In Force — July 2026

Tenant Air Conditioner Rules in Ontario: What Landlords Can Charge (2026)

Since July 1, 2026, tenants can install a window or portable air conditioner with written notice — and where hydro is included in the rent, you can charge a seasonal amount for the electricity. Here is how the rule works and how to put a defensible number on that charge.

9 min readLast updated: July 10, 2026

The right is in force. Since July 1, 2026, RTA s. 36.1 (added by Bill 97) lets tenants install a window or portable air conditioner after written notice, if the installation is safe, lawful, and causes no damage — even if your lease says no air conditioners.
You can charge — but only real costs. Where electricity is included in the rent, you may add a seasonal amount, capped at the actual electricity cost of running the unit (or a reasonable estimate if the actual cost can't be determined).
The charge is seasonal, not permanent. You must lower the rent by the same amount when the tenant removes or stops using the air conditioner — it only applies for months of use.

What the Tenant's Right Covers

Section 36.1 of the Residential Tenancies Act was added by Bill 97 (the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023) and came into force on July 1, 2026 — confirmed by the Landlord and Tenant Board in its June 30, 2026 operational update. It covers window and portable air conditionersthat the tenant installs in their own unit. Per the LTB's brochure, Rules for Air Conditioners in Rental Units, the right applies even if the tenancy agreement states that air conditioners are not allowed or the landlord objects — provided the tenant meets all of the conditions:

The tenant tells the landlord in writing before installing.
The installation is safe and secure.
It complies with municipal property standards by-laws and other applicable laws.
It does not damage the rental unit or the residential complex.

What the written notice must include

The brochure spells out what the tenant's written notice has to cover:

The periods of time they intend to use the air conditioner — for example, the months of June, July, and August.
Where electricity is included in the rent: information about the energy efficiency of the air conditioner and how much they intend to use it.
Later, the tenant must also tell the landlord in writing when the air conditioner is removed or no longer in use — that is what triggers the mandatory rent decrease (below).

For landlords, that notice is not paperwork to file and forget — the wattage and intended-use details are exactly the inputs you need to set the seasonal charge.

The Money Question: Putting a Number on the Seasonal Charge

Where hydro is included in the rent, the LTB brochure sets a ceiling, not a formula: the seasonal rent increase cannot be more than the actual cost of the electricity supplied to operate the air conditioner, and if the actual cost cannot be determined, the increase can be a reasonable estimate. Most landlords can't sub-meter one window unit, so a reasonable estimate is what you'll actually use. Here is a defensible way to build one.

The estimate formula

wattage × hours/day × days/month ÷ 1,000 × rate per kWh = monthly cost

Example: a 900W window unit × 8 hours/day × 30 days = 216 kWh/month. At ~$0.128/kWh ≈ $27.65/month for each month of the cooling season.

Unit	Wattage	kWh/month (8 hrs/day)	Est. monthly cost
Small portable unit	500W	120 kWh	$15.36
Typical window unit	900W	216 kWh	$27.65
Large window unit	1,400W	336 kWh	$43.01

This is an estimate method, not a statutory formula

The $0.128/kWh figure is an example ratearound the middle of Ontario's time-of-use / ULO pricing — check your local utility's current rates and use those. Real consumption is usually lowerthan nameplate wattage because compressors cycle on and off, so a nameplate-based estimate leans generous to the tenant's benefit if anything is contested. Keep your inputs (wattage from the tenant's notice, assumed hours, your utility rate) on file — a charge you can show your math on is a charge that survives scrutiny.

Sample Written Acknowledgment

There is no prescribed government form for any of this. A short written acknowledgment — responding to the tenant's notice — puts the wattage, months, and dollar amount on the record so nobody is reconstructing them from memory in August. Here is sample language you can adapt:

Sample — adapt to your situation; not a legal form

Re: Air conditioner installation at [unit address]

This confirms receipt of your written notice dated [date] regarding installation of a [window / portable] air conditioner, rated [900]W, in the [living room window / bedroom]. You have confirmed the unit will be installed safely and securely, in compliance with applicable by-laws, and without damage to the unit or building.

As electricity is included in your rent, a seasonal charge of $[27.65] per month will apply for the months of [June through September 2026], based on the estimated electricity cost of operating the unit ([216] kWh/month at $[0.128]/kWh). Your rent will be reduced by the same amount when the air conditioner is removed or no longer in use — please confirm that to us in writing at the time, including your expected removal date of [date].

Two things to check before sending anything like this: if the tenant pays their own hydro, delete the charge paragraph entirely (see below), and if your tenancy agreement already says the tenant can install an air conditioner without a rent increase, the brochure is clear that you cannot charge the seasonal amount at all.

Safety and Installation Expectations

The statute makes safe, damage-free installation the tenant's obligation, but it is in your interest to be practical and specific about what that means:

Secure mounting for window units

A window unit above the ground floor should be supported by a bracket or properly secured frame — not balanced on the sash. A falling unit is exactly the kind of unsafe installation s. 36.1 does not protect.

No permanent alterations

Screw holes in vinyl frames, cut screens, or removed window hardware can cross the line into damage. Foam side panels and tension-fit kits achieve the same seal without alterations.

By-law compliance is part of the test

The brochure requires compliance with municipal property standards by-laws and other applicable laws. If your municipality restricts window projections or requires specific mounting, that binds the tenant's installation.

Electrical load and insurance

In older buildings, a 1,400W unit on a shared circuit can trip breakers or worse. It is reasonable to discuss which outlet or circuit the unit will use, and worth telling your insurer about tenant-installed units so nothing about your coverage surprises you.

Condensation drainage

Window units should drain outward, not into the wall cavity or onto a neighbour's balcony; portable units need their reservoir emptied or a proper drain hose. Water damage is damage.

When Hydro Is Not Included: No Charge Applies

The seasonal charge exists only where electricity is included in the rent. If your tenant pays their own hydro account, they are already paying for every kWh the air conditioner draws — there is nothing for you to recover and no amount you can add to the rent. The rest of the rule still applies unchanged: written notice, safe installation, no damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Since July 1, 2026, section 36.1 of the Residential Tenancies Act (added by Bill 97) gives tenants the right to install a window or portable air conditioner in their unit after giving the landlord written notice, provided the installation is safe and secure, complies with municipal property standards by-laws and other applicable laws, and does not damage the rental unit or the residential complex. The LTB's brochure confirms this right applies even if the tenancy agreement says air conditioners are not allowed or the landlord objects.

The charge only applies when electricity is included in the rent, and per the LTB brochure the seasonal rent increase cannot be more than the actual cost of the electricity supplied to operate the air conditioner. If the actual cost cannot be determined, the increase can be a reasonable estimate. As an illustration, a 900W window unit running 8 hours a day uses about 216 kWh a month — roughly $27.65 at an example rate of $0.128/kWh. There is no government-set dollar amount or formula.

Not if the conditions are met. The LTB brochure states the tenant's right applies even if the tenancy agreement prohibits air conditioners or the landlord objects, and it does not set out grounds on which a landlord can refuse a compliant installation. The conditions themselves are the protection: the installation must be safe and secure, comply with municipal property standards by-laws and applicable laws, cause no damage, and follow written notice. An installation that fails those conditions is not protected by s. 36.1.

Per the LTB brochure, the tenant must tell the landlord in writing before installing, including what periods of time they intend to use the air conditioner (for example, the months of June, July, and August). If electricity is included in the rent, the tenant must also provide information about the energy efficiency of the air conditioner and how much they intend to use it. The tenant must also tell the landlord in writing when the air conditioner is removed or no longer in use.

Yes. The LTB brochure is explicit: the landlord must lower the rent by the same amount when the tenant removes the air conditioner or stops using it, and the seasonal charge applies only for the months when the air conditioner is being used. The seasonal increase is not a permanent rent increase.

Then no charge applies. The seasonal electricity charge exists only where electricity is included in the rent. If the tenant pays their own hydro account, they absorb the cost of running the air conditioner directly and the landlord cannot add anything to the rent for it.

No. The LTB brochure sets a ceiling, not a formula: the seasonal increase cannot exceed the actual cost of the electricity supplied to operate the air conditioner, and where the actual cost cannot be determined, a reasonable estimate is allowed. The wattage-based calculation in this guide is one defensible way to build that estimate — it is not a statutory method.

No. The LTB brochure confirms the tenant's installation right applies even if the tenancy agreement states that air conditioners are not allowed. There is also a flip side: if your tenancy agreement says the tenant can install a window or portable air conditioner without a rent increase, the brochure says you cannot charge the seasonal amount at all.

The LTB brochure requires the tenant to tell the landlord in writing when the air conditioner is removed or no longer in use — which triggers the mandatory rent decrease — but it does not prescribe a removal schedule or end-of-tenancy removal rule. Seasonal removal timing is a sensible thing to agree on in writing at installation, and normal move-out principles about the unit's condition and damage still apply.

No. Section 36.1 is about the tenant's right to install their own window or portable unit — it does not require landlords to supply cooling. Whether you must provide or operate air conditioning is a separate question governed mainly by municipal rules (Toronto and Mississauga cap units at 26°C where cooling is already provided). See our Ontario cooling requirements guide for that side of the law.

Official Sources

This guide is based on the LTB's official publications and the legislation itself:

LTB Brochure: Rules for Air Conditioners in Rental Units (Tribunals Ontario) — the conditions, notice contents, cost ceiling, and mandatory decrease.
LTB: Operational Update — Legislative Changes at the LTB (Tribunals Ontario, June 30, 2026) — confirms s. 36.1 in force July 1, 2026.
Bill 97, Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 (Legislative Assembly of Ontario) — the amending act that added s. 36.1.
Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (ontario.ca) — current consolidated text.

Disclaimer:This guide summarizes the LTB's published materials as of July 10, 2026 and is not legal advice. The electricity figures are illustrative estimates, not amounts set by law — confirm your utility's current rates and the LTB's current guidance before setting a charge.

Related Resources

Is AC Mandatory in Ontario?

Municipal 26°C rules and whether you must provide cooling

Heating Requirements by City

The minimum-temperature rules Ontario actually mandates

Ontario RTA Changes 2026

Every rule that changed this year, in one tracker

Ontario Rent Increase Guide

How regular guideline increases work — separate from the AC charge

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