Should we renew our lease or move?
Your lease is coming to an end. In most of Canada you don’t have to sign a new one: in Ontario and British Columbia (BC) the tenancy simply rolls on month to month. Rent rules differ a lot by province, so here’s what can change, the notice each side gives, and how to get your deposit back.
In 30 seconds
- In Ontario and BC a fixed-term lease turns into a month-to-month tenancy when it ends, on the same terms. You don’t have to sign a new lease to stay
- Ontario caps most rent rises at 2.1% in 2026 and 1.9% in 2027; BC at 2.3% in 2026 and 2.2% in 2027. Alberta has no cap, and Quebec uses a tribunal guide figure of 3.1%
- To leave, give 60 days’ written notice in Ontario (form N9) and one clear rental month in BC, timed to end on the last day of a rental period
Renew, roll on or move?
Unlike in England, where an assured shorthold tenancy can end with a section 21 notice, the end of a fixed term in most Canadian provinces isn’t a reason for the landlord to make you leave. In Ontario, if you don’t sign a new lease, you don’t have to move: the tenancy becomes month-to-month on the same terms. In BC, most fixed-term tenancies also convert to month-to-month at the end of the term, unless you agree another fixed term. A BC lease can only make you leave at the end of the term (a “vacate clause”) in limited situations set out in the regulations.
| Option | What it means |
|---|---|
| Sign a new fixed term | Rent is set for the term. You generally can’t leave early without the landlord’s agreement |
| Stay month-to-month | The usual default in Ontario and BC. More flexible: you can leave with the notice below |
| Move | You pay removals, overlapping rent and often a new deposit before the old one comes back |
Alberta is different: a fixed-term tenancy ends on the date in the agreement and neither side has to give notice. If you stay on with the landlord’s consent, it becomes a monthly periodic tenancy.
Rent increases by province
| Province | Cap | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 2.1% in 2026, 1.9% in 2027 | Once every 12 months, with at least 90 days’ written notice on the Landlord and Tenant Board form. Units first occupied after 15 November 2018 are exempt from the cap |
| BC | 2.3% in 2026, 2.2% in 2027 | Once every 12 months, with three full months’ notice on form RTB-7. Above the cap needs your written agreement or a Residential Tenancy Branch decision |
| Alberta | No cap | Periodic tenancies only: once every 365 days, with 3 full tenancy months’ written notice. No rise during a fixed term |
| Quebec | Tribunal guide figure: 3.1% base | Set at lease renewal. You can refuse; the landlord must then apply to the tribunal |
On a C$2,000 BC rent, the 2027 cap means a rise of at most C$44 a month. Ontario’s guideline is based on Ontario inflation and can’t be more than 2.5%. If your Ontario home was first lived in after 15 November 2018, there’s no limit on the amount, though the 12-month and 90-day rules still apply. Check the live guideline on ontario.ca or gov.bc.ca before agreeing to a rise
Can the landlord ask you to leave?
- Ontario: only for reasons in the Residential Tenancies Act, such as the landlord or a close family member moving in (form N12, at least 60 days’ notice, ending on the last day of a rental period or the fixed term) or major renovations (form N13, 120 days). Compensation is often one month’s rent, or more for renovations in larger buildings. The rules for N12 notices changed on 21 September 2026, so check the current LTB form
- BC: a notice for the landlord’s or a close family member’s use must be generated through the Residential Tenancy Branch web portal, and you’re owed one month’s rent. If the landlord doesn’t use the home for that purpose, they can owe you 12 months’ rent
- Alberta: on a monthly periodic tenancy, landlords need to give 3 months’ notice, compared with one month from you
- Quebec: repossessing a home or refusing to renew follows strict rules and deadlines under the Civil Code
Giving notice to leave
| Province | How much notice | How |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | At least 60 days before the end of the fixed term or a monthly rental period | Form N9. An email or phone call doesn’t count |
| BC | One clear rental month, received before the day rent is due | Signed, dated written notice. Not 30 days: a full rental month |
| Alberta | None at the end of a fixed term. One full tenancy month on a monthly tenancy | In writing, served on or before the first day of the month |
| Quebec | Notice of non-renewal 3 to 6 months before a 12-month lease ends | In writing, with proof of receipt |
In BC, if rent is due on the 1st and you want to leave on 31 May, your notice must reach the landlord by 30 April. In Alberta, a notice served on 2 June to end on 30 June ends the tenancy on 31 July instead. In BC and Ontario you generally can’t give notice to leave part way through a fixed term: ask the landlord about assigning or subletting.
Getting your deposit back
- Ontario: landlords can only take a last month’s rent deposit and a refundable key deposit. There’s no damage deposit. The last month’s deposit pays your final month’s rent, and you’re owed interest on it each year at the guideline rate
- BC: the security deposit is at most half a month’s rent. Give your forwarding address in writing: the landlord then has 15 days from the later of that and the end of the tenancy to return it, get your agreement, or apply to the Residential Tenancy Branch. Miss it, and they can be ordered to pay double
- Alberta: up to one month’s rent. The landlord must return it with interest, or send a statement of deductions, within 10 days of you leaving
- Quebec: security deposits, key deposits and post-dated cheques are not allowed. The landlord can only ask for the first month’s rent in advance
Do the move-out inspection with the landlord and take dated photos. Fair wear and tear isn’t your cost. Disputes go to the Landlord and Tenant Board in Ontario, the Residential Tenancy Branch in BC, the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service in Alberta and the TAL in Quebec.
Quebec’s moving day
Most Quebec leases run from 1 July to 30 June, so in Montreal and across the province thousands of households move on the same day. If you plan to move, start looking in the spring, book a van or removals firm months ahead, and remember your notice of non-renewal is due by the end of March for a lease ending on 30 June.
Staying or moving: the real cost
Add up removals, overlapping rent, a new deposit and reconnecting utilities and internet. If the new place saves less than that in a year, staying may cost less. The moving fund calculator adds it up. For the search itself see How do I find a place to rent? and How do deposits and leases work?, or if you’re weighing up buying, Can we buy a home in Canada?
What to do next
- Check whether your home is covered by your province’s rent cap, and the date of your last rise
- If you’re moving, diary your notice deadline: 60 days in Ontario, a clear rental month in BC
- Give your forwarding address in writing and book a move-out inspection
- Government of Ontario: Residential rent increases
- Landlord and Tenant Board: A guide to the Residential Tenancies Act
- Landlord and Tenant Board: How a landlord can end a tenancy
- Queen’s University Off-Campus Living Advisor: Your lease doesn’t end on the end date, it continues automatically
- Steps to Justice: Do I have to pay a deposit when I rent a new place?
- Government of BC: Rent increases
- BC Gov News: Maximum allowable rent increase for 2027 (Aug 2026)
- Government of BC: Options for a tenant to end a tenancy
- Government of BC: Breaking a lease as a tenant
- Government of BC: Moving out of rental units
- Government of BC: Types of evictions
- Government of Alberta: During a tenancy
- Government of Alberta: Ending a tenancy
- Tribunal administratif du logement: Applicable percentages for the fixing of rent
- CBC News: Quebec housing tribunal recommends a 3.1% basic rent increase (2026)
- OACIQ: Lease renewal mechanism
- Tribunal administratif du logement: Deposit of rent