Renter Rights and Responsibilities

Your rights as a renter in Brantford are protected by the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA). Key rights include:

• To live in a safe and well-maintained unit: Landlords must keep rental units in good repair and meet health, safety, fire safety and property standards.
• Protection from illegal lockouts: landlords cannot change the locks, block access to your unit, shut off utilities or remove your belongings without a legal eviction order from the Landlord and Tenant Board.
• Protection from harassment or intimidation: landlords cannot threaten, pressure or force you to move out.
• The right to challenge an eviction: you do not have to move out just because you receive notice. Only the Landlord and Tenant Board can issue an eviction order.
• The right to privacy: landlords must provide at least 24 hours written notice before entering your unit, unless there is an emergency.
• The right to reasonable enjoyment: you have the right to use your home without unnecessary disturbance from your landlord or others under their control.
• The right to have guests: Landlords cannot restrict visitors or temporary guests unless legal occupancy limits or other legal restrictions apply.
• The right to have pets: While a landlord has the right to reject an application to rent a unit to a tenant who has a pet, in most cases, a landlord cannot evict a tenant for having a pet once they are living in a rental unit. 

As a tenant, you are responsible for maintaining your rental unit and following the rules in the Residential Tenancies Act and municipal bylaws. Some key responsibilities include:

• Paying your rent on time, as outlined in your lease agreement
• Taking care of the unit, including keeping the unit clean, taking out garbage regularly, reporting maintenance issues promptly, and repairing or paying for damage beyond normal wear and tear.
• Following the rules and getting approval for changes:
  
  • use the unit for lawful purposes only.
  • avoid disturbing others and follow noise and nuisance bylaws.
  • follow building rules, including garbage sorting, parking and occupancy limits.
  • do not change locks and keys without the landlord’s permission.
  • do not make major changes to the unit without approval from the landlord.