The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) is the Ontario statute that governs most residential tenancies, and it is the law the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) applies in every landlord application. Its main regulation, O. Reg. 516/06, fills in the details the Act leaves to be "prescribed". This guide points landlords to the sections they use most, organised by topic, with links to the official consolidated text. It is a map, not a substitute for reading the section itself.
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Statute | Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17 |
| Main regulation | O. Reg. 516/06 (General) |
| Other regulations | O. Reg. 517/06 (maintenance standards), O. Reg. 394/10 (suite meters), O. Reg. 9/18 (standard lease) |
| Current consolidation | From September 21, 2026 (last amended by S.O. 2025, c. 14, Sched. 12) |
| Who applies it | The Landlord and Tenant Board, with appeals on questions of law to the Divisional Court |
| Procedure | RTA Part XII, the Statutory Powers Procedure Act and the LTB Rules of Procedure |
Scope and exemptions (Part I)
- s. 3: the Act applies to rental units in residential complexes despite any other Act or agreement to the contrary.
- s. 4: a lease term that conflicts with the Act is void. You cannot contract out of the RTA.
- s. 5: exemptions, including accommodation where the occupant must share a bathroom or kitchen with the owner or the owner's immediate family who live in the building.
- s. 6.1: units first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the rent increase guideline and related sections. See the rent increase guideline guide.
- s. 9: either party can apply (Form A1) for a ruling on whether the Act applies.
The tenancy agreement (Part II)
- s. 12.1: prescribed tenancies must use the standard form of lease (O. Reg. 9/18 sets out the classes).
- s. 14 and s. 15: "no pets" clauses and acceleration clauses are void.
- s. 16: a landlord claiming money for a breach must take reasonable steps to minimize losses.
Landlord and tenant responsibilities (Parts III and IV)
- s. 20: the landlord's duty to maintain the complex in a good state of repair and to comply with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards.
- s. 21 to s. 24: no withholding vital services, no interfering with reasonable enjoyment, no harassment, no changing locks without giving the tenant replacement keys.
- s. 26 and s. 27: entry. Entry with notice needs written notice at least 24 hours in advance stating the reason, the day and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
- s. 29: the tenant applications (T2, T6) that a landlord defends.
- s. 33 and s. 34: the tenant's duties of ordinary cleanliness and repair of undue damage.
- s. 36.1: from July 1, 2026, a tenant may install a window or portable air conditioner where the landlord does not supply air conditioning, subject to conditions and to the landlord's right to prohibit it in prescribed circumstances.
Ending a tenancy (Part V)
General rules
- s. 37 and s. 39: a tenancy ends only in accordance with the Act, and a landlord cannot recover possession without an LTB order enforced by the sheriff (or the tenant leaving under a notice or agreement).
- s. 38: a fixed-term lease that is not renewed or ended continues month to month.
- s. 41: after an eviction is enforced, the landlord must keep the tenant's property available for 72 hours, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. (O. Reg. 516/06, s. 46).
- s. 43: every notice of termination must be on the approved form, identify the unit, state the termination date and be signed; a landlord's notice must give reasons and details.
- s. 44: minimum notice periods for end-of-period and end-of-term notices.
- s. 46: a notice becomes void 30 days after its termination date unless the tenant has left or the landlord has applied. This does not apply to a non-payment notice.
"No fault" grounds
- s. 48 and s. 48.1: landlord's own use (N12) and compensation of one month's rent, with the September 21, 2026 exception for 120-day notices described below.
- s. 49 and s. 49.1: purchaser's own use, available for a complex of no more than three residential units (or a condominium unit).
- s. 50, s. 52, s. 53 and s. 54: demolition, conversion, repairs and renovation (N13), the tenant's right of first refusal and compensation.
- s. 57 and s. 57.1: the former tenant's bad-faith application (T5), including statutory presumptions of bad faith (s. 57) and the deemed failure to honour a right of first refusal (s. 57.1(1.1)).
- s. 58: end-of-term grounds such as persistent late payment (N8). O. Reg. 516/06, s. 8.1 now defines one form of persistent late payment.
"Fault" grounds
- s. 59: non-payment of rent (N4). The termination date must be at least 7 days after the notice is given, and the notice is void if the tenant pays before the landlord applies.
- s. 60 to s. 68: misrepresenting income, illegal acts, damage, interference with reasonable enjoyment, impaired safety, overcrowding, and the second-notice rules (N5, N6, N7).
Applying to the LTB
- s. 69: the landlord's eviction application must be based on a notice of termination and filed within 30 days after the termination date, except for non-payment of rent.
- s. 70: no application during a remedy period.
- s. 71.1 to s. 73.1: the affidavit and prior-notice disclosure needed for own-use applications, and proof that compensation was paid.
- s. 74: the L1 rules: when you can file, how the tenant can void the order by paying, and the one-time motion to set aside after the order is enforceable.
- s. 77 and s. 78: applications without a hearing (L3 and L4) and the tenant's motion to set those orders aside.
- s. 81: an eviction order expires six months after it takes effect if it is not filed with the sheriff. See the Enforcement Office guide.
- s. 82: what a tenant must do to raise other issues at an arrears hearing.
- s. 83: the LTB's power to refuse or delay an eviction, and the cases where it must refuse.
- s. 86 to s. 89: compensation for use and occupation, arrears, interference, unpaid utilities and damage (L1, L2, L9, L10).
Rent (Part VII)
- s. 105 and s. 106: the only deposit allowed is a rent deposit, no more than one month's (or one period's) rent, with annual interest at the guideline rate.
- s. 108 and s. 109: no mandatory post-dated cheques or automatic debits; free receipts on request (O. Reg. 516/06, s. 9 sets the contents).
- s. 116, s. 119 and s. 120: 90 days' written notice on the approved form, the 12-month rule and the guideline (capped at 2.5%).
- s. 121: above-guideline increases by agreement (N10), limited to the guideline plus 3%.
- s. 126: above-guideline increase applications (L5).
- s. 134: illegal additional charges such as key money. O. Reg. 516/06, s. 17 lists permitted charges, including a maximum $20 administration charge for an NSF cheque.
- s. 136: rent or a rent increase is deemed lawful unless challenged within one year.
Board proceedings (Parts XI and XII)
- s. 181, s. 181.1 and s. 182: fees, fee waivers for low-income individuals, and refund of the review fee if the order is varied, suspended or cancelled. See LTB filing fees.
- s. 183 and s. 184: the LTB must use the most expeditious fair method; the Statutory Powers Procedure Act applies.
- s. 185: applications must be on the approved form with the required fee.
- s. 190: extending or shortening time, limited by O. Reg. 516/06, s. 56 (notice periods for terminating tenancies cannot be changed).
- s. 191: how notices and documents may be given.
- s. 202: the LTB looks at the real substance of transactions.
- s. 206: settling an arrears application by agreement; since July 1, 2026 the LTB's Payment Agreement form is mandatory for these.
- s. 207: the LTB can order payment of up to the greater of $10,000 and the monetary jurisdiction of the Small Claims Court.
- s. 209 and s. 210: orders are final, reviews of orders issued on or after July 1, 2026 must be requested within 15 days, and appeals go to the Divisional Court on a question of law within 30 days.
- s. 212: substantial compliance with form requirements is sufficient.
Offences (Part XVI)
s. 233 to s. 238 set out offences, including illegal lockouts, withholding vital services and giving a notice of termination in bad faith. Since July 1, 2026 the maximum fines are $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation. These are court-imposed fines after a prosecution, separate from LTB administrative fines.
O. Reg. 516/06: provisions landlords use most
| Section | What it does |
|---|---|
| s. 8.1 | Persistent late payment includes rent not paid within 7 days of the due date on at least 3 occasions in any 6-month period (payments applied by the landlord to other amounts owing do not count). Other circumstances can still qualify. |
| s. 8.2 | Setting aside an L3 order: only if not unfair, ignoring changes in the tenant's circumstances after the agreement or notice. |
| s. 8.3 | The half-of-arrears payment under s. 82 must be made no later than 7 days before the hearing. |
| s. 8.4 | Delaying an eviction without the landlord's consent requires that it not be unfair and compelling grounds (only the "not unfair" test for N12/N13-type notices under ss. 48, 49, 50). |
| s. 9 | Minimum contents of a rent receipt. |
| s. 17 | Charges exempt from the s. 134 prohibition, including key costs and the $20 NSF administration charge. |
| s. 46 | Evicted tenant's property must be available between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. |
| s. 56 | Time requirements the LTB cannot extend or shorten. |
| Part III | Above-guideline increase rules for L5 applications. |
The 2026 amendments (Bill 60 and Bill 97)
Tribunals Ontario has implemented amendments from the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025 (Bill 60, Schedule 12) and the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 (Bill 97, Schedule 7) in two waves.
In force July 1, 2026
- Requests to review an order must be made within 15 days of an order issued on or after July 1, 2026 (30 days for earlier orders) (s. 209(3)); the grounds for review are now prescribed by O. Reg. 178/26.
- The LTB Payment Agreement form is mandatory for s. 206 repayment agreements.
- Tenants' right to install window or portable air conditioners (s. 36.1), with a possible seasonal rent increase where electricity is included.
- Maximum offence fines doubled (s. 238).
In force September 21, 2026
- N4 notice period cut from 14 to 7 days for N4s given on or after September 21, 2026 (s. 59).
- On rent applications (L1, L9 and L10) filed on or after September 21, 2026, a tenant who wants to raise other issues must pay the landlord half of the arrears claimed at least 7 days before the hearing, directly to the landlord (ss. 82 and 87(2); O. Reg. 516/06, s. 8.3).
- Persistent late payment defined (O. Reg. 516/06, s. 8.1).
- Tighter tests for setting aside L3 orders and for delaying evictions (O. Reg. 516/06, ss. 8.2 and 8.4).
- N12 for the landlord's own use: no compensation or alternative unit if the notice is served on or after September 21, 2026, gives at least 120 days' notice and ends on the last day of a period or term (s. 48.1(2)). Not available for purchaser's-own-use notices.
- N12 occupancy: on a T5 filed on or after September 21, 2026, bad faith is presumed if the landlord or family member does not move in within 60 days of the termination date, or of the tenant's move-out if later (s. 57(6.1), (7); O. Reg. 240/26). The presumption is rebuttable and does not apply to purchaser's-own-use notices.
- N13 right of first refusal: new written-notice duties and 60 days to reoccupy, with a later T5 deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the official text of the RTA?
On Ontario's e-Laws site at ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17. The current consolidation runs from September 21, 2026. Check the consolidation date before relying on any printed copy.
Does the RTA apply to a room in my house?
Not if the occupant shares a kitchen or bathroom with you (the owner) or your spouse, child or parent, or your spouse's child or parent, who lives in the building (s. 5, clause (i)). If you are unsure, either side can file an A1.
Can a lease override the RTA?
No. Section 4 makes any conflicting provision void, and s. 3 applies the Act despite any agreement to the contrary.
What is the difference between the RTA and the LTB Rules?
The RTA is the law. The Rules of Procedure, Practice Directions and Interpretation Guidelines are the LTB's own procedural and interpretive documents. See the Rules of Procedure guide and the Interpretation Guidelines guide.