Ontario Rent Increase Guide 2026

The 2026 Guideline: 2.1%

Ontario's rent increase guideline for 2026 is 2.1% (down from 2.5% in 2025). For most tenants, that is the maximum a landlord can raise the rent this year without Landlord and Tenant Board approval.

On $2,000 rent, the 2026 guideline allows an increase of up to $42 per month.

Three Rules Every Increase Must Follow

1. Written notice, proper form: your landlord must use the official form (an N1 for most increases) — section 116 of the RTA requires at least 90 days' written notice before the increase takes effect.
2. The 12-month rule: under section 119, at least 12 months must have passed since your last increase or since your tenancy began.
3. The amount: at or below the guideline, unless the Board has approved an above-guideline increase.

An increase that breaks the notice rules is void. You do not have to pay it, and paying a void increase does not make it lawful — you can recover illegal rent through a T1 application (one-year limitation).

The Big Exemption: Newer Buildings

Units first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline entirely. In those units, the landlord can raise the rent by any amount — but the 90-day notice and 12-month rules still apply.

Not sure of your building's age? Check the earliest occupancy date, not the construction date. If you moved into a 2020-built unit, rent control does not cap your increases.

Above-Guideline Increases (AGIs)

A landlord can apply to the Board for more than the guideline for major capital work, unusually high municipal tax increases, or security services. Capital-work AGIs are capped at 3% per year above the guideline (spread over up to three years). You will receive notice of the application and can dispute it at the hearing — tenants regularly win reductions.

Between Tenants: No Cap

When a unit turns over, the landlord and the new tenant negotiate rent freely. Rent control in Ontario protects sitting tenants, not the unit itself — one more reason landlords sometimes push sitting tenants out. If you receive an eviction notice shortly after refusing an illegal increase, get advice: bad-faith evictions carry real penalties.

Quick Checklist When You Get an Increase Notice

• Is it on the official form, with at least 90 days' notice?
• Has it been at least 12 months since the last increase?
• Is the percentage at or under 2.1% (or Board-approved)?
• Is your building actually subject to the guideline?

If any answer is no, the increase may be void or disputable.