What does a landlord pay for?

It depends on the lease. If rent includes water, the landlord pays. If the lease makes water the tenant's cost, the tenant pays, but in some provinces a landlord cannot add a new charge or raise one without the tenant's agreement. See can a landlord charge for water.

Only when the lease includes them in the rent. A landlord who supplies heat must meet any provincial minimum, and several provinces bar a landlord from cutting off a service the tenancy includes. See the table above for the figures that exist.

We found no provincial rule on who pays for garbage collection. It is a lease question. Garbage collection can be listed as included in rent, for example on the Nova Scotia lease form, where a landlord cannot stop a service the rent included without proper notice of a rent increase or the Director's permission. In PEI the tenant must sort and dispose of garbage, compost and recycling properly. Where the lease is silent, ask the landlord in writing and keep the answer.

Usually the landlord, because keeping the unit fit for habitation includes pest control. Saskatchewan's government says treatment costs are generally the landlord's unless the tenant was at fault. Alberta puts a duty on the owner to keep the unit free of infestations, and the landlord can claim costs from a tenant shown to have caused it. In Manitoba the landlord can claim the cost of a second spray if the tenant did not prepare the unit, and in PEI the landlord may claim costs against the deposit if the landlord proves the tenant caused the problem. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have no pest-specific rule in the tenancy Act, and in Newfoundland and Labrador the pest-free rule applies only in listed municipalities. See what to do if a landlord refuses repairs, and ask the tenancy office if the cause is disputed.

Only for damage you or your guests cause beyond normal wear and tear. A landlord cannot generally bill you for ordinary repairs to the structure, plumbing, wiring or heating. If the landlord asks, request the reason in writing.

In Manitoba a utility must notify the director before cutting service to a rental. In Ontario, water, electricity and, from September 1 to June 15, heat are vital services, and a landlord whose own unpaid bill causes the cut-off is treated as having withheld the service. Contact your tenancy office quickly and keep your rent records.

A landlord can generally charge only for cleaning beyond normal wear and tear. See can a landlord charge for cleaning for the rules by province.

The tenancy rules we reviewed do not say what tax a landlord owes, so we do not state it here. A landlord's own taxes depend on the municipality and the landlord's situation. See landlord tax deductions in Canada and ask an accountant.

We found no province that requires tenant insurance by law. In Newfoundland and Labrador the Office says the landlord is responsible for insuring the rental unit. Ontario's standard lease lets the two sides agree that the tenant carries liability insurance, but Manitoba's Residential Tenancies Branch says a landlord generally cannot insist on it. See can a landlord require tenant insurance.

Only in some no-fault cases. BC says a tenant should receive one month's rent when a tenancy ends for demolition or conversion, Manitoba requires reasonable moving costs of up to $500 for a landlord's own-use notice, and Ontario requires three months' rent or another acceptable unit for a renovation notice in buildings of five or more units, where the tenant does not give notice that they want to return. See what to do if your landlord wants you to move out.

Not on your own. In the provinces covered here, holding back rent over repairs is not a lawful remedy and can lead to an eviction notice for non-payment. The set process is to apply to the tribunal or office. British Columbia does let a tenant deduct the cost of certain emergency repairs the landlord did not reimburse. See what to do if a landlord refuses repairs before holding back any rent.

It includes whatever your lease says it includes, because there is no single list. In Ontario the Act defines utilities as heat, electricity and water, and the standard lease has boxes for whether the landlord or the tenant is responsible for each of them. In British Columbia the written agreement has to state which services and facilities are included in the rent, and in Alberta a landlord cannot start charging for a utility the agreement says is included.

SQRFT advice: before you sign, ask for the lease to name each utility and anything else you were promised, such as parking or laundry, and to say whether it is included or you pay for it. For the other provinces covered here, the lease is also the first place to look, and your province's tenancy office can confirm how it is read.

It depends on your lease, and we found no set dollar figure for what a landlord may charge. In Ontario, a landlord who already supplies a utility can pass part of its cost to you only in a building of six or fewer units, with your written consent, adequate notice and a rent reduction, and cannot use an eviction notice or tribunal application over an unpaid share. Ending a landlord's duty to supply electricity has its own written-consent route, and we found no Ontario rule on water sub-metering. In Alberta, a landlord cannot start charging for a utility mid-tenancy if the agreement says it is included, or is silent and the landlord has always paid it, and we found no provincial rule on how a landlord may split utility costs.

In British Columbia the Act sets no billing method: if your agreement makes you pay utilities and a bill stays unpaid 30 days after a written demand, the landlord may treat it as unpaid rent and give a 10-day notice. A term making you put a utility in your name for a unit you do not live in is likely unconscionable, according to the province's policy guideline. In Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia we found no rule that bars a landlord from keeping the account in their own name and billing you under the lease, so get the arrangement in writing (SQRFT advice) and ask your province's tenancy office if the bill does not look right.

In Ontario, since July 1, 2026, a tenant may install a window or portable air conditioner where the landlord does not supply air conditioning, unless the landlord is allowed to prohibit it under the Act. You must give the landlord written notice first, cause no damage, install it safely and follow municipal by-laws, and the landlord may enter on 24 hours' notice to inspect it. If the landlord pays for your electricity, a seasonal rent increase for the air conditioner is allowed and is exempt from the usual 90-day notice and 12-month rules. We have not reviewed the section that sets how much that increase can be, so check with the Landlord and Tenant Board before agreeing to one.

Air conditioning is not a vital service in Ontario, so the vital service rules do not by themselves require a landlord to supply it. We did not review a rule on air conditioners in the other provinces covered here, so check your lease and your province's tenancy office.