What are my rights if I live with roommates?
When you live with roommates, there are different laws that could apply to you. These include:
- the Residential Tenancies Act
- the Commercial Tenancies Act
- the common law of licences, which is law made by judges
Do you share rental housing? is a tool that can help you figure out which laws might apply to you. It also explains the rights and responsibilities of renters who have roommates or who live in other shared housing situations.
Community mediation
Some problems you have with roommates might not be too serious yet. For example, you might disagree with your roommates about:
- noise
- cleaning
- guests
- pets
For issues like these, you might want to talk to your roommates with the help of a community mediator.
Community mediators help people solve conflicts for free or for a small fee.
Working with a community mediator is not a legal process. So it's different than going to court or the where a judge or tribunal member makes a decision that people must follow.
In mediation, people try to solve the problem in a way that everyone agrees with.
You can find mediators in your area on the website of the Ontario Community Mediation Coalition.
Get legal help
The laws for people who live with roommates can be very complicated. It's important to get legal help if you're having serious problems with shared housing.
