Canada: Landlord and tenant laws

The amount of control the landlord has over his property, measured on a five-point rating scale:

• Strongly Pro-landlord = 2
• Pro-landlord = 1
• Neutral = 0
• Pro-tenant = -1
• Strongly Pro-tenant= -2

We look at factors such as the following:

• Can rents be freely agreed between landlord and tenant?
• Can the landlord collect security and rental deposits, and are the amounts limited?
• Must contracts be for specified periods? Can either landlord or tenant terminate early, and what are the penalties for early termination? Does the tenant have a right to extend?
• Does the court system work? How long can it take to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent?

For fuller details see the Data FAQ. The resulting rating is the Global Property Guide's view, and not necessarily that of the contributing law firm (in cases where we have asked law firms for contributions and input).

Source: Global Property Guide Research, Contributing Law Firms

Canada has some of the best housing data in the world. Statistics Canada releases a monthly house price index. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has statistics on median house prices (MLS), housing construction activities and rent. CMHC�s Housing Market Outlook and Rental Reports summarize this data. The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) produces forecasts of house sales activities. Scotia Bank reviews current developments in the real estate market.

General economics statistics are available from the Reserve Bank of Canada. There are also weekly updates of economic trends from the Bank of Scotia.