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Ontario Rent Increase Calculator

Calculate the maximum legal rent increase based on Ontario's annual rent increase guideline.

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About Ontario Rent Increases

The Ontario government sets the annual rent increase guideline each year. For most residential units covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, landlords cannot increase rent by more than this percentage without approval from the LTB.

Important: You must provide your tenant with an N1 notice at least 90 days before the rent increase takes effect, and at least 12 months must have passed since the last increase or the start of tenancy.

Turn this into a notice with the free N1 Notice Generator.

How the Ontario rent increase calculation works

Each year the Ontario government publishes a rent increase guideline— the maximum most landlords can raise the rent on a rent-controlled unit in a 12-month period without applying to the Landlord and Tenant Board. It is 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027 (the 2027 rate applies to increases that take effect on or after January 1, 2027).

The math is simple: new rent = current rent × (1 + guideline ÷ 100). At the 2026 guideline a $2,000 rent rises 2.1% — $42 — to $2,042; at the 2027 guideline it rises 1.9% — $38 — to $2,038. Pick the year your increase takes effect above and the calculator does the rest.

Does the guideline apply to your unit?

The guideline caps most rent-controlled units. Units first occupied after November 15, 2018 are generally exempt, and rent on a vacant unit between tenancies is not regulated. To go above the guideline on a rent-controlled unit you need an approved Above Guideline Increase (L5).

After you calculate: serving the increase

A guideline increase is served on Form N1, at least 90 days before the new rent date, once every 12 months. See the N1 form guide, the 2027 guideline (1.9%) and 2026 guideline (2.1%) guides, or calculate the exact effective date.

Rent increase calculator FAQ

Multiply the current rent by the annual guideline percentage and add it to the current rent. The guideline is 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027. Enter the current rent and the year the increase takes effect above, and the calculator does the math.
For most rent-controlled units the maximum is the annual guideline: 2.1% in 2026 and 1.9% in 2027 (the 2027 rate applies to increases that take effect on or after January 1, 2027). Going higher requires an approved Above Guideline Increase from the LTB.
At the 2026 guideline (2.1%) a $2,000 rent can rise by $42 to $2,042. At the 2027 guideline (1.9%) it can rise by $38 to $2,038.
No. Units first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are generally exempt from the guideline, and rent on a vacant unit between tenancies is not regulated. Most older rent-controlled units are capped at the guideline.
At least 90 days written notice on Form N1, no more than once every 12 months, and the increase must take effect on the first day of a rental period.

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