How to Apply for Rent-Geared-to-Income Housing in Ontario
How to apply for rent-geared-to-income housing in Ontario: find your service manager, apply to the local waitlist, and keep your file active.
How to Dispute a Rent Increase in Ontario
How to dispute a rent increase in Ontario: the 2026 and 2027 guidelines, the N1 form, the 90-day rule, and filing at the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Applies in: Ontario
The short answer
An Ontario rent increase is only lawful if it passes three checks at once: the amount is within the guideline for the year it takes effect, at least 12 months have passed since the last increase or the tenancy began, and the landlord gave at least 90 days' written notice on the Landlord and Tenant Board's proper form. The guideline is 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027. If any check fails, you can dispute the increase at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) within 12 months after the amount was first charged. This guide covers Ontario only — other provinces set their own guidelines and use their own forms and tribunals.
Check 1: The amount — the guideline for the year it takes effect
The rent increase guideline is the maximum a landlord can increase most tenants' rent during a year without the approval of the Landlord and Tenant Board. It is calculated from the Ontario Consumer Price Index, using data from June to May to set the following year's guideline, and it is capped at 2.5% by law. The guideline that applies is the one for the calendar year the increase takes effect — not the year the notice was served.
Do the arithmetic yourself before you dispute anything. On a $2,000 rent, a 2026 guideline increase adds at most $42 a month. Ontario.ca's own sample: $1,000 rent on a lease signed June 1, 2026, can lawfully rise 1.9% to $1,019.00 on June 1, 2027. If the notice demands more than the guideline for that year and the Board has not approved an above-guideline increase, the amount is improper.
Check 2: The timing — 12 months, and 90 days' notice
Both timing rules must hold:
- At least 12 months must have passed since the last rent increase, or since the date the tenancy began. An increase dated 11 months after the last one fails this check even if the amount is within the guideline.
- At least 90 days' written notice before the increase takes effect, in the proper form available from the Landlord and Tenant Board. For most units that form is Form N1 (Notice of Rent Increase). A letter the landlord typed up, a text message, or a verbal warning does not count.
If your landlord has not provided the proper notice, or you believe your rent has been raised by an improper amount, Ontario.ca states you can dispute it at the Landlord and Tenant Board within 12 months after the amount was first charged. Note the clock: it runs from when the amount was first charged, not from when you noticed the problem.
Check 3: Does the guideline even cover your unit?
The guideline applies to most private residential rental units covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 — rented houses, apartments, basement apartments and condos, care homes, mobile homes and land lease communities. It does not apply to:
- New buildings, additions to existing buildings and most new basement apartments first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018
- Rental units on turnover of a tenancy — the landlord and a new tenant agree on the rent amount
- Community housing units, long-term care homes, and commercial properties
The new-building exemption is the one that catches the most tenants by surprise: for a unit first occupied after November 15, 2018, there is no percentage cap at all. But the exemption is not the landlord's word for it. If there is a dispute about new buildings and additions, the landlord must prove the building or addition was first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 — with records such as building permits, occupancy permits, or documents from the builder. For new units in existing houses, the landlord must also prove the unit was built in a previously unfinished space like a basement or attic, or that the owner lived in another part of the house when the new unit was first occupied. In a care home, the guideline applies only to the rent portion of the bill, not to the cost of services like nursing, food or cleaning.
Even for exempt units, the 90-day notice and 12-month rules still apply. An exempt unit with 60 days' notice is still an invalid increase.
Above-guideline increases: the landlord needs Board approval first
In some cases a landlord can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for approval to raise rent by more than the guideline. That application is Form L5, and the Board must approve it before the higher rent can be charged — a landlord cannot decide an above-guideline increase on their own. If you receive an L5 notice, you are entitled to take part in the Board's process and object; the Board's forms and filing page sets out the email-filing steps for an L5, including the Rental Unit Information form the landlord must file with it. Do not simply pay an above-guideline amount because the landlord says the Board will approve it later.
Step by step: disputing an increase
- Read the notice against the three checks. Write down the current rent, the new rent, the percentage increase, the effective date, the date of the last increase, and the date you received the notice. Compare each against the guideline for the year the increase takes effect, the 12-month rule, and the 90-day rule.
- Write to the landlord. State the specific problem in writing — the amount exceeds the guideline, the notice is short, or the wrong form was used — and keep a copy. Keep paying the rent that is lawfully owed while you dispute the increase; stopping payment entirely creates a separate problem the landlord can take to the Board.
- Gather your evidence. The notice itself, your lease, proof of the date you received the notice, rent receipts or bank records showing the last increase, and any written exchange with the landlord. If the dispute is about the new-building exemption, ask the landlord for the records that prove the first-occupancy date.
- Dispute it at the LTB within 12 months. File within 12 months after the improper amount was first charged. The Board's forms and filing page lists the tenant applications and how to file them — online through the Tribunals Ontario Portal, by mail or courier, or in person at a ServiceOntario location. If you already paid an improper increase, Form T1 (Tenant Application for a Rebate of Money the Landlord Owes) is the application that asks the Board to order the money back.
- If the landlord files an L5, respond. An above-guideline application is a hearing, not a formality — the landlord must justify the increase, and you can present your side.
If you are unsure whether your unit is exempt, you can contact the Landlord and Tenant Board to ask — Ontario.ca lists the Board at ltb@ontario.ca, 416-645-8080, or toll-free 1-888-332-3234 — and the Board can determine whether a unit is exempt from the guideline.
Figures the official pages do not state
The official pages do not state the filing fee for a tenant application at the Landlord and Tenant Board, so no fee figure is given in this guide — the amount is shown when you file through the Tribunals Ontario Portal, and a fee waiver exists for applicants who meet the Board's financial eligibility requirements. They also do not state how long the Board takes to schedule a rent dispute hearing, so no timeline is given here. The Form N1 name is the Landlord and Tenant Board's published form for a notice of rent increase; confirm the current form on the Board's forms page before relying on it, since form numbers are revised from time to time. This guide is general information about Ontario law, not legal advice for a specific tenancy.
Related guides
- Landlord-tenant procedure grid in Canada — the Canada-wide map: which tribunal handles disputes in each province, and the Ontario row in one place.
- How to take a landlord to the Landlord and Tenant Board in Ontario — the filing walkthrough that follows from this guide: picking the right tenant form, filing on the portal, and the hearing.
- How to start renting your first apartment in Canada — the companion for new tenants: leases, deposits, and the first rent, before any increase arrives.
- How to start checking if your BC rent increase is legal — the British Columbia contrast: a different guideline, a different tribunal, and different clocks.
- How to start reporting rental income in Canada — the landlord's side of the same rent: how the rent you pay is reported to the CRA.
Disputing an Ontario rent increase, in five steps
- Find the guideline for the year the increase takes effectThe guideline is 2.1% for increases taking effect in 2026 and 1.9% for 2027. By law the guideline can never exceed 2.5%.
- Check the 12-month ruleAt least 12 months must have passed since the last rent increase, or since the date the tenancy began.
- Check the noticeThe landlord must give written notice on the Landlord and Tenant Board's proper form — Form N1 for most units — at least 90 days before the increase takes effect.
- Check whether the guideline covers your unitUnits first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline, but the 90-day notice and 12-month rules still apply.
- Dispute it within 12 monthsIf the notice or the amount is wrong, you can dispute it at the Landlord and Tenant Board within 12 months after the amount was first charged.
Ontario rent increase guidelines, 2026–2027
| 2026 guideline | 2.1% |
|---|---|
| 2027 guideline | 1.9% |
| Legal cap on the guideline | 2.5% |
| Sample: $1,000 rent, 2027 increase | $1,019.00 per month |
The guideline that applies is the one for the calendar year the increase takes effect. The sample is Ontario.ca's own example: $1,000 rent on a lease signed June 1, 2026, rising 1.9% to $1,019.00 on June 1, 2027, with written notice at least 90 days before that date.
Questions people ask
What is Ontario's rent increase guideline for 2026?
The guideline for increases taking effect in 2026 is 2.1%. For 2027 it is 1.9%. The guideline is the maximum a landlord can raise the rent of most tenants in a year without approval from the Landlord and Tenant Board, and by law it can never exceed 2.5%.
How much notice must my landlord give before raising the rent?
At least 90 days' written notice before the increase takes effect, on the Landlord and Tenant Board's proper form — Form N1 (Notice of Rent Increase) for most units. A verbal heads-up, a text message, or less than 90 days' notice is not a valid rent increase.
Can my landlord raise my rent more than once a year?
No. In most cases rent can be increased only if at least 12 months have passed since the last increase, or since the date the tenancy began. That 12-month rule applies even to units that are exempt from the guideline.
My building is new. Does the rent increase guideline apply to me?
Probably not. New buildings, additions to existing buildings and most new basement apartments first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline, so the landlord can set a larger increase. The 90-day notice and 12-month rules still apply, and if there is a dispute about the exemption, the landlord must prove the unit was first occupied after that date.
What is an above-guideline increase?
In some cases a landlord can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for approval to raise rent by more than the guideline — using Form L5, Application for a Rent Increase Above the Guideline. A landlord cannot impose an above-guideline increase on their own; the Board must approve it first.
How do I actually dispute a rent increase?
Write to the landlord pointing out the specific problem — wrong amount, wrong form, or short notice — and keep copies of everything. If the landlord does not fix it, dispute it at the Landlord and Tenant Board within 12 months after the amount was first charged. If you already paid an improper increase, the Board's Form T1 (Tenant Application for a Rebate of Money the Landlord Owes) is the route to get that money back.
Sources
- Government of Ontario, Residential rent increases — the 2026 and 2027 guidelines, the 90-day notice and 12-month rules, the post-November 15, 2018 exemption, the 12-month dispute window, and the sample calculation.
- Tribunals Ontario, Forms, filing and fees — the Landlord and Tenant Board's forms, the Tribunals Ontario Portal, filing by mail and at ServiceOntario, and the L5 above-guideline application.