Can an Ontario landlord require tenant insurance?
Short answer: Yes, if the lease says so. Section 11 of Ontario's standard lease lets you choose between "There are no tenant insurance requirements" and "The tenant must have liability insurance at all times. If the landlord asks for proof of coverage, the tenant must provide it." You can require liability insurance. Contents insurance, which covers the tenant's own belongings, is up to the tenant. You can't add the requirement to a lease that's already signed unless the tenant agrees in writing.
What section 11 of the standard lease says
The standard lease (Form 2229E) is required for most residential tenancies signed on or after April 30, 2018. Section 11, "Tenant's Insurance", has two boxes and you tick one:
- "There are no tenant insurance requirements."
- "The tenant must have liability insurance at all times. If the landlord asks for proof of coverage, the tenant must provide it. It is up to the tenant to get contents insurance if they want it."
| Type of insurance | Can you require it in the standard lease? |
|---|---|
| Liability insurance (the tenant's coverage if they are responsible for harm to others or to the property) | Yes, by ticking the second box in section 11 |
| Proof of liability coverage | Yes. If you ask, the tenant must provide it |
| Contents insurance (the tenant's own belongings) | No. The lease says it is up to the tenant |
When you can require it, and when you can't
- A new lease. Tick the liability insurance box in section 11 before you and the tenant sign. Mention it in your ad and at the showing so it isn't a surprise; see screening tenants from Kijiji and Facebook.
- A tenant who already signed without it. Section 16 of the standard lease says changes to the agreement must be agreed to in writing. You can ask the tenant to sign a written change, and they can say no.
- After the fixed term ends. The tenancy carries on month to month and the lease's rules still apply, so a section 11 requirement doesn't expire with the first year (ontario.ca guide to the standard lease, section 4).
- Renting a room where the tenant shares your kitchen or bathroom. If you, the owner, live there and share a kitchen or bathroom with the tenant, the Residential Tenancies Act usually doesn't apply (s. 5(i)), and neither does the standard lease. See renting rooms in your own home.
Asking for proof
- Ask at key handover. Ask for a document from the insurer that shows the tenant's name, the rental address, that liability coverage is included, and the policy dates.
- Ask again at renewal. Policies usually run for a set period. Note the end date and ask for the renewed proof a few weeks before it.
- Don't charge for it. A fee for checking or filing the tenant's insurance would be a fee or "other like amount", which section 134 of the Act bans. See which charges are allowed.
- Ask in writing and keep a copy of the request and of what the tenant sends back.
If the tenant lets it lapse
- Ask for proof in writing and give a reasonable date to send it. Keep the message and the reply.
- Don't count on eviction to enforce it. No LTB notice to end a tenancy names a missing insurance policy as a reason. Whether a lapse could ever amount to something the LTB acts on depends on the facts, so treat section 11 as protection to check, not a shortcut to end a tenancy.
- If damage happens anyway, the tenant is responsible for undue damage caused wilfully or negligently by them, another occupant or a guest (s. 34), whether or not they have insurance. See tenant damaged the unit (N5, L2, L10).
Worked example
You rent out a basement apartment on the standard lease, starting Sunday, November 1, 2026, and you tick the liability insurance box in section 11.
- At key handover the tenant shows a certificate from their insurer naming them, your address and liability coverage, valid to Sunday, October 31, 2027. You note it on your move-in checklist and keep a copy.
- On Friday, October 1, 2027 you send a short written request for the renewed certificate.
- The tenancy simply carries on month to month after the first year. The section 11 requirement still applies, so you ask again each year.
- If the tenant's belongings are damaged in a flood, that is a matter for their contents insurance, if they chose to buy it. The lease made that their choice.
Where the toolkit helps: The toolkit's move-in checklist (File 03) has a line for the tenant insurance details when the lease requires them, and the filled-in example pack shows the certificate being checked at move-in, so the proof is collected on day one. See what is inside the $19 toolkit
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating a missing contents policy as a breach. The standard lease leaves contents insurance to the tenant.
- Writing a "damage deposit" into section 15 instead. Damage and pet deposits are void; the only deposits allowed are the last month's rent and a refundable key deposit. See the rent deposit guide.
- Adding the requirement to an existing tenancy by notice. It needs the tenant's written agreement.
- Using a non-Ontario lease template with its own insurance clause instead of the standard lease. See the Ontario standard lease guide.
Official sources
- Ontario Standard Lease, Form 2229E, section 11 Tenant's Insurance (Central Forms Repository)
- ontario.ca: Guide to Ontario's standard lease
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (ontario.ca/laws)
Not legal advice. This site is general information written by a small Ontario landlord, based on official Ontario and Tribunals Ontario sources as of October 24, 2026. Laws and LTB forms change; check the linked official source before you act, and talk to a lawyer or licensed paralegal (or call the LTB at 1-888-332-3234) about your situation. Not affiliated with the Government of Ontario, Tribunals Ontario or the Landlord and Tenant Board. Full disclaimer.