Managing your rental
Why a no-pets clause is void in Ontario, when an animal can end a tenancy, what condo rules can still prohibit, and why there is no such thing as a pet deposit.
By the Tenant.ca teamUpdated 3 min read
Section 14 of the Residential Tenancies Act says a provision in a tenancy agreement prohibiting animals in or about the residential complex is void. The province's guide to the standard lease gives a term that does not allow pets as an example of one that cannot be enforced, while noting that a landlord can require a tenant to follow condominium rules, which may prohibit certain pets.
This page is general information, not legal advice. It reflects the Residential Tenancies Act, the province's pages and the Landlord and Tenant Board's forms as checked on October 19, 2026. If a tenancy is already in dispute, speak to a lawyer or licensed paralegal.
When a landlord's application rests on an animal, section 76 says the Board will not end the tenancy unless it is satisfied that the tenant keeps an animal and that:
A condominium's declaration, by-laws and rules can restrict or prohibit pets, and section 119 of the Condominium Act requires owners and occupants, tenants included, to comply with them. Section 83 requires an owner who leases a unit to give the tenant a copy of the declaration, by-laws and rules, so an applicant with a pet can know the building's rules before signing.
Service animals are not pets: the Condominium Authority of Ontario notes that the right to a service animal is protected under Ontario's Human Rights Code.
Section 105 says the only security deposit a landlord may collect is a rent deposit under section 106, which is limited to one month's rent and applied to the last rental period. The province's standard lease guide lists damage or pet deposits among the terms that cannot be enforced. A tenant is still responsible for undue damage, and a landlord can apply to the Board for the cost of repairing it (section 89).
Steps that protect the unit within the Act and the province's standard lease:
For the owners we manage for, we record each unit's condition at move-in, share the building's pet rules with tenants, and handle complaints and repairs in writing, so a problem with an animal is dealt with on the record and within the Act.
Management is $98 per month plus HST for a condo or apartment and $148 per month plus HST for a house, and the first 60 days of the agreement are a trial period.
