What's typically included in Windsor rent?

Older purpose-built buildings near downtown and Walkerville commonly include heat and water, with tenants covering their own electricity and internet. Basement apartments and secondary suites, common throughout Windsor's older housing stock, are usually all-inclusive. Always confirm exactly what's covered in writing on the Ontario Standard Lease before signing.

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 seeking an increase 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 Windsor 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 Windsor apartment and house 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.

Windsor, Ontario Canada

Living and Renting in Windsor in 2026

Real rents, real neighborhoods, real answers. The complete SQRFT guide for renters and landlords in Ontario's southernmost major city, across the river from Detroit.

Browse Windsor rentals

Avg 2BR

$1,454

CMHC, Oct 2025

Vacancy rate

3.7%

CMHC, Oct 2025

Population

434,973

StatCan, 2024

Universities

UWindsor, St. Clair

FFrancis, SQRFT TeamCanadian Rental Market Analysts, SQRFT Editorial Team Updated September 20, 2026 9 min read

Section 1

What Windsor rents look like in late 2025

Windsor is Ontario's southernmost major city, sitting directly across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan. According to the CMHC Fall 2025 Rental Market Report (based on an October 2025 survey), the average rent for a purpose-built two-bedroom apartment in the Windsor CMA was $1,454 per month, up 3.6 percent year over year, with a vacancy rate of 3.7 percent.

$1,454

Average 2-bedroom, in-place

CMHC · Oct 2025

3.7%

Purpose-built rental vacancy

CMHC · Oct 2025

Note: Rentals.ca's National Rent Report does not currently break out Windsor as its own market, so CMHC's survey is the only verified primary-source figure available for this city. We will not estimate or borrow a number from a different market to fill that gap.

The practical read

Windsor remains one of Ontario's most affordable major rental markets, though the NextStar Energy EV battery plant and the incoming Gordie Howe International Bridge have brought new workers and rental demand to the region, tightening the market from where it stood a few years ago.

Section 2

Where people rent in Windsor

Windsor's economy and rental geography are shaped by cross-border trade and the auto industry, distinct from any GTA-satellite relationship.

Ontario's southernmost major city, directly across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan. Economy is closely tied to the North American auto industry and cross-border trade, distinct from any GTA-satellite relationship.

Landmarks that anchor each area

Windsor Sculpture Park

A defining Windsor landmark renters use to orient themselves by area.

Detroit River waterfront (longest riverfront park system in Ontario)

A defining Windsor landmark renters use to orient themselves by area.

Ambassador Bridge

A defining Windsor landmark renters use to orient themselves by area.

SQRFT is building out detailed neighborhood-level pages across Windsor. In the meantime, browse live listings from the rentals index and filter by area.

Section 3

Windsor schools and school boards

Where you live decides which public school your kids attend.

The two boards

Greater Essex County District School Board

GECDSB

Serves families across Windsor-Essex with designated catchment schools plus alternative and specialized programs.

Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board

WECDSB

Serves families across Windsor-Essex 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 GECDSB or WECDSB site and it returns the designated school for each grade level.
2
Check whether the school is capped.Growing areas near new auto-sector investment can see designated schools close to non-catchment students.
3
Confirm before you sign the lease.School-driven address decisions do not have a rewind button once you have committed to a lease term.

Public vs Catholic vs private

•
Public (GECDSB):free, catchment-based, Windsor-Essex's largest school board.
•
Catholic (WECDSB):free, catchment-based, priority for baptized Catholic families with some open enrolment for others.
•
Private schools:a smaller presence than in the GTA, concentrated near the city core.

Section 4

Windsor universities and post-secondary

University of Windsor and St. Clair College together enroll roughly 30,000 students.

University of Windsor

~16,000 students

UWindsor

Students concentrate in neighborhoods within walking or short-transit distance of UWindsor.

St. Clair College

~14,000 students

St. Clair

Students concentrate in neighborhoods within walking or short-transit distance of St. Clair.

Timing tip

Rentals near the University of Windsor and St. Clair College hit peak demand in August and September as students sign leases for the fall semester.

Section 5

Getting around Windsor

Transit Windsor runs the city's bus network, with cross-border connections a defining feature of local transit.

The essentials

•
Tunnel Bus connects downtown Windsor to Detroit, Michigan via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel
•
Ambassador Bridge and Gordie Howe International Bridge (opening 2025) carry the busiest international trade crossing in North America

Cross-border note

Windsor's economy and daily commuting patterns are unusually tied to a foreign country. Renters working in the auto sector or logistics should factor border-crossing time into their commute planning, even though most residents work entirely on the Canadian side.

Section 6

What it costs to live in Windsor in 2026

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

Where Windsor wins

•
One of Ontario's most affordable major markets.Windsor's average two-bedroom rent of $1,454 is meaningfully below most other Ontario CMAs.
•
Looser vacancy than the GTA.A 3.7 percent vacancy rate gives renters more choice and negotiating leverage.
•
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 Windsor is expensive

•
HST.Ontario charges 13 percent HST (combined federal and provincial sales tax).
•
Rising demand from auto-sector investment.The NextStar EV battery plant and related supply-chain jobs have pushed rents up faster than the historical Windsor average.
•
Cross-border cost exposure.Renters who regularly cross into the U.S. for work or shopping are exposed to exchange-rate swings on top of local costs.

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

Section 7

Windsor 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 Windsor in the first place, this is what tips the scale.

Windsor's identity is inseparable from its cross-border relationship with Detroit, giving it a distinct binational culture along with Ontario's mildest winters and one of the province's longest continuous riverfront park systems.

Major annual events

Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival

June-July, shared fireworks with Detroit

A signature Windsor event drawing large crowds citywide.

Bright Lights Windsor

November-January, Jackson Park

A signature Windsor event drawing large crowds citywide.

Windsor's climate

Humid continental, the mildest winters in Ontario due to its southerly position (January average low around -5°C), hot humid summers (July average high 28°C).

Windsor's professional sports

Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

One of Windsor's major professional sports franchises.

Section 8

Renting in Windsor: Ontario tenancy law essentials

These rules apply to every Windsor rental. Bookmark this section.

The common rule of thumb is 30 percent of gross monthly income on housing (rent plus utilities). On CMHC's average two-bedroom rent of $1,454, that means a gross household income of roughly $58,000 a year to stay within that guideline. Windsor remains one of Ontario's more affordable major rental markets, though the NextStar EV battery plant and broader auto-sector investment have added new rental demand in recent years.

Try the free rent affordability calculator →

Section 9

Live Windsor rentals on SQRFT

Browse listings across Windsor neighborhoods. All listings verified. Free to list.

Browse Windsor listings

Pricing

What should Windsor rent cost?

Get a free rent estimate

SQRFT Rent Estimator

See a data-driven rent range for your Windsor property based on our Canadian rental market model.

Sources

Living and Renting in Windsor in 2026

What Windsor rents look like in late 2025

Where people rent in Windsor

Landmarks that anchor each area

Windsor schools and school boards

The two boards

How to find a school for your address

Public vs Catholic vs private

Windsor universities and post-secondary

Getting around Windsor

The essentials

What it costs to live in Windsor in 2026

Where Windsor wins

Where Windsor is expensive

Windsor events, culture, and why people love it here

Major annual events

Windsor's climate

Windsor's professional sports

Renting in Windsor: Ontario tenancy law essentials

Live Windsor rentals on SQRFT

Related SQRFT content

What should Windsor rent cost?

Where these numbers come from