How do I pay the rent?
Different landlords might want you to pay rent in different ways. For example, they might ask for:
- cheque or money order
- cash
- debit or credit card
- pre-authorized bank withdrawals
- post-dated cheques
- Interac e-transfer
Your landlord cannot make you pay with post-dated cheques or any other kind of pre-authorized payment, even if the agreement or says you must. But you can agree to pay this way if you want to.
Your landlord cannot make you pay by any method other than cash but you can agree to pay another way if it is convenient for you.
If you and your landlord can't agree on how you should pay, then you have the right to pay the rent in cash.
Receipts
Always make sure the landlord gives you a receipt, no matter how you pay your rent. Cancelled cheques and money orders can prove that you paid but not when you paid.
Some landlords don't want to give receipts but the law says that they have to give you one if you ask. They are not allowed to charge a fee for this. If you did not get a receipt for any payment, you can ask for a receipt up to one year after you move out. But it is best to get a receipt at the same time you make the payment.
