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Canada · Renting · Last verified September 20, 2026
Your first Canadian rental can look straightforward until provincial rules, deposits, utilities and lease terms start colliding. The biggest mistake is assuming there is one Canada-wide tenancy rulebook. There isn’t: provinces and territories set many of the rules that affect deposits, rent increases, notices and move-in procedures.
Quick takeaway
Before paying anything, confirm which provincial or territorial tenancy law applies, understand the lease, document the apartment’s condition, keep proof of every payment and know what notice you will need if you move out. Canada.ca specifically directs newcomers to learn the renter rules for the province or territory where they live.
1. Assuming rental rules are the same everywhere in Canada
This is the mistake behind many of the others. Deposits, rent increases, landlord entry, notice periods and dispute processes can differ by province or territory.
For example, Ontario generally limits a rent deposit to no more than one month or one rent period and uses it for the last rent period. British Columbia allows a security deposit of up to half a month’s rent, with a separate pet damage deposit of up to half a month’s rent where permitted. Those are not interchangeable rules.
Better move: identify your province or territory first, then read that jurisdiction’s residential-tenancy guidance before signing or paying.
2. Paying a deposit without checking whether the amount and purpose are legal locally
A landlord asking for money does not automatically mean the request matches local tenancy law. Deposit type and maximum amount vary across Canada.
Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act says the only security deposit a landlord may collect is the permitted rent deposit, while British Columbia’s law separately regulates security and pet damage deposits.
Better move: verify the legal deposit rules where the apartment is located and get a written record showing exactly what each payment is for.
Renting in Ontario? Our Ontario rent deposits guide explains last month’s rent deposits, key deposits and which charges to check before paying. Rules elsewhere in Canada can differ.
3. Signing the lease before understanding what the rent actually includes
A rental price is not the same thing as your total monthly housing cost. The lease should make clear what is included and what is not: utilities, parking, laundry, storage, internet, furniture and other services can materially change your budget.
Canada.ca advises newcomers to confirm utilities and building rules before moving in. CMHC also notes that a written lease is useful because it sets out the rent, responsibilities, inclusions and termination conditions.
Better move: make a one-page list of every recurring cost before you sign.
4. Treating a verbal promise as if it were written into the lease
If the landlord or agent promises parking, furniture, repairs, painting, a move-in date or another important condition, make sure it appears in the rental agreement or another written record.
Better move: do not rely on “we’ll sort it out later” for anything that would affect whether you take the apartment.
5. Skipping a proper move-in condition record
Existing scratches, stains, broken blinds, appliance problems and wall damage can become difficult to argue about months later if nobody recorded them at move-in.
British Columbia goes further and requires the landlord and tenant to inspect the unit together at the start of the tenancy, complete a condition inspection report and provide the tenant a copy. The exact procedure elsewhere may differ.
Better move: follow your province’s required process and keep dated photos or video alongside the signed condition report where appropriate.
6. Paying rent or deposits without keeping proof
Newcomers often have a lot happening at once, but rental payment records are worth keeping. Canada.ca recommends asking the landlord for a receipt and keeping it as proof of payment.
Better move: keep the lease, e-transfer records, receipts, deposit records and important landlord messages together in one folder.
7. Agreeing to a payment method without checking your local rights
Payment practices vary. CMHC notes that in some provinces it is illegal for a landlord to demand post-dated cheques. Ontario, for example, says a landlord or tenancy agreement cannot require post-dated cheques or automatic debit as the mandatory method for paying rent.
Better move: separate what is convenient from what can legally be required in your province.
8. Ignoring building and daily-life rules until after moving in
Laundry access, garbage and recycling, parking, intercom access, storage, pets and move-in booking rules can affect daily life more than a nice kitchen photo.
Canada.ca specifically recommends asking the landlord or superintendent about these practical rules before move-in.
Better move: ask for the building rules and any condominium rules before committing, not after the truck arrives.
9. Not learning the rules for landlord entry and repairs
Do not assume the landlord can enter whenever they want, but also do not assume they can never enter without your permission. Canada.ca notes that in most provinces and territories landlords generally must give at least 24 hours of written notice before entry, except in exceptional circumstances, but local law controls the details.
Better move: learn your local entry and repair rules before a disagreement happens.
10. Waiting until move-out to read the termination rules
Fixed-term leases, month-to-month tenancies, assignments and sublets do not all end the same way. Canada.ca notes that the written notice needed before moving out depends on the province or territory and that ending a lease early can have consequences.
Better move: before you sign, understand the earliest date you can leave, the notice you would need and whether assignment or subletting may be available if your plans change.
First-apartment checklist
- Confirm the province or territory’s tenancy rules.
- Verify every deposit before paying it.
- Get the complete monthly cost in writing.
- Read the full lease and building rules.
- Document the unit’s condition at move-in.
- Keep payment receipts and messages.
- Know repair and landlord-entry rules.
- Know your move-out notice before you sign.
Official sources checked
- Government of Canada — Newcomers: Renting a home in Canada
- CMHC — Lease and rental agreements
- CMHC — Rental payments and deposits
- Ontario — Residential Tenancies Act, 2006
- British Columbia — Residential Tenancy Act
Verification date: September 20, 2026. Canada does not have one tenancy rulebook. The provincial examples above illustrate why newcomers should check the authority for the province or territory where the rental is located.
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