Find and rent housing in Northern Ontario

The basics: your rights as a tenant

Most apartments, houses, and basement units in Ontario are covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA). Disputes are decided by the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), an independent tribunal. Landlords can't evict you with a written notice alone — they need an LTB order. Maximum fines under the RTA are $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation (ontario.ca, updated July 2, 2026).

LTB contact: 1-888-332-3234 · Mon–Fri 8:30 am to 5:00 pm · tribunalsontario.ca/ltb

For an offence that is happening now — an illegal lockout, heat, water, electricity, or gas shut off, a landlord who will not give you the Standard Lease, or a landlord who takes your belongings — call the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit (RHEU) at 1-888-772-9277 (RHEU.info@ontario.ca). The RHEU can step in without waiting for an LTB hearing.

Rooms that share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner

If you rent a room and share a kitchen or a bathroom with the owner, or with the owner's spouse, child, or parent, the Residential Tenancies Act does not apply. There is no LTB eviction hearing and no rent-increase guideline. This is common for students and people renting a room in a family home. Read the roommate explainer at CLEO before you pay a deposit.

The standard lease (Form 2229E)

For most residential leases signed on or after April 30, 2018, the landlord must use Ontario's Standard Form of Lease. It's a plain-language form and is available free in many languages from Ontario.ca. Always insist on a written, signed standard lease — verbal agreements are legal but harder to enforce.

What deposits are legal

• Last month's rent deposit — legal, max one month's rent. The landlord must pay you interest on it once a year.
• Key deposit — legal, but only equal to actual key replacement cost.
• Security or damage deposits — illegal in Ontario.
• Pet deposits — illegal.
• Demands for 6 or 12 months of rent up front — illegal.

If a landlord asks for an "extra" deposit on top of first + last, they're breaking the law. Walk away or report them.

What does rent cost?

Average rents in Northern Ontario as of October 2025 (CMHC Rental Market Survey):

City	1-Bedroom	2-Bedroom
Thunder Bay	$1,173	$1,493
Greater Sudbury	$1,244	$1,555
Sault Ste. Marie	$1,167	$1,394
North Bay	$1,078	$1,404

Older buildings and units further from downtown are usually cheaper; downtown condos are pricier.

Where to look for listings

• Facebook Marketplace + local rental groups (search "Thunder Bay Rentals", "Sudbury Apartments", etc.)
• Realtor.ca — agent-listed rentals
• Settlement.org — newcomer-focused listings + multilingual "Understanding For Rent Ads" guide
• If you're a student: Lakehead, Laurentian, Algoma, and Nipissing all have off-campus housing boards

What landlords can — and can't — ask

Allowed: rental references, employment verification, credit check (with your consent), proof of income, photo ID after you've signed.

NOT allowed under the Ontario Human Rights Code:

• Questions about your citizenship or immigration status
• Refusing you because you're new to Canada or have no Canadian credit history
• Discrimination based on race, religion, country of origin, family status, age, disability, or receipt of public assistance

A landlord does not need your Social Insurance Number to run an Equifax credit check. Your full name, current address, and date of birth are enough. A "no pets" clause is void under section 14 of the RTA, except where the condominium corporation's rules ban pets.

If a landlord says "no PR, no rent" or refuses you because you're a newcomer, that's illegal discrimination. You can file a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission or the LTB.

What if I don't have Canadian credit history?

This is the most common newcomer roadblock. Ways around it:

• Get a guarantor — a Canadian friend, family member, or employer co-signs (legal, common)
• Voluntarily offer a few months' rent in advance — your choice, not the landlord's demand
• Provide an employer letter stating salary and start date
• Show proof of savings — bank statements work fine
• Use Nova Credit or Equifax Global Consumer Solutions — they translate international credit history into a format Canadian landlords recognize

How rent increases work

Rent increases are capped by an annual Provincial Rent Increase Guideline:

• 2025: 2.5%
• 2026: 2.1%
• 2027: 1.9%

The 2027 figure is on ontario.ca/page/residential-rent-increases, which also lists 2026 at 2.1%. Ontario's example on that page: a $1,000 rent can rise by $19, to $1,019, on the 2027 anniversary if the unit is covered by the guideline.

This applies to most units first occupied before November 15, 2018. Newer units are exempt and the landlord can raise rent by any amount (with proper notice).

For all rentals, the landlord must give 90 days' written notice on the official LTB form, and at least 12 months must have passed since the last increase or your move-in.

If your landlord violates your rights

You can file a complaint with the LTB using these forms (all on tribunalsontario.ca):

• T1 — recover money the landlord owes (e.g., illegal deposit)
• T2 — landlord harassed you, locked you out, or interfered with your enjoyment of the unit
• T6 — maintenance and repair issues, including a landlord who refuses licensed pest treatment
• T5 — bad-faith eviction after an N12 or N13 (file within one year)

Heat, air conditioning, and vital services

A landlord must keep the heat at at least 20°C from September 1 to June 1, unless a municipal bylaw sets a higher minimum. Heat, hot and cold water, electricity, and gas cannot be shut off because rent is late.

Under section 36.1 of the RTA, you have the right to install a window or portable air conditioner, subject to safety rules. If hydro is included in the rent, a landlord may apply a seasonal charge only for a unit installed after July 2026, and must remove that charge outside the summer. See the LTB air-conditioner rules.

The landlord pays licensed pest-control treatment, must give 24 hours' written notice to enter for treatment, and you prepare the unit as instructed. Do not withhold rent. File Form T6 if treatment is refused.

N12 and N13 notices

An N12 (landlord's own use) or N13 (renovation) notice does not mean you must move out. Only the LTB can order an eviction, and only the Sheriff can enforce it. For an N12, the landlord must give at least 60 days' notice ending on the last day of a rental period and pay one month's rent (or offer another acceptable unit) by the termination date. If the landlord re-rents at a higher rent instead of moving in, file Form T5 within one year. Free hearing help: ACTO Tenant Duty Counsel and the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Filing fees can be waived for low-income applicants. Free legal help is available through Steps to Justice, CLEO, and local Community Legal Clinics (Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic in Thunder Bay; Sudbury Community Legal Clinic in Sudbury).

Common scams and pitfalls

• Wire transfer scams — never send money before viewing the unit in person (or live video at minimum)
• "Owner is overseas" excuses for not meeting in person — almost always a scam
• Cash-only with no receipt — by law, the landlord must give you a free rent receipt on request
• Verbal-only agreements — legal but risky. Insist on the standard lease in writing
• Not asking about utilities — confirm whether heat, water, hydro, internet are included
• Meeting a stranger at your home to pay a deposit or buy furniture — in Thunder Bay, use the police Safe Trade Zone described below

Electricity in Northern Ontario

Ask every landlord which utilities are in the rent. These are the local electricity utilities for the largest centres, plus Hydro One for much of the rest of the region:

• Thunder Bay: Synergy North — details below
• Greater Sudbury: Greater Sudbury Hydro
• Sault Ste. Marie: PUC Services
• North Bay: North Bay Hydro
• Many other Northern Ontario communities: Hydro One

Synergy North: opening a Thunder Bay electricity account

If hydro is not in the rent, open the account before move-in. The fastest path is the online new-account form. You upload two pieces of identification (JPG, GIF, PNG, PDF, or JPEG, 5 MB maximum). You can also email the residential forms and ID scans to customerservice@synergynorth.ca, or fax them to 1-807-343-1044.

• Phone: 807-343-1111 · toll-free 1-833-428-1451. Customer service is Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After-hours outages in Thunder Bay or Kenora: the same number, option 2.
• $30 set-up charge. Synergy North adds a $30 set-up / change-of-occupancy charge to the first bill every time a new account or a move is submitted. New accounts are also charged a security deposit.
• No walk-in sign-up. The business new-account page states that the offices are closed to the public and are not accepting new-account sign-ups in the office. Use the online form, email, fax, or phone. The published Thunder Bay office address is 34 North Cumberland Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7A 4L3.
• Time-of-Use or Tiered. Residential customers can choose Time-of-Use, Tiered, or Ultra-Low Overnight prices unless they signed a contract with an electricity retailer. Time-of-Use costs more when power is expensive to produce, and less after 7 p.m. and all day on weekends and holidays. Tiered uses one price up to a monthly threshold — 1,000 kWh from November 1 to April 30, and 600 kWh from May 1 to October 31 — then a higher price above that. The Ontario Energy Board sets the cent-per-kWh amounts, and they change. Read the current rates on Synergy North before you switch.

Thunder Bay water, garbage, and winter parking

• Water billing: the City Revenue office at 501-34 Cumberland Street North is open by appointment only. Call 807-625-2255. Submit a meter reading at 807-625-3160 (24 hours) so the bill is not estimated. Final readings when a property sells go to 807-625-2255 or taxandwater@thunderbay.ca. See water meter readings and billing.
• Curbside garbage and recycling: the City collects residential garbage. Circular Materials, through its contractor GFL, runs curbside recycling. Enter your address on the garbage and recycling page for your collection calendar. For help getting started, the page says to call City dispatch at 807-625-2195. City Hall’s general line, printed on that page, is 807-625-2230 (500 Donald Street East). Waste questions go to dispatch, not the general line.
• Winter calendar parking is separate from the overnight priority-route ban. Calendar parking runs from late November or early December through March 31. The City can delay the start or end it early, and it announces both. Once it is on, it applies in any weather, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Signs, often only at the start of a block, say whether that side is banned on even or odd calendar days. See calendar parking and the parking hub. The overnight rule is in the winter guide.

Safe Trade Zone for online sales

The Thunder Bay Police Service runs a Safe Trade Zone at police headquarters, 1200 Balmoral Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5Z5, for people who arranged a sale online and do not want to meet at home or in a quiet parking lot. Designated spaces sit just to the right of the Balmoral Street entrance and are covered by video cameras. Signage marks the zone. Non-emergency line: 807-684-1200. Emergencies: 911. Read the Safe Trade Zone notice on thunderbaypolice.ca. The cameras do not guarantee you will be paid, and the police say online fraud is hard to investigate.

The Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit (OEPTC) is part of the Ontario Trillium Benefit. It is for eligible low- and moderate-income residents and is claimed on the income tax return. Read the rules on ontario.ca/page/ontario-trillium-benefit and see our free tax-help guide for CVITP clinics.

Campus off-campus housing and social housing

Colleges and universities publish their own off-campus boards. Social housing wait lists are run by a local service manager, often a District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB). Apply to the board for the district where you live. Wait lists are long.

Campus housing offices

• Lakehead University off-campus housing (Thunder Bay)
• Confederation College accommodations (Thunder Bay)
• Laurentian University off-campus housing (Sudbury)
• Cambrian College off-campus options (Sudbury)
• Collège Boréal student housing (Sudbury and other campuses)
• Algoma University residence and housing office (Sault Ste. Marie)
• Sault College off-campus housing
• Nipissing University off-campus living (North Bay)
• Canadore College housing (North Bay)
• Northern College off-campus housing (Timmins, Haileybury, Kirkland Lake, Moosonee)

Six Northern DSSABs, plus Sudbury's city registry

• District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board
• District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board
• District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (North Bay)
• Cochrane District Services Board (Timmins and the Cochrane district)
• Algoma District Services Administration Board
• Kenora District Services Board

Greater Sudbury is a single-tier city, so the wait list is run by the City, not a DSSAB: Greater Sudbury community housing. Communities in the districts around Sudbury use the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board.

Special Priority and the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit

• Special Priority Policy (SPP) — survivors of domestic or family violence, or of human trafficking, go to the front of the rent-geared-to-income wait list at every Northern DSSAB and in Greater Sudbury.
• Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) — a portable monthly rent benefit paid to the household. It moves with you to another address in Ontario.

Tenant insurance

Not required by law, but most landlords make it a lease condition. Strongly recommended even when not required — covers your belongings if there's a fire or flood, and protects you from liability if you accidentally damage the building. Typical cost: $20–35/month.

Last reviewed: October 2026. Average rents from CMHC's October 2025 Rental Market Survey. Rent increase guideline confirmed at Ontario.ca.