Learn if the new owner can raise your rent

Most privately-owned rental units in Ontario are covered by rules about rent increases. These rules apply even when a rental unit is sold.

The basic rules are:

1. There must be at least 12 months between rent increases.
2. The landlord must give you 90 days' notice of the rent increase in writing.
3. The rent can't go up more than the provincial guideline unless the landlord gets approval from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). But some newer rental units are not covered by this rule.

These rules don't apply to the starting rent at the beginning of a new tenancy with a new tenant. But when a new owner takes over, it's not considered a new tenancy so the rules still apply. The new owner can't raise your rent until 12 months have passed since the previous increase, and you must be given a 90-day notice.