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Below are some of your rights as a tenant:
Withholding rent if the landlord doesn't make repairs in a reasonable amount of time.
Safe and sanitary premises.
No changes in terms and conditions for the length of the lease.
Landlord cannot enter premises without the tenant's consent, or unless an emergency exists.
Your responsibilities
As a tenant, you are likely responsible for:
Paying the rent on time
Being considerate of other tenants
Not endangering other tenants
Not performing illegal acts or conducting illegal business on the premises
Keeping the premises reasonably clean
Preventing damage to the premises
Moving out when the rental agreement ends.
Tenants' associations
There are many advantages to creating a tenants' association in your building or belonging to a larger area association. Through these organizations, you can share information and gain support. And if there's a problem, a landlord is less likely to try to do something improper if he knows there's a tenants' association in his building. It is your legal right to be a member of a tenants' association and to organize one in your building. A landlord who tries to stand in its way can face a fine for doing so.
Landlord's responsibilities
Renting is a two-way street. You are required to keep up your end of the bargain, but the landlord has certain responsibilities, as well. A landlord may be the owner of the residential premises, the property manager or just the person who rents out the premises.
Landlord rights:
Charging extra if rent is late (amount specified in lease agreement).
Keeping part or all of the security deposit if you leave before the lease is up (as specified in the lease).
Charging rent through the length of the lease even if you aren't living on the premises.
Keeping all or part of security deposit if you damage walls, floors or fixtures, or if you make alterations that have to be fixed after you move out.
Generally speaking, landlords must:
Make sure the premises are available for the tenant when the rental agreement takes effect.
Not disturb the tenant's peaceful enjoyment of the premises.
Make sure the premises are habitable (according to provincial housing-and-health-dictated standards) at the beginning of the tenancy.
Make repairs in a reasonable amount of time.
Enter premises only at agreed-upon time to make repairs (unless there is an emergency), or to show the apartment to potential renters if you are moving out.
Pay interest on deposit money.
Collect rent.
Maintain exterior grounds of building.
Prohibited actions
There are certain actions your landlord is not allowed to take, no matter what the situation. A landlord cannot shut off utilities, take anything that belongs to a tenant, change the locks or otherwise lock a tenant out of his apartment to force him to pay rent or leave the apartment. A landlord also cannot raise the rent or threaten eviction for taking legal action against the landlord.
The lease
Both the landlord and the tenant should sign the lease agreement. The landlord must give the tenant a copy of the agreement after the tenant signs and returns it. The tenant may be able to withhold rent until a copy is received.
Security deposit
Landlords usually ask tenants for a security deposit (sometimes called a damage deposit) to cover any unpaid rent or damage a tenant may cause. Generally, the maximum amount a landlord may ask for as a security deposit is the equivalent of one month's rent at the time the tenancy starts. The security deposit cannot be increased as rent increases. Typically, landlords are required to hold security deposits in interest-bearing accounts.
Proper notice
Both landlords and tenants must put their notice to end a tenancy in writing. Landlords must include their reason for ending the tenancy. The notice must be delivered in person, or by registered mail. Again, there may be variations country-wide but, typically, in a week-to-week tenancy, the landlord must give the tenant one week's notice. The tenant, too, must give the landlord one week's notice. In a month-to-month tenancy, the landlord must give the tenant three months' notice. The tenant must give the landlord one month's notice.
Eviction
Hopefully, your rental experience will not include an eviction. But if you don't pay your rent, don't live up to your end of the lease agreement or cause substantial damage to the premises, your landlord may evict you. The landlord must give the tenant 48 hours' notice to end the tenancy and serve a written eviction notice. If the tenant refuses to move, the landlord can apply to court for an order requiring them to move. What's more, the landlord may sue the tenant for any damages not covered by the security deposit, once the inspection reports have been completed.
