Ontario landlords must use the Standard Form of Lease
Since April 30, 2018, most Ontario landlords have been required to give new tenants the province's Standard Form of Lease. It is the official Residential Tenancy Agreement, form 2229E. The form does not apply to care homes, sites in mobile home parks and land lease communities, most social and supportive housing, certain other special tenancies and co-operative housing.
That is why this tool is different from a typical lease template. Instead of inventing its own clauses, it writes your answers onto the real government form, so every mandatory section stays exactly as the province published it. You are not creating a custom contract; you are completing the official one.
How to create an Ontario rental agreement online
- The property. Enter the unit, street, city and postal code, and say whether the unit is in a condominium and whether parking is included.
- The term. Choose a fixed term with an end date, a monthly tenancy, or another arrangement such as weekly.
- Rent and deposits. Enter the base rent, when it is due, who it is payable to and how it will be paid. Add parking or other charges, a rent deposit or a key deposit if they apply.
- Services and utilities. Mark what is included in the rent, such as gas, air conditioning, storage, laundry and guest parking, and say who is responsible for electricity, heat and water.
- Parties and terms. Add the landlord(s) and tenant(s), the landlord's address for notices, and any smoking rules, insurance requirement or additional terms.
- Review and download. Check the live preview on the right, then download the finished PDF to print or sign electronically.
Deposits on an Ontario lease: what is and is not allowed
The form itself spells out the limits. A rent deposit cannot be more than one month's rent, or the rent for one rental period (for example, one week in a weekly tenancy), whichever is less. It can only be applied to the rent for the last rental period of the tenancy, and the landlord must pay the tenant interest on it every year. A key deposit must be refundable and cannot be more than the expected replacement cost of the keys, cards or remote entry devices.
A rent deposit cannot be used as a damage deposit, and Ontario's guidance lists damage deposits among deposits the law does not allow. Pet deposits and similar fees are not permitted either, and an additional term that tries to require one is void. The generator reminds you of these limits next to each deposit question.
Rent increases, terms and your signed copy
Once the lease is signed, rent can generally go up only if at least 12 months have passed since the last increase or the start of the tenancy, and the landlord has given written notice in the Landlord and Tenant Board's form at least 90 days before the increase takes effect. For most covered units the annual increase is limited by the provincial guideline, which is 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027. Units first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline.
A fixed term does not force the tenant to move out when it ends; the tenancy simply continues month-to-month unless it is ended properly. After the tenant signs, the landlord must give the tenant a copy of the agreement within 21 days. Disputes are handled by the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Who can use this free lease creator
Landlords renting a house, basement apartment, condo unit or apartment in Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga, Hamilton, London or anywhere else in Ontario can use it to prepare the lease before meeting the tenant. Tenants and property managers can use it to double-check what a lease should contain. Roommates who share a rental can list up to four tenants and up to four landlords on the form.
Preparing the lease takes only a few minutes: have the landlord and tenant names, the rental address, the rent amount and the move-in date ready, and decide in advance whether a rent deposit or key deposit will be collected. Keep a copy of the finished PDF with your records, and give the tenant theirs within the 21-day window.
Because everything runs in your browser, your names, addresses and rent figures stay on your device. The wizard saves your progress locally so you can come back later, and you can start over at any time.