.

The Act provides a series of standardized N-forms for different situations — for example, a tenant's own notice to leave, or a landlord's notice for specified, lawful reasons — each with its own required notice period. A landlord can't lawfully evict on their own; only the LTB can order an eviction. We keep this high-level here and handle the paperwork properly when it's needed.

Hand us the vacancy and we run the whole arc — so you don't have to learn any of the above the hard way.

• Pricing: a data-backed rent evaluation grounded in what comparable downtown units actually lease for this week.
• Marketing: professional media and broad MLS-and-portal exposure to fill the unit quickly with the right pool.
• Screening: credit, income, references and history — rigorous and Human Rights Code-compliant.
• Lease execution: the Ontario Standard Lease prepared correctly, LMR collected, deposits and notices handled to the letter.
• Ongoing: optional management for owners who'd rather never think about the unit again.