What's typically included in Toronto rent?

It varies by building type. Older purpose-built rental apartments often include heat and water in the rent, with tenants paying their own electricity and internet. Newer condo rentals are more mixed: some landlords absorb the condo corporation's water/heat charges, others pass everything through. Basement (secondary) suites are usually all-inclusive since separate metering is rarely practical. Always confirm which utilities are included in writing on the Ontario Standard Lease before you sign.

What is Ontario's rent increase guideline for 2026 and 2027?

For most units first occupied on or before November 15, 2018 (Ontario's rent control cutoff), annual increases at renewal are capped by a guideline the provincial government publishes every year. The guideline is 2.1 percent for 2026 and 1.9 percent for 2027. Landlords who want to raise rent above the guideline generally need approval from the Landlord and Tenant Board (an Above Guideline Increase application), typically justified by capital expenditures, extraordinary utility cost increases, or municipal tax increases. Units first occupied after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline entirely.

How does a security deposit work in Ontario?

Ontario does not allow a traditional damage deposit the way most other provinces do. Landlords can only collect a rent deposit equal to at most one month's rent (or one rental period's rent if shorter), and it must be applied as the payment for your last month of tenancy, not held separately and refunded afterward. Ontario landlords cannot charge a separate damage or pet deposit. If damage occurs beyond normal wear and tear, the landlord's recourse is to apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board directly, not to deduct from a deposit that does not exist for that purpose.

Does my Toronto landlord have to use the Ontario Standard Lease?

Yes, for most private residential tenancies entered into on or after April 30, 2018. The Ontario Standard Lease is a mandatory government form. If a landlord does not provide it within 21 days of a tenant's written request, the tenant can withhold one month's rent, and the landlord loses the right to collect it once the form is provided. Some tenancy types are exempt (care homes, social housing, some co-ops), but the large majority of Toronto apartment and condo rentals must use this form.

How do I dispute my landlord at the Landlord and Tenant Board?

The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) is Ontario's tribunal for residential tenancy disputes, covering everything from illegal rent increases and maintenance issues to eviction applications. The LTB carries a significant multi-year backlog, and hearings can take months to be scheduled. Bring your Ontario Standard Lease, all written correspondence with your landlord, photos or inspection records, and any notices you received or served. LTB orders are binding and enforceable, including through the Ontario Court of Justice or Superior Court where needed.

Can my landlord enter without notice?

No, with narrow exceptions. Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act requires landlords to give at least 24 hours' written notice before entering for a reasonable purpose (repairs, inspections, showings to prospective tenants or buyers), and entry must occur between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Emergencies (fire, flood, gas leak) are the main exception where notice is not required. Repeated no-notice entries can be raised with the Landlord and Tenant Board as a breach of the tenancy.

What if my landlord wants to sell the property?

A sale does not automatically end your tenancy. The new owner takes over the existing lease on the same terms. The one major exception is if the new owner (or an immediate family member) intends to personally move in, in which case the landlord must serve a valid Landlord's Own Use notice with the correct notice period and, since recent amendments, compensation requirements. Showings for a sale still require the standard 24 hours' written notice, same as any other entry.

Toronto, Ontario Canada

Living and Renting in Toronto in 2026

Real rents, real districts, real answers. The complete SQRFT guide for renters and landlords navigating Canada's largest and most expensive rental market.

Browse Toronto rentals

Avg 1BR

$1,761

CMHC, Oct 2025

Avg 2BR

$2,045

CMHC, Oct 2025

Vacancy rate

3.0%

CMHC, Oct 2025

YoY change

-0.6%

Rentals.ca, Jul 2026

FFrancis, SQRFT TeamCanadian Rental Market Analysts, SQRFT Editorial Team Updated September 19, 2026 12 min read

Section 1

What Toronto rents look like in mid-2026

Toronto's rental market stabilized through 2026 after two years of correction. The average asking rent for apartments and condos was $2,577 per month in July 2026, according to the Rentals.ca and Urbanation National Rent Report. Toronto posted the best annual performance among Canada's six largest markets, with apartment and condo rents down just 0.6 percent year-over-year.

3.0%

Purpose-built rental vacancy

CMHC · Oct 2025

-0.6%

Apartment and condo rents, year over year, best of Canada's big six

Rentals.ca · Jul 2026

+1.5%

Asking rent change, month over month

Rentals.ca · Jul 2026

On CMHC's in-place averages, what existing tenants actually pay across the broader purpose-built stock, the citywide average sits at $1,917 a month (October 2025 survey), well below the asking-rent figure because asking rents capture newer and higher-end supply. For the full monthly breakdown, we publish the Toronto Rent Report on the last business day of each month.

$1,761

Average 1-bedroom, in-place

CMHC · Oct 2025

$2,045

Average 2-bedroom, in-place

CMHC · Oct 2025

$2,577

Average asking rent, apartments and condos

Rentals.ca · Jul 2026

The practical read

Toronto has firmed up faster than the other large Canadian markets in 2026. Landlords holding out for last year's peak asking rents are seeing extended vacancies, while tenants signing new leases have more room to negotiate than at any point since the correction began. Three-bedroom and family-sized units remain the tightest segment (1.8 percent vacancy) and the strongest performer on price.

Section 2

Where Torontonians rent: the district guide

Toronto is a large, amalgamated city made up of the old City of Toronto plus five former municipalities (North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, York, East York). Each district has a distinct rental character.

Downtown

Financial District, Entertainment District, Church-Wellesley, and the Waterfront — highest-density condo living, walkable to work, highest rents in the country.

East End

The Beaches, Leslieville, Riverdale, East York — lower-rise, more houses and duplexes, family-oriented, transit via streetcar and Line 2.

North York

Yonge-Eglinton and North York Centre are dense mid-rise/high-rise nodes; western North York (Downsview, Jane-Finch corridor) is more affordable.

Scarborough

Toronto's most affordable district on average, large immigrant communities, GO Transit and future Line 2 extension improving connectivity.

Etobicoke

Mix of lakeside condos (Mimico, Humber Bay Shores) and suburban houses further north/west, close to Pearson Airport.

York

Smaller, dense, centrally located between downtown and the 401, mostly older low-rise housing stock.

SQRFT is building out detailed neighborhood-level pages across all six of Toronto's districts. In the meantime, browse live listings from the rentals index and filter by area.

Section 3

Toronto schools and school boards

Where you live decides which public school your kids attend. This is one of the biggest reasons families move within Toronto.

The two public boards

Toronto District School Board

TDSB

Serves families across the City of Toronto with designated catchment schools plus alternative and specialized programs.

Toronto Catholic District School Board

TCDSB

Serves families across the City of Toronto with designated catchment schools plus alternative and specialized programs.

How to find a school for your address

1
Use the board's school locator first.Enter the address on the TDSB or TCDSB site and it returns the designated school for each grade level.
2
Check whether the school is capped.Popular schools in growing districts regularly close to non-designated students. The locator will flag it.
3
Look up program options.French immersion, gifted programs, and specialized arts/sports schools often draw from wider catchment zones with their own application process.
4
Confirm before you sign the lease.Toronto rentals move fast, and school-driven address decisions do not have a rewind button.

Public vs Catholic vs private

•
Public (TDSB):free, catchment-based, Canada's largest school board with the widest range of programs.
•
Catholic (TCDSB):free, catchment-based, priority for baptized Catholic families with some open enrolment for others.
•
Private schools:tuition typically $15,000 to $40,000+ per year, with a large concentration of independent schools in midtown and North York.
•
French-language boards:Conseil scolaire Viamonde (public) and Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (Catholic) serve Francophone families across the GTA.

Section 4

Toronto universities and post-secondary

Where students live in Toronto is a defining feature of certain neighborhoods. Landlords near these campuses see distinct summer-vs-fall demand cycles.

University of Toronto

~97,000 students

U of T

Students concentrate in neighborhoods within walking or short-transit distance of the U of T campus.

Toronto Metropolitan University

~45,000 students

TMU

Students concentrate in neighborhoods within walking or short-transit distance of the TMU campus.

York University

~55,000 students

York

Students concentrate in neighborhoods within walking or short-transit distance of the York campus.

OCAD University

~4,700 students

OCAD U

Students concentrate in neighborhoods within walking or short-transit distance of the OCAD U campus.

George Brown College

~30,000 students

George Brown

Students concentrate in neighborhoods within walking or short-transit distance of the George Brown campus.

Timing tip

Rentals near any of these campuses typically hit peak demand in July and August as students sign leases for the fall semester. If you are a landlord targeting students, list early. If you are a student looking for the best selection, start hunting in early July.

Section 5

Getting around Toronto

Toronto has the busiest transit system in Canada, but coverage and reliability vary a lot by district.

The essentials

•
Line 1 Yonge-University:the busiest subway line, running north-south through downtown and up into North York.
•
Line 2 Bloor-Danforth:runs east-west, connecting Etobicoke through downtown to Scarborough.
•
Line 4 Sheppard:a shorter connector line through North York.
•
Line 5 Eglinton (Crosstown):opening in phases through 2025-2026, expected to reshape rental demand along the Eglinton corridor in both directions.
•
GO Transit:regional rail connecting Toronto to the whole Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, essential for commuting from satellite cities like Mississauga and Brampton.
•
UP Express:airport rail link running directly from Union Station to Pearson Airport.

Car-optional zones

If you value a car-optional lifestyle, look at Downtown, the Annex, Liberty Village, Leslieville, and anywhere along Line 1 or Line 2. Scarborough and much of Etobicoke, outside the subway corridors, are far more car-dependent.

Section 6

What it costs to live in Toronto in 2026

Rent is the biggest line, but not the only one. Here's how Toronto's fixed costs stack against the rest of Canada.

Where Toronto wins

•
Rent stabilizing.Apartment and condo rents down just 0.6 percent year-over-year as of July 2026, the best annual result among Canada's largest markets (see Section 1).
•
Deepest job market in Canada.Toronto is home to Canada's largest concentration of finance, tech, and healthcare employers, which supports wages that partially offset the higher cost of living.
•
No separate damage deposit required.Ontario law caps the move-in deposit at one month's rent applied to your last month, unlike provinces requiring a separate refundable damage deposit.

Where Toronto is expensive

•
Rent itself.Toronto remains one of Canada's most expensive rental markets even after two years of correction.
•
HST.Ontario charges 13 percent HST (combined federal and provincial sales tax) versus 5 percent GST-only in Alberta.
•
Parking and car ownership.Downtown parking spots frequently rent separately for $200-$400/month on top of the unit itself.

For live monthly cost-of-living data, Statistics Canada's Consumer Price Index release publishes the Toronto CMA component broken down by category.

Section 7

Toronto events, culture, and why people love it here

The last section before we get to the practical answers. If you're deciding whether to move to Toronto in the first place, this is what tips the scale.

Toronto hosts the Toronto International Film Festival every September, one of the world's premier film festivals, alongside a full annual calendar of major cultural events.

Major annual events

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)

September

Visit the official site for dates and programming.

Caribana (Toronto Caribbean Carnival)

Late July-early August

A signature Toronto event drawing large crowds citywide.

Pride Toronto

Late June

A signature Toronto event drawing large crowds citywide.

Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)

Late August-Labour Day

A signature Toronto event drawing large crowds citywide.

Nuit Blanche

October, all-night contemporary art event

A signature Toronto event drawing large crowds citywide.

Toronto's climate

-6°C

January average low, moderated somewhat by Lake Ontario

Environment Canada 1991-2020

27°C

July average high

Humid continental

Lake-effect snow squalls possible east of the city