The Ontario government has set the 2020 Annual Rent Increase Guideline at 2.2%. The guideline increase of 2.2% for 2020 is the maximum a landlord can raise a tenant’s rent without approval of the Landlord and Tenant Board. This applies to most sitting tenants in private residential rental units covered by the Residential Tenancies Act.
The guideline does not apply to:
- vacant residential units
- social housing units
- nursing homes
- commercial properties
Rents charged to new tenants are at the discretion of the landlord.
The 2020 guideline increase takes effect from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. This 2020 guideline increase of 2.2% is the highest increase since 2013. As noted above, landlords cannot increase rent for sitting tenants above the 2.2% guideline without seeking approval from the Landlord and Tenant Board. The increased is based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of inflation calculated monthly by Statistics Canada.
If the landlord intends to implement an Above Guideline Increase the landlord is required to abide by the regulations of the Landlord and Tenant Board and file an application with Landlord and Tenant Board for an Above Guideline Increase. Refer to this link at the Tribunals Ontario, Landlord and Tenant Board:
http://www.sjto.gov.on.ca/documents/ltb/Brochures/2020%20Rent%20Increase%20Guideline%20(EN).html
Detailed information on the 2020 Annual Rent Increase Guideline is available at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing link:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/rent-increase-guideline
East York Tenants Group 
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