Long-Term Rental in Canada: What You Need to Know to Find Good Housing

How and where to find housing, how to negotiate with landlords, and what rules you need to know.

Once you relocate to Canada, you might discover that the home rental process differs slightly from your home country. To rent an apartment in Canada for a long term, it's best to familiarize yourself with some general rules adopted in the country. Of course, these may vary from province to province, but overall the procedure is usually the same.

In Canada, the government strives to clearly regulate the relationship between tenants and landlords at the legislative level. From time to time, new laws are introduced in Canada aimed at protecting the rights of tenants and landlords. Thanks to this, you can be confident that the landlord cannot evict you if you haven't violated any clause of the lease agreement, come to your place without permission, or demand extra fees.

If you want to rent a place for a long time, keep in mind that usually a standard long-term lease is signed for one year with the possibility of subsequent annual renewal.

Finding Housing

Today, popular platforms for finding housing include various themed groups on Facebook and other social networks, as well as search aggregators like Craigslist or Kijiji. There are professional websites for apartment hunting such as RentHello, or RentFaster, while PadMapper and Zumper remain popular, offering modern interfaces and filters for housing search. If you need a reliable realtor, you can look for one on Realtor.ca.

Some people wonder if it's possible to rent a house or apartment without being physically present in Canada, to secure housing upon arrival, and not start searching on the day of arrival. Of course, in today's world, remote contract signing is possible, but it's better to be physically present when viewing the apartment and signing the contract, as there's always a risk of falling into the hands of scammers.

Remember that finding and renting an apartment may take you about two weeks, so think in advance about temporary accommodation arrangements upon your arrival in Canada.

During your search, it's recommended to pay attention to the neighborhood where the housing is located. Some areas are considered more favorable than others. Additionally, families with children need to know that free schools in Canada are strictly tied to the address of residence, so it's essential to check which school is assigned to the address where your potential housing is located and what its rating is.

We've already detailed how to choose a good neighborhood to live in.

Rental Application

If you've found a suitable apartment or house, the next step is to contact the property owner and arrange a day and time for viewing. An important point to note is that you can't always rent long-term housing "here and now". Often, landlords post apartments and houses on listing boards that are only available from a specific date.

If you like everything and express a desire to rent the place, the potential landlord will ask you to fill out a rental application form. In this form, you'll need to provide basic information about yourself, your employment history, and previous rental experience. The review of the rental application may take some time, usually up to 48 hours.

The landlord may invite several interested parties and then choose who they're willing to rent their property to.

Proof of Ability to Pay

Apartment owners in Canada will likely ask you to provide documents confirming your ability to pay. These may include bank statements, credit history, an employment letter indicating your income, and even a reference letter from your previous landlord. This is quite normal practice — the owner needs all this to ensure that you'll be able to pay the rent on time.

New immigrants often find it difficult to provide documentary proof of their ability to pay. If you can't provide evidence yourself, you can provide documents from your guarantor, for example, from your parents, who can take on the payment obligations. In this case, the guarantor will also be listed in the lease agreement.

After the property owner approves your application, they will send you a preliminary lease agreement, which you need to review in advance before signing.

Lease Agreement

The lease agreement outlines all the terms of renting the property. If any dispute arises later, this document will be used as the official source for its resolution. Therefore, it's extremely important to carefully read all clauses of the contract; if necessary, you can even consult with a lawyer.

Some provinces use a standardized lease form, while in others it may differ. Usually, the contract includes the following points:

monthly rent amount;
payment method and dates;
what's included in the price (for example, whether parking or utilities are included, or if they need to be paid separately);
special conditions (living with pets, smoking);
which damages the landlord is responsible for, and which the tenant is responsible for;
conditions under which the contract can be terminated.

The landlord has the right to ask for a security deposit, which is essentially the payment for the last month. Usually, the deposit should not exceed the cost of one month's rent in the apartment. But if you don't have proof of ability to pay, be prepared that you might be asked to pay rent 3-6 months in advance.

Before moving in and signing the contract, you should thoroughly inspect the property for any existing damages and document them with photographs to avoid any suspicions that the damage was caused by you. It's preferable to conduct such an inspection together with the landlord. If something is not in order at the time of your move-out at the end of the contract term, the landlord reserves the right to withhold your deposit.

Housing Costs

The cost of rental housing will largely depend on which city you choose to live in. It's worth considering not only the price of the housing itself but also calculating in advance whether this location suits you in terms of the cost of other necessary categories, such as food and services. For example, price levels in large cities are generally higher for all categories.

You should also know that most Canadian apartments and houses are rented unfurnished, without dishes, etc. So you should factor in these expenses as well.

Regarding rent increases in rental housing with a long-term contract, this issue will depend on provincial legislation. In some provinces, there may be rent increase caps that the apartment owner cannot exceed. For example, in 2024 in Ontario, the allowable rent increase is limited to 2.5%, while in British Columbia, the allowable increase is 3.5%.

Typically, rent increases can occur after one year with 90 days' notice from the landlord.