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Information for Tenants

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Be a Good Neighbour

As a tenant, how you maintain your home and yard can affect your neighbours and the overall look and feel of the neighbourhood. Things like overgrown grass, garbage left out, loud noise, or neglected property maintenance can impact others’ quality of life. Taking care of your space shows respect for those around you and helps build a stronger, more connected community.

If concerns do come up, try speaking with your neighbour directly and respectfully. Many issues can be resolved quickly with a simple conversation, without needing to involve the City.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Rights and Responsibilities of Tenants and Landlords

In Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) sets out the rights and responsibilities of tenants of residential properties (e.g. maintenance duties), and the Landlord and Tenant Board resolves disputes between tenants and their landlords. In Brampton, tenants share in the responsibility of maintaining the unit, including ensuring it is free from refuse and garbage. For more information, please refer to:

​​​Information Guide for Tenants in Brampton​​

Frequently Asked Questions

Any room used for sleeping must be constructed under a building permit issued by the City of Brampton and constructed in compliance with the Ontario Building Code standards for a bedroom. Rooms cannot be converted into bedrooms without a permit. To verify if a permit was issued, you can contact 3-1-1 or look it up here.​​

No, a bedroom cannot contain equipment or appliances for storing, cooking, or heating food.​

While the specific arrangement for accommodations is determined by your lease agreement with the landlord, there are occupancy standards in place to prevent overcrowding in shared bedrooms.

For bedrooms shared by three adult occupants, the minimum floor area must be 14 square meters (approximately 150 square feet). For rooms shared by four or more adults, there must be a minimum of 7 square meters (approximately 75 square feet) per occupant​.

Under the RTA, tenants are responsible for the ordinary cleanliness of the unit. In this case, all the tenants are equally responsible for fulfilling cleanliness obligations. A mutually-agreed upon cleaning schedule may be helpful to divide the workload between tenants.​

Landlords are encouraged to submit an application to register the ARU. However, if the unit does not meet the necessary requirements for registration, or if the landlord decides not to proceed with registration, they may apply for a permit to remove the unit.

If a landlord decides to remove the unit, they must comply with the eviction rules under the Residential Tenancies Act. Tenants have the right to participate in hearings at the Landlord and Tenant Board before vacating the unit. You should consult with the Landlord Tenant Board with inquiries about how a lease can legally be terminated or visit the Landlord and Tenant Board Guide on How a Landlord Can End a Tenancy.

You should report the issue to the City by contacting 3-1-1 to ensure it is investigated appropriately and brought into compliance with the requirements of the law. This is important for the occupant’s, neighbour’s and community’s safety.​

The Residential Tenancies Act has specific rules for how and when a landlord can end a residential tenancy and evict a tenant. A landlord who follows the rules in the Residential Tenancies Act and gets an eviction order from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), can go to the sheriff to have you removed from your unit and get the locks changed if you don't leave. This is a legal eviction.

However, changing the locks without an LTB eviction order or a sheriff from the Court Enforcement Office while the tenant is still living in the rental unit, is an illegal lockout.

Note: A notice of termination is not an eviction order. For more information visit the Landlord and Tenant Board Guide on How a Landlord Can End a Tenancy.

Do not call the City. If a landlord doesn't follow the RTA process and locks you out illegally, you can:

  1. Call the Police: If you need immediate assistance, call the police. Having identification and proof of address can help in this situation. The police may be able to assist in allowing you back into your unit.
  2. Contact the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing: You can contact the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s Rental Housing Enforcement Unit. They may contact the landlord and explain the law, potentially resolving the issue. If the landlord does not cooperate, an investigation may be initiated.
  3. Apply to the LTB: You can file an application with the Landlord and Tenant Board for an order requiring your landlord to let you back into your unit and continue your tenancy.
  4. ​Get Legal Advice: Consider consulting a lawyer or a paralegal who can offer advice on what actions to take. You can find legal resources on Tribunal Ontario’s website under “Accessing Our Services – Getting Legal Help”.

Key Forms and Documents

Related Links

Community Contacts and Resources

The content of this website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, the practice of law, or the endorsement of the content provided by any linked websites. The City does not assume any responsibility for the viewer’s misinterpretation or misapplication of any information contained on this site or the content of any websites linked to or from this site.​​