What are your rights as a tenant? Know your responsibility too

As a tenant in Ontario, you have legal rights. These rights are explained in the Human Rights Code and the Residential Tenancies Act. The Human Rights Code applies to every person in Ontario. The Residential Tenancies Act applies to most people who rent their housing.
Before you rent : Your landlord cannot discriminate against you because of your: Race, place of origin or ethnic origin; religion; sex, age, sexual orientation or marital status; family status; or disability.For example, a landlord cannot refuse to rent to you because you are a newcomer to Canada or because you have children.
After you move in: Once you move into your home, you have important rights. Some of these rights include the right to:
• A Safe Home: Your home must be safe and in good repair. This is true even if you knew about the problems before you agreed to rent the home.
• Vital Services: You must have access to heat, hot and cold water, electricity, and fuel (such as natural gas). Your landlord cannot shut-off these services, even if you have not paid your rent. Your landlord may shut-off services for a short time so that they can make repairs. Your landlord might pay for vital services; or you might pay for them.
• Heat: Your landlord must heat your home from September 1 to June 15. The landlord has to make sure the heat is at 20°C or more. Some cities have a higher heat standard. Check with your local government to find out more about minimum heat standards in your community.
• Privacy: Your landlord can enter your home only for certain reasons. For example, your landlord can enter your home to make repairs or show the home to possible tenants or in an emergency.
• Controlled rent increases: Your landlord may raise your rent once in a 12-month period. The amount of the increase has to be within legal limits.
• Protection from unlawful eviction: You can be evicted for certain reasonsonly. If your landlord tries to evict you, you have the right to a hearing with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
• Children in the home: You have the right to have children living in your home. Your children and family have the right to make a “reasonable” amount of noise.
• Documents: You have a right to a written copy of your tenancy agreement, written notice of your landlord’s legal name and address, and rent receipts.
As a tenant, you also have responsibilities. When you are a tenant you need to:
• Pay your rent on-time: Pay the full amount of your rent by the day that you agreed to in your lease or tenancy agreement.
• Keep your home clean: You have to keep your home in a way that most people think is clean.
• Repair damage that you cause: Fix anything that you or your guests damage or break.
• Be reasonably quiet: Do not disturb others who live in your building.
• Obey the law: For example, you must follow the by-laws your city has about over-crowding. This means you cannot have more people living in your unit than is allowed.
• Honour your lease or tenancy agreement: Follow the terms in your lease. If your lease has conditions that break the rules in the Residential Tenancies Act, you do not have to follow those conditions.