Rent Increases and modifications

The amount of rent paid depends on what is agreed on between your landlord and you. It may include various things such as parking, electricity and cable.

Pertaining to future rent increases, they usually are set after a year, with 90 days’ written notice. Your government is responsible to set a “guideline” percentage that your landlord is to respect if your place is covered by it. If not, your landlord may be entitled to increase the rent however much they want.

• Interests and late fees are not allowed to be applied onto unpaid rent.
• However, in the case of a cheque that has “bounced” or was of the insufficient sum, the landlord may be allowed to charge you back for the NSF fees charged by the landlord’s bank. You may also be charged administrative costs of 20$.
• If the matter of unpaid rent is escalated to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) by your landlord, you may be charged back the filing fee - that is 201$, or 186$ if your landlord had filed electronically. You may also be charged interest until you pay the remaining money if you are sued in Small Claims Court.

Often, the signed rental agreement is set for a certain period of time, called a “fixed-term lease.” Commonly, this is set for a year, but it could be for almost any length of time.

Once the lease has expired, the tenant may move out, renew the lease for another term, or simply continue the tenancy on a month-to-month basis. The latter option entails no action on the tenant’s part - you automatically become a month-to-month tenant.

• Your rental agreement stays intact even if your landlord changes. If you are asked to sign a new lease agreement, you are not obligated to do so.
• If you are asked to sign documents as part of the sale, it may be better to hold off. It is important to understand your rights and to reach out for legal help.