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.
No. Your obligation is to provide rental receipts to the tenant. A visitor or occupant who is not a tenant and has not paid rent directly to you is not entitled to a rent receipt from you. Be careful though if you start accepting rent directly from that person, they may later argue they have become a tenant.
A landlord must provide a rent receipt free of charge whenever the tenant asks for one. You do not have to issue one automatically every month unless requested, but it is best practice to do so for good record keeping. Former tenants can also request receipts for up to 12 months after moving out.
A proper rent receipt should clearly show the tenant’s name, the rental unit address, the amount paid, the date payment was received, reason for payment e.g., rent payment and rent deposit. For rent payment, the receipt should show the rental period the payment covers (for example, August 2026 rent), and the landlord’s name and signature. A landlord must also give a former tenant a receipt if that person asks for one within 12 months after the end of their tenancy. Keeping accurate receipts protects both landlords and tenants and helps avoid disputes later.
No, under section 109 of the RTA, a landlord must provide a rent receipt whenever a tenant asks and cannot charge a fee for it. This applies even if the tenant lost the original receipt or is requesting a duplicate.
Tenants are entitled to receive receipts for rent regardless of the method of rent payment and the landlord must provide them.
You cannot refuse to give rent receipts to a former tenant. The landlord must provide rent receipts if the former tenant requests them within 12 months after the tenancy has ended. It is considered an offence under the Residential Tenancies Act for a landlord to refuse to provide a former tenant with rent receipts.
Section 109 of the Residential Tenancies Act states that “A landlord shall provide free of charge to a tenant or former tenant, on request, a receipt for the payment of any rent, rent deposit, arrears of rent or any other amount paid to the landlord”. It also states that a former tenant can request a receipt within 12 months after the tenancy terminated. It is actually considered an offence under the Residential Tenancies Act to refuse to give a tenant a receipt when they request it.
The Residential Tenancies Act addresses rent receipts in sections 109(1) and 109(2). Section 109 (1) says: “A landlord shall provide free of charge to a tenant or former tenant, on request, a receipt for the payment of any rent, rent deposit, arrears of rent or any other amount paid to the landlord.” Section 109 (2) says: “Subsection (1) applies to a request by a former tenant only if the request is made within 12 months after the tenancy terminated.” As such, there is no time limit for a current tenant to request rent receipts while there is only a time limit of 12 months after the tenancy terminated for former tenants.