Housing · 8 min read · Published September 2026
Rent increases in Ontario: notice and guideline basics
An answer-first guide to timing, written notice, the annual guideline, exemptions, and above-guideline applications.
Short answer
For most rent-controlled Ontario tenancies, a landlord generally must wait at least 12 months after the tenancy begins or the last lawful increase, give at least 90 days’ written notice using the required form, and stay within the annual guideline unless an exemption or Landlord and Tenant Board order applies. Check the unit, date, form, and current guideline before assuming an increase is valid.
What should a tenant check first?
Review the notice itself and the tenancy history. The annual guideline changes by year, and some rental units are exempt from the guideline even though notice and timing rules may still apply.
- The date the tenancy began and the date of the last increase
- The notice form, amount, effective date, and date it was received
- Whether the unit was first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018
- Whether an order, agreement, service change, or other special rule is being relied on
What does the annual guideline do?
The guideline sets the maximum percentage increase for most covered units in a calendar year without Landlord and Tenant Board approval. It does not authorize an increase by itself: the landlord must still follow the timing and notice requirements.
- Use the guideline for the year the increase takes effect
- Calculate the percentage against the lawful rent
- Keep the lease, notices, receipts, and rent-payment record
- Do not rely on a verbal notice or an old annual percentage
What is an above-guideline increase?
A landlord may apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for an increase above the guideline on specified grounds. An application is not the same as an approved amount, and tenants may receive notice of a hearing and information about participation.
- Read the application and hearing documents carefully
- Track whether an order has been made and what it authorizes
- Get advice before withholding rent or changing payments
- Ask how a pending application affects the amount currently payable
Common questions
Can a landlord raise rent whenever a lease renews?
Not simply because a fixed term ends. Ontario’s timing, notice, guideline, and exemption rules still need to be considered for the tenancy.
Are newer Ontario rental units exempt from rent control?
Some units first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the annual guideline. Other requirements can still apply, so confirm the unit’s occupancy history and current law.
What should a tenant do with a notice that seems invalid?
Keep the notice and payment records, compare them with current official guidance, and obtain legal or tenant-clinic advice before withholding rent or deciding not to pay the increase.
Official sources to check
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