Ontario Lease Agreement Basics

Ontario has a mandatory standard form of lease, officially Form 2229E, required for most residential tenancies. It has been mandatory for most tenancies entered into on or after April 30, 2018, with an updated version of the form mandatory since March 1, 2021. This standard form sets out common, plain-language terms so tenants can more easily understand and compare leases.

Per the official LTB brochure, if a landlord does not provide the tenant with the standard lease form, the tenant can demand that the landlord do so. This is a straightforward right: if you signed a lease that is not on the standard form (or received no written lease at all), you can request the standard form from your landlord.

Regardless of the form used, confirm your lease clearly states: the names of all landlords and tenants, the address and unit number, the rent amount and due date, the start date (and end date, if fixed-term), what utilities and services are included, and any rules specific to the unit or building. Remember that lease terms cannot override the protections in the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 -- for example, a clause requiring postdated cheques or allowing a damage deposit is not enforceable even if it appears in a signed lease.