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Frequently Asked Questions

Your first stop for self-help is a review of our FAQs. Take a look at the ever increasing collection of questions asked by Ontario’s small-scale landlords as well as the actual answers provided by Landlord’s Self-Help Centre.

Please select a category from the list on the right above
or choose from our most popular FAQs below:

A

I moved into my rental property and now I share bathroom and kitchen with my tenant. Does the Residential Tenancies Act apply to me?

If the landlord lives in the rental property PRIOR to the tenant moving in, then you are exempt under section 5(i) of the Residential Tenancies Act. However if the tenant lives in the unit and the landlord decides to move in after, then the Act does apply to you, despite sharing a bathroom and kitchen with the tenant.

A

My tenant has signed a Form N11 Agreement to Terminate. If I renovate the rental unit am I required to provide the tenant with the right of first refusal?

When a tenant vacates a rental unit based on having signed an Agreement to Terminate, they do not have the right of first refusal.

A

I have accepted a Purchase Offer from a buyer, and have given my tenants 60 days’ notice. They have the option to stay with the new landlord but they would rather move out. Have I done my due diligence or am I missing anything?

When a rental property is sold and there is a lease in place, the landlord cannot give notice to terminate the tenancy. The new owner would have to honour the existing lease. However, if your tenants are willing to move out earlier, ask them to sign a Form N11 which is a mutual agreement between the landlord and the tenant to terminate the tenancy. This form can be obtained from the Landlord and Tenant Board’s website at https://tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/forms

A

We rent three rooms and the tenants share the kitchen and bathroom- who is responsible for cleaning the shared areas? No one cleans, can I require a cleaning service be used?

The tenants are equally responsible for the ordinary cleanliness of the unit. A mutually-agreed upon cleaning schedule may be helpful to divide the workload between the three of them. You may hire a cleaning service, but it should be specified in the tenancy agreement (especially if the cleaners are going to be entering the rental unit at a designated time every month).

If a tenant is not fulfilling his or her cleanliness obligations under the Act, you may send a reminder letter letting your tenant know that they must keep the unit clean, a copy of section 33 of the Residential Tenancies Act can also be attached (which indicates the tenant is responsible for ordinary cleanliness of the rental unit). If the tenant still fails to comply then a N5 notice may be served.

A

I had a tenant who was behind in the rent. I filed with the Landlord and Tenant Board and obtained an order for eviction. The tenant has since left the unit, but some belongings are in the shed. Can I keep those or throw them out?

If you received an order of termination after a hearing at the Landlord and Tenant Board, and the tenant moved out as a result, then pursuant to S. 41 (1) of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 you may keep, sell or dispose of any remaining belongings left behind by the tenant – either in the unit or anywhere on the residential complex such as the shed.