Rent Increase Rules by Province in Canada (2026)

Each province sets its own rules on raising the rent of a sitting tenant. Some set a yearly limit on the increase; others set no limit but control how often rent can rise and how much notice the landlord must give; Quebec lets the tenant refuse an increase and leaves the rent to the tribunal if the landlord pursues it. The rules below are written from each province’s own data and apply to tenants already in a unit: the rent for a new tenancy is generally whatever landlord and tenant agree. For the rest of renting, see the renting in Canada hub.

Rent increase rules in each province

Ontario

• The rent increase guideline is 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027.
• Units first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the guideline.
• Rent can go up once every 12 months, with at least 90 days' written notice on the proper form.
• The guideline doesn't apply when a unit is rented to a new tenant: the landlord and new tenant agree on the rent.
• The guideline also doesn't cover community housing units, long-term care homes or commercial properties, and social housing has its own rules.
• A landlord can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for approval to raise the rent by more than the guideline.

Source: Ontario government.

Rents and vacancy rates are on the Ontario rental market page. The rest of the province’s tenant rules are in the Ontario tenant rights guide.

British Columbia

• The rent increase limit is 2.3% for 2026 and 2.2% for 2027.
• Rent can go up once every 12 months, with at least 3 full months' notice.
• A landlord can apply to the Residential Tenancy Branch for an additional increase to cover certain costs and expenditures.
• A tenant can agree in writing to a larger increase, but doesn't have to.

Source: British Columbia government.

Rents and vacancy rates are on the British Columbia rental market page. The rest of the province’s tenant rules are in the BC tenant rights guide.

Alberta

• There is no limit on how much rent can go up.
• Rent can go up once a year (365 days) since the last increase or the start of the tenancy, and not during a fixed-term lease.
• A month-to-month tenant must get 3 full tenancy months' written notice.
• The notice period is 12 full tenancy weeks for a week-to-week tenancy and 90 days for any other periodic tenancy.

Source: Alberta government.

Rents and vacancy rates are on the Alberta rental market page. The rest of the province’s tenant rules are in the Alberta tenant rights guide.

Quebec

• There is no fixed cap: the landlord proposes an increase when the lease is renewed.
• The tenant can accept or refuse it within one month after receiving the notice. In most cases a tenant who refuses keeps the dwelling, and the landlord can ask the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) to set the rent.
• The TAL's calculation starts from a base percentage (3.1% for 2026) plus adjustments for taxes, insurance, energy and major work.
• For the TAL to set the rent, the landlord must apply to it within the month following the tenant's refusal; if the landlord doesn't, the lease renews at the same rent and on the same conditions.
• The exception: when the lease's section on restrictions to the right to have the rent fixed says the dwelling is in a housing cooperative, or in a building built or converted to residential use 5 years ago or less, a tenant who refuses the change must move out when the lease ends. For a lease signed after February 20, 2024 in a building ready for occupancy after that date, the new-building exception also requires the lease to state the maximum rent the landlord can charge in the building's first 5 years.
• A new tenant can ask the TAL to fix the rent if it is higher than the lowest rent paid in the 12 months before the lease began (the landlord must state that rent in a notice when the lease is signed). The tenant has 10 days after signing to apply, or two months after the lease begins if the landlord gave no notice, unless the rent was already fixed by the TAL; the cooperative and new-building exceptions above apply to new tenants too.

Source: Quebec government.

Rents and vacancy rates are on the Quebec rental market page. The rest of the province’s tenant rules are in the Quebec tenant rights guide.

Manitoba

• The rent increase guideline is 1.8% for 2026 and 3% for 2027.
• Units in complexes built and occupied after March 7, 2005 are exempt for 20 years, as are units renting at or above a monthly threshold ($1,670, rising to $2,000 on January 1, 2027) and some other types.
• Tenants must get at least 3 months' written notice before an increase.
• In most circumstances, rent can go up only once a year.
• A landlord can apply to the Residential Tenancies Branch for an increase above the guideline; tenants can object.

Source: Manitoba government.

Rents and vacancy rates are on the Manitoba rental market page.

Saskatchewan

• There is no limit on how much rent can go up.
• In a periodic tenancy (month to month, for example), most landlords must give 12 months' notice, can't raise rent in the first 18 months of the tenancy, and can raise it once every 12 months.
• In a periodic tenancy, landlords who belong to a prescribed landlord association (the Saskatchewan Landlord Association or the Network of Non-Profit Housing Providers) give 6 months' notice, can raise rent after the first 12 months, and once every 6 months.
• For a fixed-term lease, the landlord serves notice of new terms at least 2 months before the lease ends, and the tenant has 30 days to accept them in writing or move out by the end date.

Source: Saskatchewan government.

Rents and vacancy rates are on the Saskatchewan rental market page.

Nova Scotia

• Rent increases for sitting tenants are capped at 5% a year until December 31, 2027.
• The cap doesn't apply to a new tenant signing a new lease.
• Rent can't go up in the first 12 months of a lease, and landlords must give 4 months' written notice (8 weeks for a week-to-week lease).

Source: Nova Scotia government.

Rents and vacancy rates are on the Nova Scotia rental market page.

New Brunswick

• Rent can't go up more than 3% every 12 months, and not in the first 12 months of a tenancy.
• Landlords must give 6 months' written notice.
• With permission, a landlord can raise rent up to 9% for justified renovation costs.
• A tenant who gets a notice can accept it, end the tenancy, or ask the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office for a review within 60 days.

Source: New Brunswick government.

Rents and vacancy rates are on the New Brunswick rental market page.

Newfoundland and Labrador

• There is no provincial limit on how much rent can go up.
• Landlords must give 6 months' written notice for a month-to-month or fixed-term rental (8 weeks for a week-to-week rental), and can't raise rent during a fixed-term agreement or in the first 12 months of a week-to-week or month-to-month agreement.

Source: Newfoundland and Labrador government.

Rents and vacancy rates are on the Newfoundland and Labrador rental market page.

Prince Edward Island

• The Director of Residential Tenancy sets the allowable annual increase: 2% for 2026 and 2.1% for 2027, for all rental units.
• A landlord can apply for up to 3% more on top of the allowable increase.
• Tenants must get at least 3 months' notice.
• Rent can go up once in a 12-month period.

Source: Prince Edward Island government.

Rents and vacancy rates are on the Prince Edward Island rental market page.

What a valid rent increase notice must include

Across the provinces, a valid rent increase notice is:

• in writing, and in several provinces on a prescribed form (Ontario and BC each have one);
• given far enough ahead, by the notice period in your province’s rules above;
• specific about the new rent and when it starts;
• timed so it doesn’t come sooner than the province allows after the last increase or the start of the tenancy.

A notice that misses any of these generally doesn’t take effect until a valid one is given.

What you can do if your landlord goes over the limit

• Ontario: an increase above the guideline needs Landlord and Tenant Board approval, unless your unit is exempt. Rent paid above what was lawful can be recovered with a T1 application for a rebate (see the Ontario guide).
• British Columbia: an increase above the yearly limit is allowed only if you agree in writing or the Residential Tenancy Branch approves an additional increase; otherwise you can apply for dispute resolution (see the BC guide).
• Quebec: you can refuse a proposed increase in writing within the time set out in the rules above, and the landlord then has a month to ask the Tribunal administratif du logement to set the rent (see the Quebec guide).
• Provinces without a limit, such as Alberta and Saskatchewan: the amount can’t be challenged, but a notice that is too short or too soon after the last increase isn’t valid (see the Alberta guide).
• Other provinces with a limit: each province’s residential tenancy office handles complaints about increases above its limit.

Negotiating a rent increase

Even a lawful increase can sometimes be negotiated down, since a landlord who keeps a reliable tenant avoids the cost of a vacancy. Ways to approach it, and when you have the most leverage, are on how to negotiate rent. Any agreement is worth getting in writing before the increase date.

Rent increases at renewal

In Ontario and BC, signing a new fixed-term lease with the same landlord doesn’t reset your rent or allow a larger increase: the yearly limit and notice rules still apply to a sitting tenant. If a landlord presents a new lease with a higher rent than the rules allow, you don’t have to sign it.

Key takeaway

Your province’s rules decide three things: whether the amount is limited, how much notice you get, and how often rent can rise. When a notice arrives, checking it against all three, and responding in writing if you dispute it, keeps your options open. If you decide to move instead, breaking a lease early covers how to end a tenancy, and what rent you can afford helps with the next one.

Related Reading

• Deposit rules by province
• Average rent in Canada
• Rent and vacancy data by province and city