What Fees Can a Landlord Charge in Ontario?

Application fees, "admin" fees, damage deposits, key deposits — Ontario renters get asked for a lot of different charges, and it's genuinely hard to know which ones are legitimate. Rather than a simple "allowed / not allowed" list (which oversimplifies a rule that has real nuance), here's how to think about it by category — because whether a charge is permitted can depend on the tenancy, what you agreed to, and the circumstances.

Deposits: a narrow, specific set

Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act is fairly restrictive on deposits. The two that generally come up as permitted:

A rent deposit — commonly "last month's rent." It can't exceed one month's rent (or one rental period's rent), and it has to be applied to the last month, not kept as a "damage" fund.
A refundable key deposit — allowed, but it must be refundable and reasonably tied to the actual cost of replacing the key/fob/card, not a round-number penalty.

Notably, damage deposits, cleaning deposits, pet deposits, and "security deposits" are generally not permitted in Ontario — even if a lease asks for them.

Fees that are commonly not permitted

Charges that renters are frequently asked for but that generally aren't allowed include application fees, credit-check fees, and processing/"administration" fees to apply for or start a tenancy. If you were charged one, there's a process at the LTB to try to recover it.

The "it depends" charges

Some charges aren't automatically illegal — they turn on specifics:

NSF / bounced-payment charges. A landlord can generally pass on the actual charge their bank applied, plus a limited permitted administration amount — not an arbitrary penalty.
Damage you caused. Being responsible for repairing genuine damage (versus normal wear and tear) is different from an upfront "deposit."
Rent increases. A higher rent isn't a "fee," but it's often what people are really asking about — and it has its own rules: generally a within-guideline increase with proper notice, or an above-guideline increase that the LTB approved.

How to check a charge

Name the charge. What exactly is it called and what's it for?
Check the category above — deposit, application fee, or an "it depends."
Get it in writing and keep the record.
Confirm with an authority. The tenant rights overview on Steps to Justice and the LTB are the reliable references.

Not sure about a charge you were asked for?

Sign in to RentLens and track it as a Rental Issue under "something about my lease": record the charge, keep the request and your dates together, and get source-backed context that separates what your lease asks for from what the general guidance says — so you can decide what to question before you pay.

This is general information, not legal advice. RentLens can't determine whether a specific charge is permitted in your situation — for that, contact your local community legal clinic, a licensed paralegal, or the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Deposits: a narrow, specific set

Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act is fairly restrictive on deposits. The two that generally come up as permitted:

A rent deposit — commonly "last month's rent." It can't exceed one month's rent (or one rental period's rent), and it has to be applied to the last month, not kept as a "damage" fund.

A refundable key deposit — allowed, but it must be refundable and reasonably tied to the actual cost of replacing the key/fob/card, not a round-number penalty.

Notably, damage deposits, cleaning deposits, pet deposits, and "security deposits" are generally not permitted in Ontario — even if a lease asks for them.

The "it depends" charges

Some charges aren't automatically illegal — they turn on specifics:

NSF / bounced-payment charges. A landlord can generally pass on the actual charge their bank applied, plus a limited permitted administration amount — not an arbitrary penalty.

Damage you caused. Being responsible for repairing genuine damage (versus normal wear and tear) is different from an upfront "deposit."

Rent increases. A higher rent isn't a "fee," but it's often what people are really asking about — and it has its own rules: generally a within-guideline increase with proper notice, or an above-guideline increase that the LTB approved.

Not sure about a charge you were asked for?

This is general information, not legal advice. RentLens can't determine whether a specific charge is permitted in your situation — for that, contact your local community legal clinic, a licensed paralegal, or the Landlord and Tenant Board.