New Ontario Rental Rules Take Effect September 21
The Ontario government has designated September 21, 2026, as the date when several provisions of the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 and the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025 come into force.
Ontario's Order in Council 617/2026 brought specific provisions of the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act into force on September 21. A separate Order in Council, 1114/2026, does the same for provisions of the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act.
The changes affect the Residential Tenancies Act and its regulations.
Tenants Getting New Information When Units Are Repaired
One part of the changes concerns tenants who have a right of first refusal to return to a rental unit after repairs or renovations.
When a tenant gives notice connected with this process, the landlord must provide information about the estimated date when the rental unit is expected to be ready for occupancy.
If that estimated date changes, the landlord must provide updated information after becoming aware of the change.
Once the rental unit is ready for occupancy, the landlord must notify the tenant.
The legislation also provides that, when the unit becomes ready for occupancy, the tenant must be given at least 60 days to exercise the right of first refusal.
New Rule Addresses Bad-Faith Eviction Claims
Another change concerns situations where a landlord terminates a tenancy because the landlord or certain qualifying people are expected to occupy the rental unit.
Ontario has introduced a prescribed period for determining whether the required occupancy occurred after the former tenant leaves.
Under Ontario Regulation 240/26, if the tenant leaves on or before the date specified in the landlord's notice, the prescribed period is 60 days after that date.
If the tenant leaves after the date specified in the notice, the prescribed period is 60 days after the day the tenant actually leaves.
The Residential Tenancies Act provides that, in certain applications, if the required person did not occupy the unit within the prescribed period, it is presumed, unless the contrary is proven on a balance of probabilities, that the landlord gave the notice in bad faith and that the unit was not occupied within a reasonable time.
Persistent Late Rent Is More Clearly Defined
New rules also address persistent failure to pay rent when it becomes due.
Under Ontario Regulation 241/26, a persistent failure can include circumstances where a tenant fails to pay rent within seven days of the due date on at least three occasions during a six-month period.
The regulation also specifies that the pattern must not be solely attributable to the landlord applying a rent payment to another amount owed by the tenant.
The regulation makes clear that these circumstances do not represent the only situation that can constitute a persistent failure to pay rent.
Changes to Eviction Procedures
The new regulations also establish additional rules concerning eviction proceedings.
For certain situations involving applications under the Residential Tenancies Act, specific timelines now apply to payments that must be made before a hearing.
For example, where the prescribed timeline applies, certain amounts must be paid no later than seven days before the hearing.
The regulations also establish conditions under which the Landlord and Tenant Board may postpone enforcement of an eviction order.
In certain cases, postponement requires the landlord's consent. In other circumstances, the Board must be satisfied that postponing enforcement would not be unfair to the landlord or other tenants and, depending on the type of application, that compelling grounds exist.
What Do the Changes Mean for Tenants?
The September 21 changes affect several stages of the rental process.
Tenants dealing with major repairs or renovations may receive more information about when their unit is expected to become available again.
Tenants facing termination notices based on a landlord's intended occupancy may also have additional rules that can become relevant if the claimed occupancy does not occur within the prescribed period.
At the same time, tenants should continue to follow the requirements of their tenancy agreement and the Residential Tenancies Act, including paying rent when it is due.
What Do the Changes Mean for Landlords?
Landlords will need to follow the updated procedures when dealing with termination notices, repairs, eviction applications and rent-payment issues.
The new rules establish specific requirements and timelines in several situations.
Landlords using termination provisions based on their own occupancy or the occupancy of qualifying individuals should also understand the new prescribed period connected with the subsequent occupancy of the unit.
Ontario’s Rental Rules Are Changing in Stages
Not every provision of the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act comes into force on the same date.
Ontario's Order in Council 617/2026 shows that some provisions took effect on July 1, 2026, while other provisions were designated for September 21.
Additional provisions from the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act are also coming into force on September 21.
This means tenants and landlords should check the specific provision that applies to their situation rather than assuming every rental-law change happened at the same time.
What Should Tenants and Landlords Do Now?
Tenants and landlords should review the updated Residential Tenancies Act and applicable regulations when dealing with notices, repairs, rent arrears or eviction proceedings.
The exact rules that apply can depend on the type of tenancy, the reason for a termination notice and the circumstances of the case.
Ontario's official e-Laws website provides the legislation and regulations that govern these processes.
Bottom Line
Several important Ontario rental-law provisions take effect on September 21, 2026.
The changes introduce rules covering tenant re-occupancy after repairs, prescribed periods connected with landlord occupancy, persistent late rent payments and procedures surrounding eviction orders.
For both tenants and landlords, the key point is that the applicable rules now depend on the updated Residential Tenancies Act and regulations. Checking the specific provision involved is important before taking action.