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Ontario gives tenants strong rights, but only if you know them. This guide covers renting, setting up your power and gas, and where to get help. Everything below comes from the government or the organisation that runs the service, and we link you to the source.

Last checked October 20, 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the linked page before you go or pay anything.

1. Renting: what a landlord can and can't ask for

  • Standard lease: for most private rentals the landlord must use Ontario's standard lease form. If they don't, ask for it in writing. They then have 21 days to give it to you.
  • Rent deposit: a landlord can ask for a deposit of up to one month's rent. It can only be used for your last month's rent, the landlord pays you interest on it each year, and you can ask for a receipt.
  • Damage deposits are illegal. So are pet deposits in the lease. A key deposit is allowed, but the law limits how much it can be.

Source: Government of Ontario, "Renting in Ontario: your rights", "Guide to Ontario's standard lease" and "Rental housing offences"

2. Avoid rental scams

Newcomers are a favourite target. Be very careful if the rent is far below other places, if the "landlord" says they are abroad and can't show you the unit, or if they want money before you have seen the place and signed a lease. Never send a deposit for a place you or someone you trust hasn't seen.

3. Rent increases

  • For most units, Ontario sets the most your rent can go up each year: 2.1% for increases in 2026 and 1.9% in 2027.
  • Your landlord must give you 90 days' written notice, on the Landlord and Tenant Board's form.
  • Watch out: units first lived in after November 15, 2018 are not covered by that limit. Ask when the unit was first occupied before you sign.

Source: Government of Ontario, "Residential rent increases"

4. When your landlord can come in

In most cases your landlord must give you 24 hours' written notice, saying why and when they will come in, and can only enter between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. No notice is needed in an emergency, or if you agree.

Source: Landlord and Tenant Board, "A Guide to the Residential Tenancies Act"

5. If something goes wrong

Free legal help
Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic gives free help to low-income residents of the Thunder Bay district, including tenants' rights. 86 South Cumberland Street. (807) 344-2478, toll free 1-888-373-3309. Walk-in intake Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (kalc.ca)
Landlord and Tenant Board
Settles disputes between tenants and landlords. Toll free 1-888-332-3234. (tribunalsontario.ca/ltb)

More free legal services are listed in legal and immigration help.

6. Electricity, gas and water

Ask the landlord which bills are included in your rent. For anything that isn't, open an account in your name before you move in.

  • Electricity: Synergy North. Sign up online with photos of two pieces of ID; a valid foreign passport is accepted. A $30 set-up charge goes on your first bill, and new accounts pay a security deposit. (807) 343-1111. (synergynorth.ca)
  • Natural gas: Enbridge Gas serves Thunder Bay. If your heat or hot water runs on gas, call 1-877-362-7434 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.). (enbridgegas.com)
  • Water is billed by the City of Thunder Bay every three months and stays with the property, so in many rentals the landlord pays it. If you have questions, call the city's Revenue Office at (807) 625-2255. (thunderbay.ca)
Winter tip: heating a home through a Thunder Bay winter costs a lot. Before you sign, ask whether heat is included and roughly what past tenants paid in January.

7. Help paying energy bills

  • Ontario Electricity Support Program: a monthly credit on your power bill if your household income is low. For example, $45 a month for one person earning $38,000 or less after tax. Apply at OESP.ca.
  • Low-income Energy Assistance Program: a one-time emergency grant if you are behind on your bill and facing disconnection. It is paid straight to the utility.
  • If you get either one, the utility waives its security deposit.

Source: Ontario Energy Board, "Ontario Electricity Support Program", "Low-income Energy Assistance Program" and "Bill assistance programs"

8. Get money back for rent

When you file your tax return, fill in the ON-BEN form and enter the rent you paid. You may get the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, paid monthly as part of the Ontario Trillium Benefit and not taxed. Keep your rent receipts.

Source: Canada Revenue Agency, "Ontario energy and property tax credit: questions and answers"

9. Social and subsidised housing

The District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB) runs the waiting list for social housing. There, rent is 30% of your household's income. Apply online at socialhousingapplication.com.

  • Each member of the household must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a refugee claimant.
  • Contact: 231 May Street South, 807-766-2111, intake@tbdssab.ca.

Source: TBDSSAB, "Housing and homelessness" and contact directory

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This guide is general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, speak to Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic or the Landlord and Tenant Board.

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