Ontario tenant guide
Browse Ontario rentals free. Verify once. Move in confidently.
Get verified once. Express interest in any Summitly Exclusive for 12 months.
Summitly shows active Ontario MLS® rentals plus Summitly Exclusives, listed by landlords directly with us. Browsing is free. Your identity and income are checked automatically once for $49 + HST, so you can contact any Exclusive for a year. Our brokerage coordinates the viewing, lease and deposit.
$55.37 with 13% HST · valid 12 months once you pass
Summitly Verified · 12 months
$49 + HST
- Summitly Verified, 1 year
- $49.00
- HST (13%)
- $6.37
- Total
- $55.37
- Every Summitly Exclusive for 12 months
- No per-application fees
- Pay by card, on a secure checkout
- RECO-registered brokerage
- Deposits held in trust
- Read our reviews on Google
How renting a Summitly Exclusive works
Five steps. Our team in the middle.
You never chase a stranger for a viewing or send a deposit to someone you’ve never met. A licensed brokerage runs every step.
Get Summitly Verified
Identity and income, checked automatically once for $49 + HST. Good for 12 months.
Express interest
One tap on any Summitly Exclusive. The landlord sees your verified profile, not your name or phone.
Viewing coordinated by our team
If the landlord says yes, pick your best day and morning, afternoon or evening. We confirm by text.
Sign the Ontario Standard Lease online
The province’s own lease form (2229E). Read it and sign with one click in your dashboard.
Pay your deposit into trust
First month’s rent and the last-month deposit go to the brokerage trust account, not to a stranger.
Renting an MLS® listing instead? No verification needed. Press Book a viewing on any MLS® rental and a licensed agent takes it from there.
Summitly Verified · $49 + HST
Verify once. Use it on every Exclusive.
One check covers 12 months of interest requests on every Summitly Exclusive.
What we check
Identity
Your government photo ID (driver’s licence, passport, Ontario Photo Card or PR card), checked automatically.
Decided automatically
Pass every check and the badge is issued. If a check doesn’t pass, you’re refunded and can ask us to review it. A landlord may still ask for references before signing.
Proof of income
Your income, verified automatically. Every source of income counts the same, including pensions, benefits (ODSP, OW, CPP, EI) and student funding.
What a landlord sees
That you’re Summitly Verified (identity and income checked), how many people will live there, pets, smoking and your move-in date. Never your documents, income or employer.
What stays private
Your name, phone, email and the documents you uploaded. Our team shares contact details only after the landlord says yes. Collected under Canadian privacy law (PIPEDA) only to verify you for rentals; never sold.
MLS® vs Summitly Exclusive
Two kinds of rentals. One search.
You’ll see both side by side on the map. The difference is who listed it and how you get in touch.
| MLS® rental | ★ Summitly Exclusive | |
|---|---|---|
| Who lists it | A REALTOR® lists it on MLS® | The landlord lists it directly with Summitly |
| Who you contact | An agent, to ask questions or book a viewing | Our brokerage team. Tap “Express interest” |
| Verification needed | No | Yes, Summitly Verified |
| Viewing | Booked with the listing agent | Coordinated by our team, confirmed by text |
| Lease | Listing agent or landlord prepares it | Ontario Standard Lease, signed online |
| Deposit | As arranged with the listing brokerage | Held in the brokerage trust account |
Rentals in Toronto right now
See all rentals in Toronto →
New · yesterday$3,200/mo
1 bd · 1 ba · Condo Apartment
35 Mariner Terrace 3703
Toronto C01
MLS®Listed by BAY STREET GROUP INC., BrokerageBook a viewing
New · yesterday$2,000/mo
1 bd · 1 ba · Condo Apartment
219 Dundas Street E 506
C08
MLS®Listed by HOMELIFE LANDMARK REALTY INC., BrokerageBook a viewing
New · yesterday$2,550/mo
1 bd · 1 ba · Condo Apartment
75 St Nicholas Street 606
C01
MLS®Listed by HOMELIFE LANDMARK REALTY INC., BrokerageBook a viewing
New · yesterday$3,300/mo
2 bd · 2 ba · Condo Apartment
280 Dundas Street W 2210
Toronto C01
MLS®Listed by RE/MAX REALTRON REALTY INC., BrokerageBook a viewing
First-time renter in Ontario
Your Ontario tenant rights.
The Residential Tenancies Act protects almost every Ontario tenant. Here’s what your landlord can and can’t do, in plain words.
Can a landlord ask me for…
A damage deposit? No
Damage and security deposits aren’t allowed in Ontario. The only deposits are a rent deposit, used for your last month, and a refundable key deposit.
Last month’s rent? Yes
A rent deposit of up to one month’s rent. It can only be used for your last month, and you earn interest on it each year at the rent guideline.
A pet deposit? No
Pet deposits aren’t allowed. A “no pets” clause in a lease is void under the Act, although condo corporation rules restricting pets can still apply.
A key deposit? Yes
Only a refundable one, no higher than the cost of replacing the keys.
A cleaning deposit? No
Cleaning deposits aren’t allowed.
- Rent deposit
- Up to one month’s rent. It can only be used for your last month, not for damage. You earn interest on it each year at the rent guideline.
- Rent increases
- Once every 12 months, with 90 days’ written notice (Form N1). The guideline is 2.1% for 2026. Units in new buildings, additions and qualifying new basement apartments first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 can be exempt from the guideline. The 12-month rule and 90 days’ written notice still apply.
- Entering your home
- 24 hours’ written notice, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., for most reasons.
- Your lease
- The Ontario Standard Lease (2229E) is required for most tenancies signed on or after April 30, 2018.
- Moving out
- 60 days’ written notice from you to end your tenancy.
- Evictions
- Only with a Landlord and Tenant Board order. No lock changes, utility shut-offs or removing your things.
Sources: Government of Ontario, Residential rent increases; Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (ss. 105–106 on deposits). Checked 2026-09-24. General information, not legal advice.
Is my rent increase legal?
Enter your rent to see the most it can go up under the guideline.
Most your rent can rise to
$2,348.30
Up $48.30 a month (2.1% guideline for 2026).
- Once every 12 months, with 90 days’ written notice (Form N1).
- Above the guideline needs Landlord and Tenant Board approval.
- Units first lived in after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline.
Renter tools
Rent checker
Is this rent fair in Toronto?
Compared with what places like it leased for in the last 12 months.
About 10% below the typical 2 bedroom rent in Toronto ($2,900).
Median of leases signed on the MLS® in the last 12 months.
Pitfalls to avoid
Paying a damage deposit
Not allowed in Ontario. A landlord can take only a rent deposit for your last month and a refundable key deposit.
Signing a non-standard lease
Most Ontario tenancies must use the Standard Lease (2229E). Terms that break the Act can’t be enforced.
Not getting it in writing
Utilities, parking and pets should all be in the lease itself, not a verbal promise.
Sending a deposit to a stranger
On a Summitly Exclusive, your first and last month go into the brokerage trust account.
Skipping the move-in inspection
Photograph every scratch and stain on day one and send the list to your landlord.
Tenant FAQ
Still unsure? Call (905) 553-8500, our team answers, or .
Is browsing Summitly free?
Yes. Search every rental on the map with no account and no fee.
What does Summitly Verified cost and cover?
$49 + HST ($55.37 total), valid 12 months. Your identity and income are checked automatically before the badge is issued. It lets you express interest in any Summitly Exclusive for a year.
What’s the difference between MLS® rentals and Summitly Exclusives?
MLS® rentals are listed by REALTORS®; you book a viewing with the listing agent and no verification is needed. Summitly Exclusives are listed by landlords directly with Summitly; only Summitly Verified tenants can express interest, and our brokerage team handles the viewing, lease and deposit.
Can landlords contact me directly?
Not on Exclusives. Landlords see an anonymized verified profile, and our team shares contact details only after the landlord says yes. A Coldwell Banker Summit Realty agent runs the introduction.
What can my landlord collect upfront?
First month’s rent and a rent deposit of up to one month, used for your last month, plus a refundable key deposit no higher than the cost of replacing the keys. Damage, pet and cleaning deposits are not allowed.
How much can my rent go up each year?
Most rents can rise once every 12 months by the guideline: 2.1% for 2026. Your landlord must give you 90 days’ written notice on Form N1. Units in new buildings, additions and qualifying new basement apartments first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 can be exempt from the guideline. The 12-month rule and 90 days’ written notice still apply.
Can my landlord lock me out for missing rent?
No. An eviction needs a Landlord and Tenant Board order. Landlords can’t change the locks, shut off utilities or remove your things.
Verify once. Rent with a brokerage in your corner.
$49 + HST, valid 12 months. Browsing is always free.
Updated October 7, 2026 · Coldwell Banker Summit Realty, Brokerage
Reviewed by Waqar Afzal, Broker of Record ·
Brokerage services, representation, fees and disclosures. Mortgage, tax and legal information links to official sources and requires advice from the appropriate professional.
2027 rent increases
Ontario’s 2027 rent increase guideline is 1.9%; the 2026 guideline is 2.1%. Guideline-exempt units remain subject to the 12-month rule and 90 days’ written notice.
Official sourceLeaving a tenancy
An N9 normally requires at least 60 days’ notice, ending on the last day of a rental period and no earlier than the end of a fixed term, unless an applicable exception or agreement applies.
Official source
