If you are a tenant in Toronto or anywhere in Ontario, this is for you! At the end of April, all owners will have a legal obligation to use the same rental agreement. It may seem simple at the moment, but it could improve the lives of tenants who are often pressured by the owners in Toronto's highly competitive market. The provincial government, working hand in hand with the Federation of Metro Tenants' Association (FMTA), has implemented a standard lease law that seeks to override the illegal terms that often appear in rental agreements. Some of the things that will now be banned in leases are stipulations that prohibit pets, claims for damage fees and the requirement to present checks with a later date, to name just a few of the common examples. So how do the tenants benefit from this? To begin with, the language of the lease form will be written to be easy to understand, so that there is no legal confusion with the owner. It also means that owners will not be able to randomly add rules to the contract, such as how many guests they may have over or how often they need to clean the place. While it probably does not result in a reduction in prices on rental units in Toronto, it is a great victory for tenants who are often forced to comply with leases that are technically illegal. The new standard rental contract will go into effect on April 30. For more information about this new law, visit http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page18704.aspx And remember that you can always contact me if you have any questions regarding the real estate market in Toronto.