Tenancy Rights, Responsibilities, and Supports

Wilfrid Laurier University's Tenant Resources webpage offers essential guidance for students navigating off-campus housing. It outlines tenant rights in Ontario, clarifies what landlords are legally permitted to ask, provides advice on avoiding rental discrimination or fraud and features links to legal support services for tenants.

Conestoga College’s Alternative Housing webpage provides resources and guidance to help students find off-campus housing options, including tips on rental agreements, tenant rights, and listings for local accommodations.

The rights and responsibilities of residential tenants are outlined in Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c 17 and apply to most privately-owned residential rental units.

For more information about what these rights and responsibilities include (such as rent increase limits, eviction rules, leases, etc.), visit Ontario.ca/RentingInOntario-YourRights.

The Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario also provides plain language summaries of the rights and regulations regarding:

  • First-time renters
  • Renting with roommates
  • Pets
  • Guests
  • Leases
  • Ending a tenancy
  • And More

The City of Brantford does not have jurisdiction over privately-owned rental units. For more information about how to get support as a tenant or landlord of a privately-owned rental unit, contact the Landlord Tenant Board.

Places4Students.com is an online platform that connects students, landlords, and academic institutions by providing a dedicated service for off-campus housing. It offers a searchable database of rentals including apartments, houses, rooms, and shared living spaces specifically geared toward students. The site also features student sublets and allows students to create profiles to find compatible roommates.

To report potential By-law infractions involving any privately-owned property (including rentals), contact the City’s Municipal Law Enforcement and Property Standards Team regarding:

  • Animal Control
  • Property Standards
  • Lot Maintenance and Waste
  • Noise Control
  • And More