Lease
Rentals and Leasing in Ottawa
Renting a home, finding a tenant for one you own, or leasing space for your business: one dedicated agent guides you from the first viewing to the signed lease, with the whole team behind them.
Residential leasing
Which side of the lease are you on?
What we do for you
Find a place to rent, without the guesswork
Tell us how you want to live and what you want to spend. We find places that fit, get you in to see them, and help you put forward an application a landlord can say yes to.
- 01
Understand what you need
Neighbourhood, budget, move-in date, and the things that matter day to day, like parking, transit or room for a pet.
- 02
Find and tour
We look for rentals that match and arrange viewings around your schedule.
- 03
Apply with confidence
We help you put together a complete application and offer to lease, so the landlord has what they need.
- 04
Read before you sign
We go through the lease with you: the rent, the deposit, what's included and the dates.
How it works
From first call to keys
- 1
A first conversation
Your budget, your areas and your timing.
- 2
Viewings
We line up places that fit and tour them with you.
- 3
Application and offer
We prepare your offer to lease and send it with your application.
- 4
Lease review
We read the lease with you before you sign.
- 5
Keys
You move in, with our number saved for when you are ready to buy.
- Photo ID
- A letter of employment or recent pay stubs
- References, ideally from a past landlord
- A recent credit report, which many landlords ask for
- Your move-in date and monthly budget
- Who will live there, and any pets or vehicles
Ontario rules
What Ontario’s rules say about your lease
The standard lease
For most residential tenancies, the landlord must use Ontario's standard form of lease.
Source: Ontario: Renting in Ontario, your rightsLast month's rent
A rent deposit can be no more than one month's rent, goes toward the last month of the tenancy, and can't be used to pay for damage.
Source: Landlord and Tenant Board: Information for New TenantsRent increases
Ontario sets a yearly rent increase guideline for most tenancies, though most units first lived in after November 15, 2018 are exempt from it.
Source: Ontario: Residential rent increasesWhen there is a dispute
Disagreements between landlords and tenants go to the Landlord and Tenant Board, the tribunal that resolves them.
Source: Tribunals Ontario: Landlord and Tenant Board
This is general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, contact the Landlord and Tenant Board or speak with a lawyer.
Talk to us
Tell us about your move
Commercial leasing
How we help with commercial leasing
Leasing space for your business, or a tenant for a commercial property you own? We help you find or present the space, negotiate the terms, and bring in a lawyer before anything is signed.
For a business looking for space
- What the space has to do: size, layout, access, parking and signage
- Spaces that fit, found and toured with you
- Your offer to lease prepared, and the rent, term, renewal and improvements negotiated
- Your lawyer brought in to review the lease before you sign
For an owner leasing out commercial property
- An asking rent set against comparable space nearby
- Professional photography and marketing aimed at businesses
- Inquiries and showings handled, and applicants reviewed with you
- Terms negotiated, with your lawyer drafting or reviewing the lease
Tell us about the space
Share the kind of space, the area and your timing, and a member of the team will be in touch. A commercial lease is not on Ontario’s residential standard form, so its terms are negotiated and worth a lawyer’s review.
Buying or investing instead? Commercial real estateQuestions
Questions about leasing in Ottawa
Can a landlord ask for a damage deposit in Ontario?
For most residential tenancies, no. The deposit a landlord can take is a rent deposit of no more than one month’s rent, and it goes toward the last month of the tenancy, not toward damage. The rules above link to the Landlord and Tenant Board’s own brochure.
Is a commercial lease on the same standard form?
No. Ontario’s standard form of lease is for residential tenancies. A commercial lease is negotiated between the landlord and the business, so its rent, term, renewal and improvement clauses are worth a lawyer’s review before you sign.
What do landlords usually ask a tenant for?
Photo ID, a letter of employment or recent pay stubs, references (ideally from a past landlord), and often a recent credit report. Having them ready lets you apply the day you find the right place.
Can you help me lease out my condo?
Yes. Choose “I’m a landlord” above. For a condo we also check your building’s rules and any move-in booking process before the tenant arrives.
Can you help me stop renting and buy?
Yes. When you are ready, the same team helps you buy. See buying a house in Ottawa.