Ontario's Standard Lease: What Every Tenant and Landlord Should Know

You signed a lease — but is it the right one? Or maybe your landlord handed you a homemade document full of rules you're not sure are legal. In Ontario, most private residential tenancies are governed by a mandatory Ontario standard lease agreement, a prescribed form that landlords are legally required to use. Whether you're a first-time renter or a property owner taking on a new tenant, understanding this form can save you from disputes, unenforceable clauses, and costly Landlord and Tenant Board proceedings.

The standard lease exists to level the playing field. Before it was introduced, tenants often signed agreements loaded with terms that stripped away rights the law already guaranteed them. Now those clauses are either void or, in some cases, trigger a remedy that puts money directly back in a tenant's pocket. The rules apply equally to landlords: using the wrong form, or refusing to provide it when asked, carries real consequences.

This guide explains who must use the form, what it covers, what landlords can and cannot add, and what tenants should check before they sign.

Who Must Use the Ontario Standard Lease Form

The mandatory standard lease applies to most private residential rental units in Ontario, including:

• Single-detached homes, semi-detached homes, and townhouses
• Condominium units rented out by their owners
• Secondary suites and basement apartments
• Duplexes and multiplexes

Exemptions — the standard lease is not required for:

• Social and supportive housing units
• Care homes and retirement residences
• Mobile home lot rentals
• Sites in a land lease community
• Accommodations provided as part of an employment relationship

If your rental falls into an exempt category, different rules may apply. When in doubt, check with the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) or a licensed Ontario lawyer.

What the Standard Lease Covers

The Ontario standard lease form is divided into several sections that both parties must complete together. The core provisions include:

• The parties — full legal names of the landlord(s) and tenant(s)
• The rental unit — civic address and description of the unit
• Term and start date — fixed-term or month-to-month, and when the tenancy begins
• Rent amount and due date — the base rent, when it is payable, and accepted payment methods
• Rent deposit — whether a last month's rent deposit is required and the amount held
• Services and utilities — which utilities (heat, hydro, water) are included in the rent and which the tenant pays separately
• Parking and storage — whether these are included and at what cost
• Smoking and cannabis — whether smoking or the use of cannabis is permitted, and in what areas
• Pets — whether pets are allowed (though the Residential Tenancies Act limits how broadly a landlord can restrict pets)
• Tenant's insurance — whether the landlord requires proof of insurance
• Additional terms — space for rules specific to the property, within the limits the law allows

The form also includes a plain-language summary of rights and responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act — a section tenants should read carefully.

What Landlords Can Add — and What They Cannot

The standard lease has a section for additional terms. Landlords may use this space to add rules that are reasonable and consistent with the Residential Tenancies Act. Examples of permissible additional terms include:

• Specific garbage disposal or recycling procedures
• Requirements to notify the landlord before an extended absence
• Rules about the use of shared amenities (laundry rooms, parking garages)
• Snow removal or lawn care responsibilities where applicable

What Cannot Be Added

A landlord cannot use the additional terms section — or any other part of the lease — to override or water down rights that the Residential Tenancies Act gives tenants. Any clause that attempts to do so is void and legally unenforceable, even if the tenant signed it.

Common illegal clauses landlords cannot include:

• "No guests overnight" or restrictions that effectively ban guests
• "The landlord may enter at any time" (the Act requires proper notice except in genuine emergencies)
• "Tenant is responsible for all repairs" (landlords must maintain the unit in a good state of repair)
• "No subletting under any circumstances" (tenants have a right to sublet with the landlord's consent, and consent cannot be unreasonably withheld)
• "Tenant waives the right to a rent deposit refund"
• Any clause purporting to make the tenancy end automatically or that gives the landlord the right to evict without going through the LTB

If your lease contains clauses like these, they are void whether you agreed to them or not. However, the rest of the lease remains in force.

What Happens If the Landlord Does Not Provide the Standard Lease

If you are a tenant in a qualifying residential unit and your landlord has not given you a signed standard lease, you have the right to request one in writing. Once you make that written request, the landlord has 21 days to provide the completed form.

If the landlord fails to deliver the form within those 21 days, the Residential Tenancies Act gives you a specific remedy: you may withhold one month's rent. This means you can reduce your next rent payment by one month's worth, and keep it — unless the landlord provides the standard lease before you exercise that right.

If the landlord later provides the standard lease and you still have not withheld rent, the window to do so closes. The remedy is time-sensitive, so act promptly if you intend to use it.

Tenants should document their written request carefully — keep a copy of any email or letter, and note the date you sent it.

What Tenants Should Check Before Signing

Do not sign a lease until you have reviewed every section. Use this checklist:

1. Confirm the form is the official Ontario standard lease, not a homemade document
2. Check that your full legal name and the landlord's full legal name appear correctly
3. Verify the civic address matches the unit you toured
4. Confirm the rent amount, due date, and accepted payment methods
5. Check which utilities and services are included — get anything promised verbally written into the form
6. Review the rent deposit amount and confirm it does not exceed one month's rent
7. Read every additional term — flag anything that restricts rights the Act guarantees
8. Confirm the start date and lease term (fixed-term versus month-to-month)
9. Keep a signed copy for your records before or on move-in day
10. If anything is unclear or seems unusual, ask a lawyer before you sign

Frequently asked questions