Changes for landlords and tenants

Since July 1, 2026, the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) has new rules on reviews, air conditioning, notices of termination, payment agreements, and maximum penalties.

Timeline for reviews

People have less time to ask the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) to review any final orders or decisions it makes. Before they had 30 days. It’s now 15 days.

Review limits

To ask for a review, a person must file a Request to Review an Order with the LTB. And the person must now have one or more of the following reasons:

the person was not reasonably able to take part in the LTB process because:
- they did not get proper notice of the hearing or issues
- they were misled by another party
- they had a serious emergency, such as a serious illness or the death of a close family member
- they lived through a natural disaster or similar situation
- they were in jail or not capable
- the LTB did or did not do something that stopped them
the LTB order has a serious error, such as:
- a mistake about the law or facts of the case, the process, or the role of the LTB
- the order is not what the LTB usually gives, or it cannot be done
the person who asked for the review has new evidence that was not available and would likely have changed the result had the LTB known about it

It’s a good idea to get legal advice before asking for a review. A lawyer can say if there’s a good reason to ask, and how likely it is to succeed.

Air conditioning rules

If landlords do not provide air conditioning, tenants can install their own window or portable air conditioner if they follow the RTA's rules.

For units installed by tenants on or after July 1, 2026, tenants must tell landlords in writing before installing the air conditioner.

And if landlords provide electricity as part of the rent, tenants must tell the landlord about:

the energy efficiency of the unit
when they plan on using it, for example, June, July, and August

For all air conditioners installed by tenants, including those installed before July 1, 2026:

tenants must tell landlords in writing when they remove or stop using the air conditioner
the air conditioner must:
- follow all local by-laws and other laws
- be safe and secure
- not damage the rental unit or other apartments
landlords can enter rental units for reasonable inspections by giving tenants 24 hours’ notice in writing.

Seasonal rent for air conditioning

Landlords can now charge tenants a seasonal rent to cover the actual or estimated cost of running an air conditioner. This is for air conditioners installed by tenants on or after July 1, 2026. And for it to apply:

the rent must include electricity, and
the lease cannot say that rent increases are not allowed for air conditioners.

The tenant must tell the landlord in writing if they remove the air conditioner or stop using it. And the landlord must lower the seasonal rent amount at that time, for example, at the end of the summer.

Notice of termination

If a tenant or a landlord wants to end a tenancy, they must now use a notice of termination form from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).

For example, this includes the notices of termination for landlords and the notices of termination for tenants.

The notice must be signed and say:

the rental unit it applies to
the termination date, which is the day the tenancy ends.

Payment agreement form

If a landlord and a tenant have a written agreement about rent payment issues, they must now complete, sign, and send in the LTB Payment Agreement Form before the hearing.

Maximum penalties

The Ontario Rental Housing Enforcement Unit (RHEU) is a government service that tries to make sure that landlords and tenants follow the law. If a landlord or tenant breaks the law, the RHEU can file a case at the Ontario Court of Justice.

In these cases, the Court can now charge higher fines. For individuals, it’s $100,000, up from $50,000. For corporations, it’s $500,000, up from $250,000.

These new penalties do not apply to the LTB’s administrative fines, costs, and compensation amounts.

Get help

It’s a good idea to get legal help when dealing with housing issues. A lawyer can talk about the strength of a case, options, and possible outcomes.

People can also contact the LTB at 1-888-332-3234. For TTY, call 1-800-855-0511.