Can a Landlord Refuse Pets in Ontario? What the Law Actually Says

By Solutions Property Management — Tue Jul 07 2026

This is one of the most misunderstood rules in Ontario renting, and it catches landlords and tenants alike. So let's clear it up with no hedging.

The rule that surprises everyone

Under the Residential Tenancies Act, "no pets" clauses in a lease are void. That means if a landlord writes "no pets allowed" into the tenancy agreement, that specific clause has no legal force once the tenant has moved in. A tenant who signs it and then gets a cat is not breaking an enforceable rule.

Read that again, because it is the part that trips up most owners. You cannot evict a tenant simply for having a pet, even if the lease says no pets.

So where does that leave landlords?

You still have more control than it sounds like at first.

Before the tenancy starts, you are allowed to choose your tenant. You can decline an applicant, and pet ownership can be part of how you make that call at the application stage. Once you have accepted someone and they have moved in, though, the no-pets clause stops mattering.

During the tenancy, you can act, but only for real problems the pet causes, not for the pet existing. The Board can end a tenancy over a pet in specific situations, such as:

• The animal is genuinely dangerous.
• It causes a serious allergic reaction in the landlord or other tenants.
• It causes significant damage or a serious disturbance to others.
• The pet is a breed or type otherwise prohibited by law.

Notice the pattern: the issue has to be behaviour and harm, not the simple fact that a dog lives there.

Condos and other buildings add a wrinkle

If your rental is in a condominium, the condo corporation's declaration and rules can restrict pets, and those can be enforceable in ways an ordinary lease clause is not. So a blanket "the RTA voids all pet rules" is too simple in a condo setting. Always check the governing documents.

What smart landlords do instead

Since you cannot rely on a no-pets clause, lean on the tools that actually work:

• Screen at the application stage. Ask about pets, ask for references from a previous landlord, and weigh it like any other part of the application.
• Do proper move-in and move-out inspections with photos, so any pet damage is documented and can be charged against the tenant.
• Keep good records. If a pet does become a genuine nuisance or causes damage, your paper trail is what wins at the Board.
• Consider pet-friendly on purpose. A huge share of renters have pets, and pet-friendly units often rent faster, stay occupied longer, and attract responsible long-term tenants who struggle to find a place. Sometimes the strongest financial move is to say yes and screen well.

The bottom line

Can a landlord refuse pets in Ontario? At the application stage, effectively yes. After move-in, no, not on the basis of the pet alone. The RTA voids no-pets clauses, and only real problems the animal causes give you grounds to act.

The landlords who do best with this rule are not the ones fighting it. They are the ones screening carefully up front and documenting thoroughly afterward. That is exactly the approach we take when we place and manage tenants for owners across Hamilton, and it keeps both the units full and the surprises rare.