Updated: July 29, 2026
Renting in Ontario? Sure, renting can seem complicated. Lots of rules and regulations to follow, right? Well, there’s a secret weapon to avoid confusion: The Ontario Standard Form of Lease!
This guide answers all of those questions in plain language so you can execute the standard lease correctly from the start and avoid the legal exposure that comes from getting it wrong.
What Is the Standard Form of Lease?
The Ontario Standard Form of Lease is a government-prescribed tenancy agreement template, meaning the provincial government determined what the document must look like and what it must contain. Landlords cannot use a different form for covered residential tenancies, and cannot omit any of the required sections.
The lease was introduced to address a longstanding problem: landlords using custom leases that contained clauses which violated the RTA and which tenants, often unfamiliar with their legal rights, signed without realizing they were unenforceable. By standardising the form, the government ensured that both parties are working from the same set of legally compliant terms.
The current version of Form 2229E is available in multiple languages from the Ontario government at ontario.ca/standardlease. Always download the current version the form has been updated since its 2018 introduction.
What Does the Standard Lease Contain?
The standard lease is divided into two main components: the agreement itself and an attached information package explaining tenant and landlord rights under the RTA.
The agreement covers:
- Section 1 Parties: Legal names of all landlords and all tenants entering into the agreement.
- Section 2 Rental unit: Full civic address of the unit being rented, including unit number.
- Section 3 Contact information: Address where the landlord can be reached for legal notices.
- Section 4 Term of tenancy: Whether the tenancy is fixed-term or month-to-month, the start date, and (for fixed-term) the end date.
- Section 5 Rent: The total monthly rent, what’s included (parking, storage, utilities), the payment due date, acceptable payment methods, and whether rent is paid in advance.
- Section 6 Services and utilities: Which services (heat, hydro, water, air conditioning, internet, etc.) are included in the rent and which the tenant pays directly.
- Section 7 Rent discounts: If a rent discount or incentive is being offered, it must be disclosed here.
- Section 8 Last month’s rent deposit: Whether an LMR deposit was collected, the amount, and interest terms.
- Section 9 Key deposit: Whether a refundable key deposit was collected (the only deposit other than LMR that is permitted under the RTA, and only refundable, not chargeable as a fee).
- Section 10 Smoking: Whether smoking is permitted or prohibited in the unit and where.
- Section 11 Tenants’ guests: Any rules about extended guest stays.
- Section 12 Additional terms: Space for agreed-upon terms that don’t appear in the standard sections; this is where addenda and additional rules live.
- Section 13 Changes to this agreement: How the lease can be modified (only by written agreement of both parties).
- Section 14 Signatures: Execution block for all landlords and tenants.
The Attached Information Package: Why It Matters
The standard lease must be accompanied by the government’s explanatory information package, which summarises key RTA rights and obligations for both landlords and tenants. This package covers:
- What rent control applies to and current guideline amounts
- Rules about rent increases (90-day notice, N1 form)
- Entry rights and 24-hour notice requirements
- Maintenance obligations
- How to end a tenancy
- What to do if there’s a dispute
- LTB contact information
This information package is not optional; it’s a required part of Form 2229E. Omitting it is the same as providing an incomplete standard lease.
What You Can Add: The Additional Terms Section
The standard lease was designed to be comprehensive but not exhaustive. Section 12 (Additional Terms) allows landlords to include property-specific rules and agreed-upon conditions that aren’t covered by the standard sections.
Common and appropriate additional terms:
- Pet policy: Whether pets are permitted, any breed or size restrictions, damage expectations, and whether a pet was specifically approved
- Smoking and cannabis: Restrictions on smoking or vaping inside the unit, on balconies, or in common areas
- Parking and storage: Specific parking spot numbers, whether motorcycles are permitted, storage locker assignments and rules
- Maintenance responsibilities: Specific items the tenant agrees to maintain (e.g. lawn cutting for a freehold property, snow clearing from the front walk)
- Noise and quiet hours: Specific quiet hours, particularly relevant for multi-unit buildings
- Laundry access: Hours of access, rules for shared laundry facilities
- Guest policy: Rules about extended-stay guests or Airbnb subletting restrictions
- Notice for entry: You can agree on a notification method (e.g. text or email counts as written notice), though the 24-hour minimum and 8 am–8 pm window remain mandatory
What you cannot add (void even if signed):
- A waiver of a tenant’s RTA rights (“tenant waives right to 24-hour notice”)
- Tenant liability for all repairs regardless of cause
- Security or damage deposits beyond the LMR deposit
- Late payment fees
- Fees for having guests, or for any service not permitted under the RTA
- Restrictions on the tenant’s right to have children
- Any clause that purports to override or reduce RTA protections
A clause that is void under the RTA is unenforceable regardless of whether both parties signed it. This is not the same as a contract law situation where agreed-upon terms are generally binding; the RTA specifically overrides any lease clause that conflicts with it.
What Happens If You Don’t Provide the Standard Lease?
The consequences of failing to provide the standard lease are specified in the RTA and are financially significant:
- If a tenant requests the standard lease in writing: You have 21 days to provide a fully executed copy. If you fail to do so within those 21 days, the tenant is entitled to withhold one month’s rent as a remedy.
- If you still haven’t provided the standard lease after the tenant withholds: The tenant may be entitled to keep that month’s rent permanently. This is a statutory remedy; it doesn’t require an LTB application to exercise, though the tenant can apply to the LTB for confirmation.
In practice, this means a landlord who fails to provide the standard lease on request can lose a month’s rent worth $2,000–$3,000 in most Ontario markets as a purely administrative consequence.
This penalty applies even if you have a verbal tenancy agreement, a custom-written lease, or a partial written agreement. The standard form is required in addition to any other agreement.
How the Standard Lease Interacts With the RTA
The standard lease is built on top of the RTA it cannot override, reduce, or replace the rights and obligations the RTA establishes. Think of the lease as the specific agreement between you and this tenant, and the RTA as the floor beneath it.
Key RTA provisions that apply regardless of what the lease says:
- Maintenance obligations (s.20): You must maintain the property in good repair whether or not the lease addresses it
- Entry rules (s.27): 24-hour written notice is required for all non-emergency entry regardless of any lease clause
- Rent increase process: Increases require an N1 form with 90 days’ notice regardless of any lease clause
- Tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment (s.22): Cannot be waived by lease clause
- Eviction process: Cannot be modified by lease; only the RTA process applies
For a complete breakdown of every ongoing obligation Ontario landlords carry under the RTA, and how they interact with your lease, that checklist covers every category.
End of Fixed-Term: What Happens Next
When a fixed-term lease reaches its end date, the tenancy does not automatically terminate. Under the RTA, the tenancy converts to a month-to-month tenancy on the same terms unless:
The tenant gives proper notice to vacate (N9 form, at least 60 days before the termination date at the end of the term:
- The landlord and tenant mutually agree in writing to end the tenancy (N11 form)
- The landlord has a valid legal ground to terminate and has served the appropriate notice
A common landlord misunderstanding: “my fixed-term lease ends in April, so the tenant needs to leave in April.” This is incorrect. The fixed-term end date is simply the point at which the tenancy converts to month-to-month. The tenant cannot be required to vacate unless they choose to, or unless the landlord has a valid RTA ground for termination.
This is why the lease term matters less than many landlords believe it’s the ongoing tenancy relationship, not the initial contract end date, that controls.
Executing the Standard Lease Correctly: A Checklist
- Download the current version of Form 2229E from ontario.ca
- Complete all required sections with accurate information
- Prepare any additional terms or addendums referencing the Additional Terms section
- Have all landlords and all tenants sign the same document
- Attach the required information package
- Provide the tenant with a fully executed copy within 21 days of signing
- Confirm LMR deposit receipt is documented
- Retain a signed copy for your records
Our residential leasing service prepares and executes standard leases with properly drafted addendums, ensuring you start every tenancy on a legally sound footing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I charge first and last month’s rent as a deposit in Ontario? In Ontario, landlords can only collect a last month’s rent deposit, not first month’s plus last month’s as separate deposits. The rent for the first month is paid as rent when the tenancy begins. Only the last month’s rent can be collected in advance as a deposit.
Q: What language must the standard lease be provided in? The standard lease must be provided in the language used to negotiate the tenancy. If you and the tenant negotiated in French, the French version of Form 2229E is required. Multiple language versions are available at ontario.ca.
Q: Can the standard lease be signed electronically? Yes. Electronic signatures are generally acceptable for residential lease agreements in Ontario under the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000, provided both parties consent to the electronic execution process. Most digital signature platforms (DocuSign, Adobe Sign) satisfy this requirement.
Q: What if I’ve been using a custom lease for years and it’s always worked? Pre-April 2018 custom leases were signed before the standard form was mandatory. For any new tenancy entered into after April 30, 2018, the standard form is required. The fact that a custom lease “worked” historically does not create a legal basis for continuing to use it for new tenancies.
Start Every Tenancy on a Legally Sound Foundation
The standard lease isn’t just a compliance requirement; it’s the foundation of your legal relationship with your tenant for the entire duration of the tenancy. Getting it right at the start protects you from the disputes, withholding claims, and LTB applications that flow from lease execution errors.
- Residential leasing service: standard lease preparation, addendum drafting, and compliant execution.
- Move-in and move-out management: condition reports and documentation from day one.
- Residential property management: ongoing RTA compliance managed on your behalf.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Ontario’s standard lease form and RTA requirements are subject to change. Always use the current version from ontario.ca and consult a legal professional for advice specific to your situation.
