Learn about rental agreements
If you rent your home, you have a rental agreement, sometimes called a agreement or a . The agreement might be in writing or it might just be a spoken agreement, sometimes called an oral or verbal agreement.
Tenancy agreements usually cover how much the rent is, a description of your unit, and what is included in your rent. Agreements can also be more detailed than that.
No matter what kind of tenancy agreement you have, a new owner must continue to follow it.
Changing your tenancy agreement
The new owner can't change anything about your tenancy agreement unless you agree to the change. If the new owner wants to make a change that you don't like, you don't have to agree to it.
For example, the new owner might want you to start paying for electricity when it used to be included in your rent. Or they might want you sign a new agreement with stricter rules about using the laundry room or other common areas. Or they might want to charge a higher rent without following the rules about rent increases.
You don't have to sign or initial any changes, and you don't have to sign a new agreement that is different from your old one.
If the only change from your existing agreement is the name and contact information of the landlord, it's okay for you to sign the new agreement. But be very careful to make sure there are no other differences between the new lease and the old lease.
If there are any other changes, and you don't agree with the changes, you don't have to sign the new lease. You have the right to continue with the same tenancy agreement as before. A new landlord can't change the agreement without your consent.
If you like the changes to your rental agreement
If your new landlord wants to make changes and you're happy with those changes, then you might want to sign the new agreement.
Even if you agree to changes, the new agreement must still follow the rules about rent increases. And a new agreement can't take away your other rights as a tenant.
Standard form lease
Most tenancy agreements made on or after April 30, 2018, must be in writing on the Ontario standard form lease. If your agreement is on a different form, or isn't in writing, you might want to ask your landlord to give you a standard form lease to sign.
If you ask for a standard form lease, you should still make sure that the new lease doesn't make any changes that you don't want to agree to.
