New changes for Landlords starting on April 30, 2018, where most private residential rental units – from individual landlords to property management companies – must use a standard lease template for all new leases.
This is being done so:
- Landlords and renters understand their rights and responsibilities
- To reduce illegal terms in leases and misunderstandings caused by verbal tenancy agreements
- To reduce the need for Landlord and Tenant Board hearings to resolve disputes
The standard lease form contains:
- Mandatory fields that must be completed and cannot be altered or removed.
- Optional additional terms, which allow landlords and renters to agree to terms or responsibilities that are unique to the rental unit and additional terms not consistent with a mandatory term of the lease or the RTA, are considered void and unenforceable.
- General information for landlords and renters on rights, responsibilities and void/unenforceable conditions.
A lease signed on or after April 30, 2018, must be a standard lease. If the standard lease is not used renters can ask the landlord for one in writing. The landlord must provide one within 21 days.
Renters cannot ask for a standard lease if they signed a lease before April 30, 2018, unless they and their landlord negotiate a new lease agreement with new terms on or after this date. Also, renters cannot ask for a standard lease if they sign a fixed-term lease before April 30, 2018, and it renewed automatically to a month-to-month tenancy after April 30, 2018.
If a landlord fails to provide the standard lease within 21 days after a renter has asked for it in writing, the renter may withhold one month’s rent.
For a copy of this Standard Form, or if you have any questions, contact me directly or visit: mah.gov.on.ca/Page18704.aspx
