Renting in Ontario in 2026
Real CMHC and Rentals.ca-verified rents, real district breakdowns, and the Ontario tenancy rules that apply in every city from Toronto to Kingston. Updated monthly.
Population
16.2M
Statistics Canada, Q3 2024
Toronto avg asking rent
$2,577
Rentals.ca, July 2026
Toronto vacancy
3.0%
CMHC, Oct 2025
2027 rent increase guideline
1.9%
Government of Ontario (2026: 2.1%)
Section 1
What Ontario rents look like in 2026
Ontario's rental market, and Toronto's above all, stabilized through 2026 after two years of correction. Toronto posted the best annual rent performance among Canada's six largest markets in July 2026, with apartment and condo rents down just 0.6 percent year-over-year, according to the Rentals.ca and Urbanation National Rent Report.
3.0%
Toronto purpose-built rental vacancy
CMHC · Oct 2025
-0.6%
Toronto apartment and condo rents, year over year
Rentals.ca · Jul 2026
1.9%
Ontario's 2027 rent increase guideline (2.1% in 2026)
Government of Ontario
Ontario is one of the few provinces with a formal annual rent-increase guideline: a government-set percentage cap on how much a landlord can raise rent at renewal for most units first occupied on or before November 15, 2018. For 2026, that guideline is 2.1 percent, and for 2027 it is 1.9 percent. Units first occupied after that date are exempt from the guideline entirely, which is a major factor behind the rent gap between older and newer buildings across the province.
Section 2
Major Ontario cities we cover
City-specific guides with average rents, district breakdowns, transit, cost of living, schools, universities, and Ontario tenancy law essentials. Click through for the full guide.
Toronto
Full guideCanada's largest city and financial capital. Average asking rent for apartments and condos was $2,577 in July 2026, down 0.6 percent year-over-year, the best annual performance among Canada's six largest markets.
Read the Toronto guideOttawa
Coming soonThe national capital, anchored by the federal public service. Rents cooled about 2.4 percent year-over-year in July 2026 while vacancy held near 2.9 percent.
Guide in progressMississauga
Coming soonCanada's sixth-largest city and a Toronto satellite, anchored by Pearson International Airport with its own distinct downtown at Square One.
Guide in progressBrampton
Coming soonOne of Canada's fastest-growing large cities, a Toronto satellite dominated by single-family and townhouse housing rather than high-rise condos.
Guide in progressHamilton
Coming soonA major Golden Horseshoe city at the west end of Lake Ontario, increasingly a commuter market for the GTA via GO Transit while retaining its own large employer base.
Guide in progressLondon
Coming soonSouthwestern Ontario's largest city, home to Western University and a growing healthcare and insurance sector.
Guide in progressSection 3
Regional hub cities across Ontario
These are independent regional markets, not satellite towns of a single larger metro, each with its own university, employer base, and rental character.
Kitchener
Tri-city tech hub with Waterloo, connected by the ION LRT
Waterloo
Home to the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier, tri-city with Kitchener
Windsor
Border city across from Detroit, distinct auto-sector economy
Barrie
Long-distance GO Transit commuter city on Lake Simcoe
Guelph
University city with its own independent economic base
Kingston
Midpoint between Toronto and Ottawa, home to Queen's University
Oshawa
Eastern GTA city with its own auto-manufacturing heritage
St. Catharines
Niagara region's largest city, distinct from Hamilton or Toronto
Section 4
Smaller Ontario cities and towns we cover
County seats and smaller regional markets across eastern, southwestern, central, and northern Ontario, each with its own employers, schools, and rental character.
Belleville
Historic seat of Hastings County, about an hour west of Kingston
Brockville
Leeds and Grenville city about an hour from both Kingston and Ottawa, home to Brockville General Hospital
Chatham
Largest urban centre in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, about an hour from Windsor
Cobourg
Northumberland County seat and largest town, about 45 minutes east of Oshawa
Cornwall
Seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, roughly equidistant from Ottawa and Montreal
North Bay
Regional service and government hub on Lake Nipissing, 3 hr 30 min north of Toronto
Orillia
Lake Country waterfront city between two lakes, about 30 minutes from Barrie
Owen Sound
Grey County seat, home to the Brightshores Health System's largest hospital site
Peterborough
Kawartha Lakes hospital and university city, 1 hr 30 min northeast of Toronto
Sarnia
Lambton County refinery city, about 1 hr 15 min west of London
Sault Ste. Marie
Largest city and seat of Algoma District, built around Algoma Steel
Stratford
Perth County seat and home of the Stratford Festival, about 45 minutes from Kitchener-Waterloo
Timmins
Northeastern Ontario gold-mining city, about 3 hr 50 min north of Sudbury
Woodstock and Leamington
Two houses-led southwestern Ontario towns on one page: Woodstock in Oxford County, Leamington in Essex County
Section 5
Ontario tenancy law essentials
These rules apply in every Ontario city and town, set out in the Residential Tenancies Act and enforced by the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).
- •Rent increase guideline: 2.1 percent for 2026, 1.9 percent for 2027.Applies to most units first occupied on or before November 15, 2018. Increases above the guideline generally require LTB approval (an Above Guideline Increase application). Units first occupied after that date are exempt from the guideline.
- •Security deposits are capped at one month's rent.Ontario does not allow a separate damage deposit. The rent deposit must be applied as payment for the tenant's last month of tenancy, not held and refunded separately.
- •Landlord entry requires 24 hours' written notice.Entry must occur between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for a reasonable purpose, with an exception for genuine emergencies.
- •The Ontario Standard Lease is mandatory.Required for most private residential tenancies entered into on or after April 30, 2018. If a landlord doesn't provide it within 21 days of a tenant's written request, the tenant can withhold one month's rent.
- •Disputes go to the Landlord and Tenant Board.Ontario's tribunal for residential tenancy matters, covering illegal rent increases, maintenance issues, and eviction applications. The LTB carries a significant backlog, and hearings can take months to schedule.
- •Notice periods for ending a tenancy are typically 60 days.Both fixed-term-end and month-to-month terminations generally require 60 days' notice from either party, longer than many other provinces.
Pricing
What should Ontario rent cost?
Sources
Where these numbers come from
© 2026 SQRFT. This page is for information only and is not financial, legal, or investment advice. Rental data current as of the dates cited above.