Housing V - LEASE

Finally, you need to know about lease details, your rights, your responsibilities, and other details.

1. Housing I – FINDING A PLACE TO LIVE
2. Housing II – HOUSING OPTIONS
3. Housing III – RESOURCES
4. Housing IV – DOCUMENTS AND APPLICATIONS
5. Housing V – LEASE

A lease is a contract between you (the Tenant) and the person or company you rent from (the Landlord). Sometimes a landlord will not ask you to sign a lease.

You might have a verbal agreement instead. “Month-to-month” rentals are often verbal agreements.

You can choose to sign a lease, or rent month-to-month. In both cases, you and your landlord must obey the Residential Tenancies Act, the law that governs rental housing in Ontario.

Read your lease carefully and make sure you understand and agree with all of it before you sign it.

A lease states:

• The rental period (usually 12 months)
• How much you must pay for rent
• When the rent will increase
• What is included in the rent (for example, parking or utilities)
• Other information and rules about the apartment building, house or room

At the end of the lease, you can renew it or start renting from month-to-month.

You do not have to sign a new lease. If you want to move out, you must write a letter and give it to the landlord 60 days before the month you will leave.

As a tenant, you must:

• • Pay rent on time. Usually, the rent is due on the first day of each month, but your lease will say when it is due.
• • Keep apartment clean and put garbage in the proper place.
• • Not let extra people live in the apartment. (Visitors may stay with you for a few days or weeks, but not for a long time.)
• • Not disturb other tenants.

As a tenant, you have the right to:

• A clean, well-maintained home with electricity, running water, appliances (fridge and stove) that work and heat.
• Privacy. Usually, a landlord must give you a letter 24 hours before entering your apartment. In an emergency, such as a fire or flood, your landlord may enter without notifying you.
• End your tenancy within the time allowed in the lease or by law.
• It is a good idea to get tenant insurance for your household.

I hope I have covered everything regarding housing in Canada, if you need further information please leave a comment or send me an email.

Best Wishes