Tenant rights in Canada when your rent goes up or you face eviction: Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia
The annual rent increase caps for 2026 and 2027, what N4 and N12 notices mean after Ontario's 21 September 2026 changes, why a landlord can't remove you themselves, where to file a complaint, and who will help you for free.
In Ontario, the annual rent increase for most tenants can't exceed 2.1% in 2026 and 1.9% in 2027. In British Columbia, the cap is 2.3% in 2026 and 2.2% in 2027. Quebec has no fixed cap: you have the right to refuse the increase, and the landlord must then go to the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL). In all three provinces, a landlord can't remove you themselves: a forced eviction only happens under an official order carried out by a court enforcement officer.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Ontario's rules changed a few days before this guide was published, so check your situation with a legal clinic.
Rent increase caps for 2026 and 2027
| Province | 2026 | 2027 | Notice required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 2.1% | 1.9% | In writing on the official form at least 90 days ahead, and once every 12 months |
| British Columbia | 2.3% | 2.2% | Form RTB-7, three full months ahead, and once every 12 months |
| Quebec | A basic reference rate of 3.1%, not a cap | Check with the TAL | For a 12-month lease: between 3 and 6 months before the lease ends |
In Ontario, the landlord usually gives notice on Form N1. There's an important exception: the cap doesn't apply to new buildings, additions and most new basement units that were first occupied as a residence after 15 November 2018. So ask when the unit was first lived in before you sign a lease. A landlord can also apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) for permission to raise the rent above the cap in specific cases. If you've paid an illegal increase, you have 12 months to challenge it. You'll find more about the province on our Ontario page.
In British Columbia, the notice must state the amount of the increase in dollars and the date it takes effect. You don't have to pay an increase above the cap: you can raise it with the landlord, apply for dispute resolution with the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB), or deduct the overpayment from a later rent payment with written notice. You'll find more about the province on our British Columbia page.
Quebec: you can refuse, but silence means yes
Quebec's system is different. Since 1 January 2026, the Tribunal administratif du logement has used a new calculation method based on average inflation over three years. The basic rate for 2026 notices is 3.1%, but it's a reference point for negotiation, not a binding cap.
- You have one month from receiving the notice to accept or refuse the increase.
- If you don't reply within that month, you're deemed to have accepted renewal of the lease on the terms the landlord proposed.
- If you refuse, the landlord must file an application with the TAL to modify the lease within the month after your refusal. If they don't, the lease renews on the same terms.
- The exception: in a building constructed, or converted to residential use, within the last 5 years, a tenant who refuses can't stay and must leave at the end of the lease. For leases signed after 20 February 2024, the landlord must state in the lease the maximum rent they may charge during those five years.
The TAL has a calculation tool on its website so you can see what a reasonable increase would be before you reply. You'll find more about the province on our Quebec page.
A notice isn't an eviction: the rule that protects you in every province
A notice on its own can't put you out of your home. In Ontario, the Landlord and Tenant Board says a tenant who doesn't agree with a notice can stay in the unit until the landlord applies to the Board and the Board issues an eviction order. Only the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) can enforce an eviction order. Changing the locks without giving the tenant a key is against the law.
In British Columbia, an Order of Possession can only be enforced through the Supreme Court of British Columbia and a certified court bailiff. The law prohibits a landlord from physically removing a tenant, changing the locks without permission, or asking the police to carry out the eviction, and the penalty for a breach can reach $5,000.
What this protection doesn't do: it doesn't cancel what you owe. If you're behind on rent, you'll still be asked to pay it, and you may eventually face an eviction order. The protection guarantees you due process and a hearing, not the right to stay without paying.
The N4 notice in Ontario: unpaid rent after 21 September 2026
An N4 is a notice to end a tenancy early for non-payment of rent. For notices served on or after 21 September 2026, the deadline is now 7 days instead of 14.
- You can void the notice and stay in your home if you pay all the rent owing, plus any that has since come due, before the landlord files an application with the Board.
- If it goes to a hearing and the landlord's application was filed on or after 21 September 2026, you must pay the landlord directly at least half of the arrears claimed, seven days before the hearing, if you want to raise other issues at it. Paying the money into the Board in trust isn't accepted.
- Persistent late payment now has a specific definition: rent paid more than seven days late at least three times in six months.
The N12 notice: when the landlord wants the unit for themselves or their family
An N12 is a notice to end a tenancy because the landlord, a member of their family, or a buyer of the unit wants to live there. It requires at least 60 days' notice, and the termination date must be the last day of a rental period or of the lease term.
- Compensation: for notices served before 21 September 2026, the landlord must pay you the equivalent of one month's rent, or offer you another unit that you accept. For notices served from 21 September 2026, if the landlord gives you at least 120 days' notice, they're no longer required to compensate you. This exception doesn't apply to an N12 given on behalf of a buyer, and if the notice period is shorter than 120 days, the compensation rules stay the same.
- Actually moving in: the landlord or the person named in the notice must normally move in within 60 days of the termination date. If that doesn't happen, bad faith is presumed if you file a T5, the tenant's application claiming the landlord gave a notice of termination in bad faith.
Other common notices include the N13, for demolition, major repairs or a change of use, and the N5, for disturbance, damage or overcrowding. In British Columbia, a notice for the landlord's or a buyer's use of the unit gives three months, and you have 21 days to dispute it. A notice for unpaid rent gives 10 days, and you have only 5 days to dispute it.
Where to file a complaint in each province
| Province | Body | Examples of what you can file |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) | T1 to recover money, T2 for a breach of tenant rights, T5 for a notice given in bad faith, T6 for maintenance |
| British Columbia | Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) | Dispute resolution, and disputing a termination notice within the deadline written on it |
| Quebec | Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) | An information service by appointment and a free conciliation service, and rulings on lease changes and repossession of a dwelling |
In any province, documentation is what protects your rights: keep every notice, receipt and message, take dated photos of the problem, and put your complaint to the landlord in writing before going to the official body. If you need a certified translation of a document, you'll find one in our translators directory.
Free legal help
- Ontario: people on a low income may get free help from a community legal clinic funded by Legal Aid Ontario, toll-free at 1-800-668-8258. Board offices also have duty counsel from the clinics who see people without an appointment, with priority for anyone facing an eviction hearing.
- British Columbia: TRAC (the Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre) is a charity that gives tenants free legal information through a phone line, courses and template letters.
- Quebec: more than fifty housing committees and tenants' associations can advise you and support you through proceedings before the TAL; you'll find them through the RCLALQ network. There's also government legal aid for people who meet its financial criteria, and the Info Justice centres.
Settlement organizations can also help you reach these services; you'll find them in our settlement services directory. If your case is complicated, search our lawyers directory.
Before you decide whether to stay or move, work out what the increase or the cost of moving means for your monthly income with our budget tool. For your rights when you sign your first lease, see our guide to renting your first apartment.
Frequently asked questions
I got an N4 notice. Do I have to leave after 7 days?
No. The notice allows the landlord to file an application with the Board, and an eviction only happens under a Board order enforced by the Court Enforcement Office. If you pay everything you owe before the landlord files, the notice is void.
Does Ontario's rent increase cap apply to every apartment?
No. Most units first occupied after 15 November 2018 are exempt from the cap, including new buildings and most new basement units.
In Quebec, what happens if I ignore a rent increase notice?
If you don't reply within one month of receiving it, you're deemed to have accepted the new terms. A refusal has to be explicit, and in writing so you have proof of it.
My landlord evicted me with an N12 and then rented the unit to someone else. What can I do?
You can file a T5 application with the Board. For newer notices, if the landlord or the person named doesn't move in within 60 days, the law presumes bad faith.
Can a BC landlord raise the rent more than once a year?
No. The rent can go up once every 12 months, with an RTB-7 notice three full months ahead, and by no more than 2.2% from 1 January 2027.