Skip to content
CMHC Home Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation
  • Sign In or Register
  • FRANÇAIS
  • MENU
MENU
× FRANÇAIS
  • Home
  • Professionals
    • Project funding and mortgage financing
      • Funding programs
        • Affordable Housing Innovation Fund
        • Community (social) housing
        • Federal Lands Initiative
        • Funding for Indigenous housing
        • Housing Supply Challenge
        • Innovation and research
        • National Housing Co-Investment Funding
        • National Housing Strategy Project Profiles
        • Rapid Housing Initiative
        • Rental Construction Financing Initiative
        • Shared Equity Mortgage Providers Fund
      • Mortgage loan insurance
        • Homeowner and small rental mortgage loan insurance
        • Homeowner Business Transformation (HBT)
          • Arrears Report Upload Tool - Coming 2022
          • Default Management Request Submission Tool
          • Homeowner Claims Submission Tool
          • User Access Management (Coming Soon)
        • Multi-unit mortgage loan insurance
          • MLI Select
        • Default, claims and properties for sale
        • Underwriting centre
        • emili
        • NHA approved lenders
        • Calculating GDS / TDS
        • Mortgage fraud
          • Approved Lender Advise of Fraudulent, False and Misleading Information
        • Contact mortgage loan insurance
        • Insured Mortgage Purchase Program (IMPP)
        • COVID-19: CECRA for small businesses has ended
      • Securitization
        • NHA Mortgage Backed Securities
        • Canada Mortgage Bonds
        • Canadian registered covered bonds
        • Blockchain in the housing industry
    • Housing markets, data and research
      • Housing markets
        • CMHC Reports Calendar
        • Housing market reports
        • Mortgage market and consumer reports
      • Housing research
        • Housing research reports
        • Housing surveys
        • Research awards and scholarships
        • Understanding core housing need
        • Collaborative Housing Research Network
      • Housing data
        • Data tables
          • Household characteristics data
          • Housing market data
          • Mortgage and debt data
          • Rental market data
        • Housing market information portal
        • Residential Mortgage Industry Data Dashboard
        • Housing in Canada Online (HiCO)
        • CMHC licence agreement for the use of data
        • Housing Knowledge Centre
    • Industry innovation and leadership
      • Housing innovation
      • Our Partners
        • Partnerships
        • Federal, Provincial and Territorial Forum on Housing
          • Resources for Members of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Forum on Housing
      • Industry collaboration
      • Industry expertise
        • Affordable housing
        • Indigenous housing
        • Senior housing
        • Accessible and adaptable housing
        • Developing sustainable housing
        • Resources for mortgage professionals
        • CMHC e-newsletters
    • Events and speakers
      • Conferences
      • Speakers’ bureau
  • Consumers
    • Buying a home
      • Homebuying calculators
        • Mortgage calculator
        • Affordability calculator
        • Debt service calculator
      • Buying guides
        • Homebuying step by step
        • CMHC's condominium buyer's guide
      • Mortgage loan insurance for consumers
        • What is CMHC mortgage loan insurance?
        • Do I qualify for mortgage loan insurance?
        • CMHC mortgage loan insurance costs
        • CMHC Eco Plus
        • CMHC — home renovation financing options
        • FAQs — mortgage loan insurance
        • COVID-19: understanding mortgage payment deferral
      • First-time home buyer incentive
      • Incentives for homebuyers
      • Newcomers
    • Owning a home
      • Manage your mortgage
        • Mortgage fraud
        • Mortgage planning tips
        • Plan and manage your mortgage
        • Your credit report
        • Your home value
      • Aging in place
        • Housing options for Seniors
        • Housing and finance tips
        • Mortgage financing options for people 55+
        • Preventing fraud and financial abuse
    • Renting a home
      • I want to rent
        • Things to consider before renting
        • Types of housing for rent in Canada
        • Finding or advertising a rental property
        • Visiting the rental property
        • Lease and rental agreements
        • Signing the lease
        • Credit checks and bad credit
        • Rental payments and deposits
        • Roommates and pets
      • I am renting
        • Moving day
        • Landlord/Tenant responsibilities
        • Inspections
        • Maintenance and repairs
        • Complaints and evictions
        • Rent increases
        • When you can't pay rent
        • Renewing or terminating the lease
        • Moving out
      • One-Time Top-Up to the Canada Housing Benefit
      • COVID‑19: eviction bans and suspensions to support renters
  • About CMHC
    • CMHC’s Story
    • Management and governance
      • Speakers’ bureau
      • Annual public meeting
      • Board of directors and committees
      • Our management committee
      • Pension governance
        • Pension overview
        • Key roles and responsibilities
        • Annual reports
    • Corporate reporting
      • CMHC annual report
      • Program evaluation
      • Quarterly financial reports
      • Joint auditors special examination report to CMHC board 2018
      • CMHC’s Insured Mortgage Deferral
      • Summary of the corporate plan
      • Transparency
        • Access to information and privacy protection
        • Accessibility at CMHC
        • Accessibility feedback process
        • Briefing materials
        • Procurement
        • Travel, hospitality and conference expenditures
    • Contact us
      • CMHC departments
        • Contact your multi-unit housing solutions specialist
        • Contact mortgage loan insurance
        • Indigenous and the North Housing Solutions
      • Granville lsland
      • Media relations
      • National office
      • Regional offices
      • Holiday service hours
    • Careers
  • Media Newsroom
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates
    • Media relations
  • National Housing Strategy
    • What is the strategy?
      • About the initiatives
      • How to apply
      • Help and resources
      • Priority areas for action
      • The National Housing Strategy Glossary of Common Terms
      • The Strategy in Action
    • Federal/Provincial/Territorial housing agreements
    • Other funding and financing opportunities
  • The Housing Observer
  • Careers
  • Housing Knowledge Centre
 
  • Home
  • Consumers
  • Renting a home
  • I want to rent
  • Lease and rental agreements
  • Save page to My Folder
    Save
  • Share this page
    Share
Save Icon

SAVE TO MY FOLDER

Lease and rental agreements

SAVE
Close this Window   |   Manage my Folder
Save Icon

SAVE TO MY FOLDER

Lease and rental agreements

Done Done!
Close this Window   |   Manage my Folder
Share icon

Share via

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Twitter
  • print
  • CopyLink

SuccessCopyLinkVersionLink copied

Share icon

Share via

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Twitter
  • print
  • CopyLink

SuccessCopyLinkVersionLink copied

share icon

Mail-blue Share via Email

Did You Know?

You can include an email signature?

Register | Sign In

×
Google Captcha Loader
share icon

Mail-blue Share via Email

Done Done!
Close this window

Lease and rental agreements

Guide: I want to rent

Show Guide Chapters
  • I want to rent
  • Things to consider before renting
  • Types of housing for rent in Canada
  • Finding or advertising a rental property
  • Visiting the rental property
  • Lease and rental agreements
  • Signing the lease
  • Credit checks and bad credit
  • Rental payments and deposits
  • Roommates and pets

Rental agreements between a landlord and tenant are commonly referred to as a “lease”.

In Canada, there are two types of rental agreements:

  • Written lease
  • Verbal rental agreement

A written lease is a good idea because it clearly specifies what a landlord and tenant are agreeing to when renting a property.

It outlines terms for:

  • The rent.
  • Parties responsible.
  • What is included and what is not.
  • Conditions for terminating the lease.

Both written and oral rental agreements define the legal rights and responsibilities for both the landlord and the tenant. This is important as they can be referred to if a conflict arises between either. Note, however, that verbal consent makes it much more difficult to refer to in the event of a dispute as each party might remember things differently.

It’s important to note that the types of dwellings covered by tenancy legislation varies by province and territory. In some provinces mobile home park residents, for instance, are protected under the provincial tenancy legislation, while in others they are excluded.

For information on Rental rights by province or territory please consult with those agencies.

Tips for landlords...

Want to rent a commercial space, such a warehouse or industrial unit, and convert it to a living space? Be aware that you most likely won’t be covered by the landlord-tenant legislation in your province or territory. Space intended for commercial use offers tenants much less protection.

Tips for tenants…

Check with your province or territory to see if you are required to provide a tenant with a copy of the legislation governing landlord and tenant relationships before entering into a rental agreement.

Previous Visiting the rental property Next Signing the lease

Was this page relevant to your needs?

Thank you for your feedback!

Sorry to hear that! Can you tell us about the problem?

Google Captcha Loader

For further assistance, please contact us

Thank you. Your feedback has been submitted.

Date Published: March 31, 2018

By Topic

  • Professionals
    • Project funding and mortgage financing
    • Housing markets data and research
    • Industry innovation and leadership
    • Events and speakers
  • Consumers
    • Home buying
    • Owning a home
    • Renting a home

About Us

  • CMHC's Story
  • Management and Governance
  • Our Partners
  • Corporate Reporting
  • Contact Us
  • Careers

More

  • CMHC e-Newsletters
  • CMHC Library
  • Housing Observer Online
  • Media Newsroom
  • CMHC on Twitter
  • CMHC on LinkedIn
  • CMHC on Facebook
  • CMHC on Instagram
  • CMHC on YouTube
Privacy Policy    |    Terms and Conditions    |    Transparency    |    Accessibility Plan    |    Accessibility Feedback     Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) ©2023 
Canada
loader icon