Should You Allow Pets? An Honest Look at Ontario's Rules
By Solutions Property Management — Thu Apr 09 2026
Quick answer
In Ontario, landlords generally cannot enforce a 'no pets' clause in a lease once a tenancy begins. While you can refuse to rent to someone with pets during the application phase (excluding service animals), you cannot evict a tenant simply for getting a pet or charge pet-related fees. Eviction for pets is only possible if they cause documented damage or serious problems.
Section 14 of the Residential Tenancies Act voids any "no pets" provision in a lease. That's the law. Landlords in Ontario cannot enforce a blanket pet ban once the tenancy has started.
Read that twice, because it's the source of more landlord frustration than any other single rule.
What you can actually do
- Refuse to rent to someone during the application phase because they have pets. That's legal — but be careful with service animals, which are protected under the Human Rights Code.
- Evict for damage caused by a pet, if the damage is real and documented.
- Evict for a pet that is causing serious problems — allergies to other tenants, aggressive behaviour, excessive noise. The bar is high and the burden is on you.
What you can't do
- Include "no pets" as an enforceable lease term
- Charge a pet deposit or pet rent
- Evict just because a tenant got a pet after moving in
How to actually handle this
Screen honestly. If a family shows up with two large dogs and you have a top-floor unit above a professional's home office, that's a conversation to have during the application, not a policy to enforce afterward.
If you accept pets, do it deliberately. Add a pet addendum listing the specific animals (with photos), specify tenant responsibilities (clean up, leash rules in common areas, damage repairs), and note that additional pets require written consent. None of that changes the RTA, but it creates a documented baseline that helps at the LTB if things go wrong.
The landlords who fight this hardest are the ones who lose the most. The ones who accept pets on their own terms — clear expectations, honest screening, insurance for the odd claim — end up with lower vacancy and, weirdly, better tenants. Pet owners move less.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a 'no pets' clause in my Ontario lease agreement?
While you can include a 'no pets' clause in your lease, Section 14 of Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act voids any such provision once the tenancy has started. This means you cannot legally enforce a blanket pet ban after a tenant moves in. However, you can consider an applicant's pets during the screening process.
Can I refuse to rent to someone because they have a pet in Hamilton, Ontario?
Yes, you can legally refuse to rent to an applicant during the screening process specifically because they have pets. This is permitted before a lease is signed. However, you must be careful to distinguish between regular pets and service animals, as service animals are protected under the Human Rights Code.
Under what circumstances can a landlord evict a tenant in Ontario due to a pet?
A landlord can only evict a tenant due to a pet if the animal causes documented damage to the property, or if it creates serious problems like excessive noise, aggressive behaviour, or severe allergic reactions in other tenants. The burden of proof for such issues is high and rests on the landlord.
Can I charge a pet deposit or pet rent for my rental property in Ontario?
No, landlords in Ontario are not permitted to charge a pet deposit or any form of 'pet rent.' The Residential Tenancies Act explicitly prohibits these types of additional fees related to pets. The only lawful security deposit is one month's rent for the last month of occupancy.