Managing your rental
Which Ontario cities require a rental licence, and the other city rules landlords meet, in Brampton, Hamilton, Waterloo, Oshawa, London, Toronto and more.
By the Tenant.ca teamUpdated 9 min read
Rental licensing in Ontario is decided city by city: some cities license rental housing, some license only renovations or short-term rentals, and some have no licence at all. Each answer below is what the City's own page said when we read it on October 19, 2026; the sections that follow give the detail and link the City's page.
Brampton requires a Residential Rental Licence for properties with one to four rental units. The program began as a pilot in Wards 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 and expanded citywide on January 1, 2026, and the City says new and renewal applications are free.
Before a licence is issued, landlords complete the City's online learning module and show at least $2 million in liability insurance. The City lists fines of $750 for a first offence of renting without a licence, $1,250 for a second and $1,500 after that.
Hamilton's Rental Housing Licensing program became permanent in December 2025, starting in Wards 1, 8 and parts of Ward 14. In those wards the City requires a licence for rental units in detached homes, townhouses and buildings with five or fewer self-contained units; buildings with six or more units are not covered by this licence.
The City says units can still be rented while an application is processed, unless an inspection finds an immediate health or safety violation, and that it intends to report back on expanding the program to other wards. Hamilton also has a separate Renovation Licence and Relocation By-law.
The City of Waterloo requires a long-term rental licence for a unit rented for more than 30 days at a time, except units in apartment buildings, which it defines as residential buildings of 3 or more storeys with 5 or more units, a shared interior hallway and a shared ground-floor entrance. New licensing requirements took effect on July 1, 2026.
If tenants need to move out for renovations, the City says the landlord also needs its rental housing renovation licence.
Oshawa requires a residential rental housing licence for rental properties in the licensing area around Durham College and Ontario Tech University, shown on the City's map. Licences last two years, and the City's licensing and standards staff and Fire Services inspect.
Licensed units must meet the Fire Code, the Electrical Code, the Building Code and the City's zoning and property standards by-laws, and the City notes that since January 1, 2026 a carbon monoxide alarm is required on every storey of a home.
London's Residential Rental Units Licensing By-law requires a licence for rental units in buildings with four or fewer rental units, and each new licence needs a property standards and fire inspection. The City lists a rental unit in an apartment building, a stacked townhouse or a townhouse as not needing one; confirm with the City's licensing office for your unit.
Since March 1, 2025, a landlord who gives a tenant an N13 notice for repairs or renovations that need a building permit must also apply for a Rental Unit Repair Licence within seven days.
Heat and cooling: when the landlord pays for heat, the City requires rented units to be kept at a minimum of 21°C from October 1 to May 15. Where the owner provides air conditioning, it must run from June 1 to September 30 to keep units at or below 26°C; owners do not have to install it where none exists.
Renovations: since July 31, 2025, a landlord who gives an N13 for repairs or renovations that need the unit vacant must apply for a Rental Renovation Licence within seven days, with the building permit and a qualified person's report. The landlord provides temporary housing or rent-gap payments, a moving allowance of $1,500 or $2,500, and three months of rent-gap payments if the tenant does not return. The City lists the fee at $728 per unit from January 1, 2026.
Vacant home tax: every residential owner must declare the property's occupancy each year by April 30. A home vacant for six months or more in the year is taxed at 3% of its assessed value; a tenant with a written agreement of at least 30 days counts as occupancy toward the six months.
Short-term rentals, stays of less than 28 consecutive days, are allowed only in the operator's principal residence.
From September 1, 2026, a Mississauga landlord who serves an N13 for repairs or renovations must apply for the City's Rental Repairs and Renovations Licence within seven days, and cannot start the work until the building permit and the licence are issued. The landlord posts the application on the tenant's door and gives the tenant the City's information package.
The by-law adds a moving contribution of $1,000 for a unit of 70 square metres or less, or $1,500 for a larger one, and a rent top-up while a returning tenant is away, on top of the compensation the Residential Tenancies Act requires.
Vaughan allows short-term rentals, stays of no more than 29 consecutive nights, only in a home that is the homeowner's or the tenant's principal residence, and only with a City licence. Booking platforms such as Airbnb and Expedia need their own licence as short-term rental brokerages.
The City lists the 2026 owner licence at $213, or $181 to renew. Short-term rental stays carry a 4% Municipal Accommodation Tax, which licensed owners and brokerages collect and remit to the City.
Windsor ran a residential rental licensing pilot in Wards 1 and 2 from February 13, 2023 to February 13, 2025. The City says it is no longer accepting new licence applications, and that unlicensed units can still be reported through 311.
With or without a licence, the Residential Tenancies Act and the City's property standards apply to every rented unit in Windsor.
Municipal rules change, and these are the cities on our management pages where we have read the City's own rules. Elsewhere, check the City's by-laws for rental licensing, renovation licences and short-term rentals before you advertise. The Residential Tenancies Act and the province's standard lease apply everywhere in Ontario, licence or not.
This page is general information, not legal advice. If a City's page and this summary differ, the City's page is the one that counts.
Tell us the address when you get in touch and we will go through the City's rules that apply to your property. Whether to license, renovate or rent short-term stays your decision.
Management is $98 per month plus HST for a condo or apartment and from $148 per month plus HST for a house, and the first 60 days of the agreement are a trial period.
