Living here
The lease, deposit, rent increases, repairs and where to get help. Information, not legal advice.
Renting anywhere in Milton is governed by Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act, so the rules below are the same across the province. Disputes are decided by the Landlord and Tenant Board, not by the municipality.
At the 2021 Census, 17.4% of Milton households rented their home. The median renter household paid $2,200 a month in shelter costs, and 41.6% of them spent 30% or more of their income on shelter — the standard measure of unaffordability.
The full housing breakdown is on Milton by the numbers, and the comparison sets Milton beside Toronto and Ontario.
For most private residential tenancies that began on or after 30 April 2018, the landlord must use the Government of Ontario's standard lease (the Residential Tenancy Agreement). If you ask for it in writing and do not receive it within 21 days, you may withhold one month's rent.
Some tenancies — for example, most co-op and care-home units — are exempt. Keep a copy of any written request.
A landlord may collect a rent deposit of at most one rent period — first and last month's rent for a monthly tenancy. The deposit can only be applied to the last month of the tenancy, and it earns interest at the rent-increase guideline rate each year.
A separate damage deposit, key deposit beyond the key's replacement cost, or post-dated cheques cannot be required under the Residential Tenancies Act.
For most units, rent can be raised once every 12 months, with at least 90 days' written notice, by no more than the rent-increase guideline the Province sets each year. The guideline is published annually by the Government of Ontario.
Units first occupied after 15 November 2018 are exempt from the guideline, and a landlord can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for an above-guideline increase. Always check the current year's guideline before accepting an increase.
The landlord is responsible for keeping the unit in a good state of repair, fit for habitation and compliant with health, safety and maintenance standards, even if the tenant knew about a problem before moving in. The tenant is responsible for ordinary cleanliness and for repairing damage they or their guests cause.
If repairs are not made, a tenant can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board; municipal property standards by-laws may also apply in Milton.
No. A landlord must give written notice on the correct Landlord and Tenant Board form stating a legal reason, and only the Board — never the landlord — can order an eviction and only the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) can carry one out. Changing the locks or removing a tenant's belongings is not permitted.
Notice periods and valid reasons differ: non-payment, the landlord's own use, and renovations each have their own rules and, in some cases, compensation.
Disputes between tenants and landlords in Milton are decided by the Landlord and Tenant Board, a provincial tribunal, not by the municipality. Either party can apply to the Board; tenants can also get free advice from a community legal clinic.
Government of Ontario
Renting in Ontario: your rightsGovernment of Ontario
Rent increase guidelineGovernment of Ontario
Residential Tenancies Act, 2006Tribunals Ontario
Landlord and Tenant Board