Ontario Municipal Rental Licensing: Mississauga, Brampton & Waterloo (2026)
Rental licensing is no longer just a Toronto story. Mississauga now requires a City licence for any N13 renovation eviction starting September 1, 2026, and Brampton and Waterloo already require one just to operate a rental. A provincial lease is not enough in these cities. You also need a municipal licence.
Bottom line
- Mississauga’s new Rental Repairs and Renovations Licensing By-law (No. 0039-2026) takes effect September 1, 2026. Serve an N13 on or after that date and you need a City licence within 7 days, on top of your provincial permit and compensation duties.
- Brampton residential rental licensing is now city-wide (all wards) as of January 1, 2026, for properties with one to four units. The licence is free but mandatory.
- Waterloo’s updated Rental Housing Licensing Bylaw (2025-044) takes effect July 1, 2026, with $2M insurance and safety inspections.
- A municipal licence is separate from the Residential Tenancies Act. You still follow LTB rules for rent increases and notices on top of it.
Licensing is spreading beyond Toronto
For years, “rental licensing” in Ontario mostly meant Toronto’s RentSafeTO program for apartment buildings. That is changing fast. Municipalities use their licensing powers under the Municipal Act to register landlords, require safety inspections, and fine non-compliant operators, and three of Ontario’s largest cities have now moved: Mississauga, Brampton, and Waterloo.
If you own a rental in any of these cities, this is a compliance obligation that sits entirely outside the LTB. Missing it does not just risk a tenant dispute; it risks municipal fines and orders, regardless of how clean your tenancy paperwork is.
Mississauga: a City licence for every N13, starting September 1, 2026
Mississauga City Council adopted the Rental Repairs and Renovations Licensing By-law (No. 0039-2026) on April 1, 2026. It takes effect September 1, 2026, and it is a different animal from Brampton’s or Waterloo’s programs: it does not licence the act of renting out a unit. It licenses the act of evicting a tenant to renovate.
If you serve an N13 notice on a Mississauga rental unit on or after September 1, 2026, you now need a City licence in addition to your provincial building permit, and you need both in hand before you can evict the tenant or start any work.
Application deadline
Apply for the City licence within 7 days of serving the N13.
Before you can start
You need the City licence and a valid building permit in hand before evicting the tenant or beginning work.
Licence fee
Set by your estimated project duration (3, 6, or 12 months). The City has not published a flat dollar amount; confirm the current fee on mississauga.ca before applying.
Moving Contribution
A one-time payment of $1,000 for units of 70 square metres or less, or $1,500 for larger units.
Monthly top-up
If the tenant plans to return, pay the difference between their old rent and the average rent for a similar Mississauga unit while they're displaced.
None of this replaces your existing obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act. The Moving Contribution and rent top-up are on top of, not instead of, the compensation and right of return that Bills 51 and 97 already require for an N13. In Mississauga you now owe both sets of obligations at once: one to the province, one to the City.
Mississauga fines
Non-compliance draws set fines of $500 to $1,000. A conviction for a more serious offence can reach $100,000. Confirm the current fee schedule and application process on the City’s website before serving an N13 after September 1, 2026.
Brampton: city-wide as of January 1, 2026
Brampton ran its Residential Rental Licensing (RRL) program as a pilot in selected wards. As of January 1, 2026, it applies city-wide (every ward). The program covers rental properties with one to four units, including single units, two-unit dwellings, and small multi-unit homes such as triplexes, fourplexes, and garden suites.
Application fee
Free: the City has waived all licence application fees (but the licence is still mandatory).
Education module
All applicants must complete a one-time online educational module.
Posted licence
The licence must be posted in a visible location in each rental unit.
Inspections
The City conducts both scheduled and unscheduled inspections.
Insurance
Owners must keep valid liability insurance in place (confirm the required coverage with the City).
Brampton fines
Operating without a licence draws set fines of $750, then $1,250, then $1,500 for repeat offences, and failing to register a unit starts at $1,000. Confirm the current set-fine schedule on the City’s website before relying on these amounts.
Waterloo: new bylaw effective July 1, 2026
Waterloo is overhauling its rental licensing regime. Under Bylaw 2025-044, the updated rules take effect July 1, 2026. No one may carry on a residential rental business without the appropriate licence class, and the requirements are more demanding than Brampton’s:
Liability insurance
$2,000,000 per occurrence of comprehensive public liability coverage.
Safety inspections
Gas/oil appliance and electrical safety inspections, completed within 12 months before applying.
Criminal record checks
Required for owners who reside in the rental units.
Compliance declarations
Statements confirming compliance with the Fire Protection and Prevention Act and the Building Code.
Waterloo licences are tiered by class: for example, Class A (non-owner-occupied, up to five bedrooms), Class B (owner-occupied), Class C (lodging houses), Class D (legacy/recognized units), and Class S (short-term rentals in apartment buildings). The class you need depends on how the unit is occupied, so confirm yours before July 1, 2026.
Waterloo fines
Penalties run up to $25,000 for an individual (first offence) and $50,000 for a repeat offence; corporations face up to $50,000 then $100,000. Daily fines of up to $10,000 can apply for each day a violation continues.
Brampton vs Waterloo at a glance
| Brampton | Waterloo | |
|---|---|---|
| Key date | City-wide Jan 1, 2026 | Bylaw 2025-044, July 1, 2026 |
| Who needs it | Rentals with 1–4 units | Residential rental businesses (by class) |
| Application fee | Free (waived) | Fees apply (set by the City) |
| Insurance | Valid coverage required | $2,000,000 per occurrence |
| Inspections | Scheduled + unscheduled | Gas/oil + electrical (within 12 months) |
| Fines (no licence) | $750 / $1,250 / $1,500 (escalating) | Up to $25K individuals / $100K corporations |
* Programs change. Always confirm the current requirements, fees, and deadlines on your city’s official website before applying.
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What landlords should do now
Confirm whether your city licenses rentals or renovations
Mississauga, Brampton, and Waterloo are the latest, but Toronto, London, Oshawa, and others have programs too. A quick check on your municipality’s website tells you if you are in scope.
Planning an N13 in Mississauga? Start the City licence early
From September 1, 2026, you have 7 days from serving the N13 to apply for the City licence, and you cannot start work or evict without it plus your building permit.
Apply before the deadline
In Waterloo, you need the licence before operating once the July 1, 2026 rules apply. In Brampton, the city-wide requirement is already live as of January 1, 2026.
Get your safety paperwork in order
Electrical and fuel-appliance inspections, fire-safety compliance, and insurance certificates take time to arrange. Start early. Waterloo wants inspections completed within 12 months of applying.
Keep your RTA compliance separate and current
A municipal licence does not replace your LTB obligations. Rent increases still follow the guideline, and notices still use the N-series forms.
Disclaimer: This guide summarizes municipal rules that change frequently and is not legal advice. Figures and dates are based on the cities’ published materials as of August 2026. Always verify the current bylaw, fees, and deadlines directly with Mississauga, Brampton, or Waterloo before relying on them.
Related guides
Renoviction Laws Ontario
The provincial N13 permit, compensation, and right of return rules
RentSafeTO Signage 2026
Toronto's colour-coded building signs
2027 Rent Increase Guideline
The 1.9% cap for 2027
CO Alarm Rules 2026
Safety requirements landlords must meet
Fire Code ULC-S536 (2026)
Fire alarm inspection requirements
Frequently asked questions
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