Renting? Ontario's 2027 rent increase cap is 1.9%: how to check your notice

Got a rent increase notice for 2027? Ontario's guideline is 1.9%, down from 2.1%. Most landlords need board approval to go higher, must give you 90 days written notice, and can raise rent only once every 12 months.

Topics: Money and taxes

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If your landlord plans a rent increase early in 2027, the 90-day notice rule means the notice could arrive in the coming weeks. Here is what Ontario's rules say, and how to check yours.

The 2027 number

Ontario set the rent increase guideline for 2027 at 1.9 per cent, in a notice published in the Ontario Gazette. It was 2.1 per cent for 2026. The guideline is tied to the Ontario Consumer Price Index and, by law, can't be more than 2.5 per cent.

On a $1,000 monthly rent, a 1.9 per cent increase is $19, for a new rent of $1,019.

The notice and timing rules

A landlord must give written notice of a rent increase at least 90 days before it takes effect, on a Landlord and Tenant Board form. For most units that is Form N1, Notice of Rent Increase. Rent can go up only if at least 12 months have passed since the last increase or since the tenant moved in.

To raise rent by more than the guideline, a landlord needs the board's approval. If a landlord has applied but the board has not ruled yet, the tenant does not have to pay more than the guideline increase until the order is issued.

Who isn't covered

The guideline does not apply to most units first occupied for residential purposes after Nov. 15, 2018, to community housing, to long-term care homes, or to the rent agreed with a new tenant when a unit turns over. Those newer units still need 90 days' notice on the proper form and can go up only once every 12 months, but there is no cap on the amount.

Where to get help

The Landlord and Tenant Board answers questions at 1-888-332-3234. In Windsor-Essex, Legal Assistance of Windsor, a community legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario, helps with housing issues at 519-256-7831.

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