How do you rent an apartment at 18?

You are an adult at 18 in Alberta, so you can sign a lease in your own name. Age is a protected ground in rental housing for people 18 and older, so a landlord cannot refuse you just for being 18 (there are exceptions, such as seniors-only buildings for people 55 and older).

A lease can be written, oral or implied, and there is no required government form, but the government's handbook recommends putting it in writing. All deposits together, including pet and key deposits, cannot go over one month's rent. Application fees are not banned, but you do not have to apply to a landlord who charges one.

The age of majority in BC is 19, so at 18 you are a minor. Even so, the Residential Tenancy Act says a person under 19 can enter a tenancy agreement, and the agreement and the Act can be enforced by and against them. A landlord does not have to rent to you, though: the Human Rights Code's age ground starts at 19, and the privacy commissioner says a landlord can refuse to rent to a minor and may ask for proof of age when it is in doubt.

The landlord must prepare the tenancy agreement in writing (the government's Form RTB-1 includes all the standard terms), and both of you sign and date it. The security deposit is capped at half a month's rent, plus a pet deposit of up to half a month, and application fees are banned.

You are an adult at 18 in Manitoba. The Residential Tenancies Branch also says a minor can enter a tenancy agreement and be held to it, because a rental unit is treated as a necessary. Age is a protected ground, and the Human Rights Commission says applicants should be able to list income from all sources and offer a guarantor or co-signer.

A tenancy can be oral or written, but it must be in writing if the landlord requires a guarantor, and a written agreement must use the Standard Residential Tenancy Agreement (Form 1), signed by both sides. The security deposit is capped at half of the first month's rent, plus a pet deposit of up to one month if a pet is allowed, and application fees are banned.

You are an adult at 18 in Saskatchewan. The Residential Tenancies Act also says a person under 18 can enter a tenancy agreement as a tenant, and it is not unenforceable just because of their age. The Human Rights Code protects people 18 and older from age discrimination, and the Commission says a lack of rental or credit history should not be treated the same as a negative report.

A written agreement is required for a fixed term of three months or longer, and the standard conditions apply to every tenancy whether or not they are written in. The security deposit is capped at one month's rent, with no more than half due at signing, and application fees are banned.

You are an adult at 18 in Ontario, and the Human Rights Code protects people 18 and older from age discrimination in housing. A 16 or 17 year old who has withdrawn from parental control is protected too, and a lease they sign is enforceable against them as if they were 18. The Human Rights Commission says a lack of rental or credit history should not be viewed negatively.

Most private rentals must use Ontario's standard lease (form 2229E), signed by both sides on or before the day you can move in. A landlord can take only a last month's rent deposit and a refundable key deposit, and application fees are banned. A landlord may require a guarantor, but the Commission says only if it asks the same of all tenants.

The age of majority in New Brunswick is 19, so at 18 you are still a minor. The Residential Tenancies Act does not mention minors, so check with the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office before you sign. Age is a protected ground, the Human Rights Commission says young adults are protected by it, and limits on people under 19 are allowed only where another Act or regulation requires or authorizes them.

Every tenancy uses the government's Standard Form of Lease, and if it is not signed, both sides are treated as if they had signed it. The security deposit is capped at one month's rent for a monthly tenancy (one week's rent for a weekly one), and the landlord must deliver it to a residential tenancies officer. The Commission says rent-to-income ratios discriminate against young persons, and that a guarantor requirement is discriminatory if it is used only to exclude people on a protected ground.

The age of majority in Nova Scotia is 19, so at 18 you are still a minor. The Residential Tenancies Act, its regulations and the standard lease do not mention minors, so check with the Residential Tenancies Program before you sign. Age is a protected ground, and so is source of income: the Human Rights Commission's examples include refusing a renter whose income is a student loan.

Every landlord must use the standard form of lease (Form P), and a written or oral agreement without it is treated as if the form was signed. With no written lease, the tenancy is month to month. The security deposit is capped at half a month's rent, including any money paid before signing, and application fees are banned.

You are an adult at 18 on PEI, and the Residential Tenancy Act also says a person under 18 can enter a tenancy agreement. The Human Rights Commission says the Act places no lower or upper limit on protection against age discrimination.

For tenancies that started on or after April 8, 2023, the landlord must prepare a written tenancy agreement with the details the Act lists and give you a copy within 10 days. The Rental Office publishes a standard form of tenancy agreement (Form 1). The security deposit is capped at one month's rent (one week's rent where rent is paid weekly) and is the only deposit allowed, and application, processing and screening fees are banned.

The age of majority in Newfoundland and Labrador is 19, so at 18 you are still a minor. The Residential Tenancies Act has no rule on minors as tenants, so check with the Residential Tenancies Office before you sign. Age is a prohibited ground under the Human Rights Act, which does not define age in a way that limits who is covered.

A rental agreement can be written, oral or implied, but for an oral or implied one the landlord must give you the terms in writing within 10 days. The security deposit is capped at three quarters of a month's rent. The Human Rights Commission says a landlord should not reject someone only for having no credit history, and cannot require a co-signer because of a prohibited ground.