Managing your rental
What can an Ontario landlord charge besides rent? Late fees, NSF and keys
The only charges an Ontario landlord may collect beyond rent and the rent deposit, why late fees and application fees aren't among them, and receipts.
By the Tenant.ca teamUpdated 3 min read
In this guide5 parts
The short answer
Beyond the rent and a last month's rent deposit, an Ontario landlord can collect only the payments the regulation lists. Section 134 of the Residential Tenancies Act forbids collecting, or trying to collect, any fee, premium, commission, bonus, penalty, key deposit or similar amount from a tenant, prospective tenant or former tenant unless it is prescribed, whether or not it is refundable. The same rule binds a property manager or superintendent acting for the landlord.
The charges the regulation allows
O. Reg. 516/06, section 17, lists the exceptions. For an ordinary rental they are:
- Extra keys, fobs or entry cards the tenant asks for, at no more than their direct cost
- Replacement keys, fobs or cards, at no more than the direct replacement cost, unless you changed the locks on your own initiative
- A refundable key, fob or card deposit of no more than the expected direct replacement cost
- The NSF charge your bank charges you for a returned payment, plus an administration charge of no more than $20
- A payment that settles a court action or a Board application, or one that might be brought
Can you charge a late fee or an application fee?
No. A late-payment charge is a penalty, and an application or processing fee is a fee collected from a prospective tenant; section 134 forbids both, and neither is among the exceptions. For late rent, the remedy is the N4 notice and the Board, not a charge.
Section 134 also bars charging rent for any period after the tenancy has ended and the tenant has moved out, and asking for payment for goods or services as a condition of renting.
Adding parking or a service for more rent
If you and the tenant agree to add a parking space or one of the services the regulation lists, the rent can go up for it at any time, without the 90-day notice or the 12-month wait (section 123). The services are cable or satellite television, an air conditioner and its extra electricity, extra electricity for an in-unit washer or dryer, block heater plug-ins, lockers or storage, heat, electricity, water or sewage services, and floor space. The increase is the actual cost to you or, where that can't be established or there is none, a reasonable amount for its value; for floor space, it is in proportion to the change (O. Reg. 516/06, section 16).
Receipts, and money collected by mistake
A tenant or former tenant who asks for a receipt for rent, a deposit, arrears or any other amount paid must get one free of charge; a former tenant can ask for up to 12 months after the tenancy ended (section 109).
A tenant, former tenant or prospective tenant can apply to the Board for an order that the landlord, superintendent or agent pay back money collected or kept against the Act (section 135).
This page is general information, not legal advice. It reflects the Residential Tenancies Act and O. Reg. 516/06 on e-Laws as read on November 11, 2026.