data tool
Rent increase calculator for Ontario
Most Ontario landlords can raise rent once every 12 months by no more than the yearly guideline, 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027, with at least 90 days' written notice. Units first occupied as homes after 15 November 2018 are exempt from the guideline. This calculator gives the maximum new rent and the earliest date it can start.
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How it works
- 1
Enter the rent and year
Type the current monthly rent and the year the increase would take effect.
- 2
Enter the first occupied date
Type when the unit was first lived in, so the 2018 exemption can be tested.
- 3
Enter the two dates
Type the date of the last increase, or the tenancy start, and the day written notice is given.
- 4
Read the result
The tiles show the guideline, the maximum rent, the monthly increase and the earliest effective date.
The guideline and its 2.5% cap
The guideline is the most a landlord can raise most tenants' rent in a year without the Landlord and Tenant Board's approval. The province bases it on Ontario's consumer price index over June to May, and caps it at 2.5% to prevent large one time rises. The province's table shows 1.8% for 2018 and 2019, 2.2% for 2020, 0% for 2021 during the rent freeze, 1.2% for 2022, 2.5% for 2023 to 2025, 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027.
The 15 November 2018 exemption
The guideline does not apply to new buildings, additions to existing buildings and most new basement apartments occupied for the first time as homes after 15 November 2018. For those units a landlord can raise rent by any amount, but still only once every 12 months and with 90 days' written notice. That is why the calculator asks when the unit was first occupied: a unit first lived in on 10 January 2019 has no cap, while one first lived in in 2009 does.
Twelve months and ninety days
Rent can go up only if at least 12 months have passed since the last increase or the start of the tenancy, and the landlord must give written notice in the proper form at least 90 days before it takes effect. The earliest date is whichever of those two dates comes later. A rent last raised on 1 February 2026 can rise again on 1 February 2027 if notice reaches the tenant by early November 2026; notice given later pushes the date back.
When the notice arrives late
If a landlord gives notice on 30 October 2026 for a rent last raised on 1 February 2026, the 12 month rule allows 1 February 2027, but 90 days from 30 October is 28 January 2027, so 1 February 2027 still works. If the notice were given on 15 November 2026, 90 days would run to 13 February 2027, and that later date becomes the earliest the new rent can start. The calculator takes the later of the two dates every time, so the result can be used as the effective date on the form.
A worked example
A tenancy that started on 1 June 2026 at $1,000 a month can rise on 1 June 2027 at the earliest. The 2027 guideline is 1.9%, so the maximum new rent is $1,019, an increase of $19 a month. This is the province's own example, and the calculator gives the same figures. For a unit with rent of $1,850, the 2027 maximum is $1,885.15.
Writing the notice
The notice of a rent increase must be on the Landlord and Tenant Board's form, so a letter alone is not enough, but many landlords send a covering letter that explains the figure and the date. The AI document generator writes that covering letter, or a notice of rent increase for other places, from a description that includes the figures here.
Limits
- Guidelines from 2018 to 2027 checked on 21 October 2026 against the Province of Ontario's rent increase page. This is arithmetic, not legal advice.
- Above guideline increases need an order from the Landlord and Tenant Board and are not worked out here.
- Rent can be set freely between tenancies; the guideline applies to sitting tenants.
- Community housing, long term care homes and commercial premises follow other rules.
What it does not do
- It does not fill in Form N1.
- It does not apply agreed increases for added services.
- It does not store the figures.
Questions people ask
What is the Ontario rent increase guideline this year?
The Province of Ontario lists 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027. The guideline applies to increases that take effect in that calendar year, so an increase starting in March 2027 uses 1.9%. It never exceeds 2.5%. Older years are in the table above.
Is my unit exempt from rent control?
It is exempt from the guideline if it is in a new building, an addition or most new basement apartments first occupied as a home after 15 November 2018. Exempt units still need 12 months between increases and 90 days' notice on the proper form.
How much notice is needed for a rent increase in Ontario?
At least 90 days' written notice in the form the Landlord and Tenant Board provides. If the notice is late or on the wrong form, the increase is void and the tenant can dispute it at the Board within 12 months after the amount was first charged.
Can rent go up by more than the guideline?
Only with an above guideline increase approved by the Landlord and Tenant Board, usually for major repairs or renovations, large increases in municipal taxes, or security services, or by agreement for added services such as parking. The calculator does not work those out.
Does the guideline apply to a new tenant?
No. When a tenant moves out, the landlord and the new tenant can agree any rent. The guideline then applies to increases during the new tenancy, unless the unit is exempt under the 2018 rule. The calculator assumes a sitting tenant throughout.
What if my rent was raised too much?
A tenant can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board within 12 months after the improper amount was first charged. The Board can order the extra amount repaid. Keeping the notice and the lease makes that application straightforward. The Board's forms are on its own website.
Write the covering letter
Take what you made here into documents.
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Background reading: the question page on this.
Sources
Written and checked by the OneCraft team. Last checked .