Renting

Tenancy Agreements in Canada: Ontario, BC and Alberta

By FixMyContractLast updated Oct 2, 20265 min read

Short answer: Residential tenancies in Canada are governed by each province, not federally. A lease can't take away rights the provincial Residential Tenancies Act gives you — a clause that tries to is generally void. The three largest rental provinces differ most on deposits, rent increases and which form must be used.

The three provinces at a glance

	Ontario	British Columbia	Alberta
Required form	Standard lease (Form 2229E) for most new tenancies	Written tenancy agreement with required terms (RTB-1 template available)	Written or verbal; the Act's rules apply either way
Deposits allowed	Rent deposit (last month's rent, at most one month or one period) and a refundable key deposit; damage and pet deposits not allowed	Security deposit up to half a month's rent, plus pet damage deposit up to half a month's rent	Security deposit up to one month's rent, held in trust
Rent increase limit	2026: 2.1%; 2027: 1.9% — for most units first occupied for residential purposes on or before 15 November 2018	2026: 2.3%; 2027: 2.2%	No cap
How often / notice	Once every 12 months, 90 days' written notice	Once every 12 months, 3 full months' notice on the approved form	Once every 12 months (periodic), 3 full months' written notice
Disputes	Landlord and Tenant Board	Residential Tenancy Branch	Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service or court

Clauses to read closely

Extra deposits or fees — in Ontario, a "damage deposit" or "cleaning deposit" is not allowed; in BC and Alberta the caps above apply.
Rent increase or "renewal" terms that go beyond the provincial limit or notice rule.
Pets, guests and subletting — Ontario, for example, generally voids "no pets" clauses in its standard lease, though condominium rules can still restrict pets.
Repairs and maintenance — the landlord's duty to maintain the unit can't be signed away.
Ending the tenancy — notice periods are set by each Act; a lease can't shorten your notice rights.

Five things to do before you sign

In Ontario, ask for the standard lease form; you can demand it in writing if you don't get one.
Check every deposit against the provincial cap.
Note the rent, what it includes (utilities, parking) and the date it can first rise.
Do a move-in inspection with photos; BC requires a written inspection report, and Alberta requires one when a security deposit is taken.
Keep a signed copy of the agreement.

Where FixMyContract fits

Upload your lease to read the clauses that matter in plain English, with the contract's own words beside each point where they can be matched, and see which clauses work against you as a tenant. It doesn't decide whether a clause is valid under your province's Act.

This is general information, not legal advice. Each province's rules change; for a specific dispute, contact your province's tenancy board or a licensed lawyer or paralegal.

Sources

All links checked 2 October 2026.

Ontario, Guide to Ontario's standard lease — https://www.ontario.ca/page/guide-ontarios-standard-lease
Ontario, Residential rent increases (2026 guideline 2.1%; 2027 guideline 1.9%) — https://www.ontario.ca/page/residential-rent-increases
BC, Rent increases (2026 limit 2.3%) — https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/rent-rtb/rent-increases
BC Gov News, 2027 annual rent increase (2.2%) — https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026HMA0085-000982
BC, Tenancy deposits and fees — https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/starting-a-tenancy/deposits-fees
Alberta, Starting a tenancy (security deposits, inspections) — https://www.alberta.ca/starting-a-tenancy
Alberta, Information for tenants (2025; rent increases, no limit on amount) — https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/949ef31c-b6ef-4041-93a7-3bb5d29e1355/resource/30a25404-9ace-49a2-973e-3f612b2d33ba/download/sartr-information-for-tenants-2025-04.pdf

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