Can You Break Your Lease in Ontario When You Buy a House?

The question: renters buying their first home search for this a lot (“break lease Ontario when buying a house”). Here is how it works under Ontario's rules.

Short answer: in most cases you must give your landlord at least 60 days' written notice, ending on the last day of a rental period, and you cannot end a fixed-term lease early on your own. Your options mid-term are an agreement with the landlord or assigning the lease. Ontario's tenant guidance sets out the rules (Ontario.ca, Renting in Ontario), and the Landlord and Tenant Board publishes the forms (LTB forms).

If you rent month to month

Give at least 60 days' notice using the LTB's N9 form (tenant's notice to end the tenancy), with the end date on the last day of a rental period. If rent is due on the 1st, the end date is the last day of a month.

If you are in a fixed-term lease

• At the end of the term: you can leave at the end of the term with 60 days' notice.
• Before the end: you generally cannot end it alone. You and the landlord can agree in writing to end it (form N11).
• Assignment: you can ask to assign the lease to a new tenant. The landlord's options are set out in the rules, and if they refuse an assignment you may be able to give notice to end the tenancy. Read the provincial guidance or get advice before relying on this.

Time your closing to your notice

When you write an offer, choose a closing date that leaves room for 60 days' notice, and consider a week or two of overlap for painting and moving. If you are buying in a competitive situation, pick the date before you start writing offers. Also check your rent deposit: in Ontario a last month's rent deposit is applied to the final month, as explained in my Ontario rent deposit rules for tenants and landlords.

Need a hand with this?

Call or text me at 647-667-5555. I work across Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan and the rest of York Region, in English and Persian (فارسی).

Related reading

• Ontario rent deposit rules for tenants and landlords
• First-time home buyer checklist for Richmond Hill and the GTA
• Conditional offers in the GTA market

Sources

• Government of Ontario, Renting in Ontario: your rights
• Landlord and Tenant Board, forms (N9, N11)

All sources accessed October 2026.

Farshad Fazaeli, International Realty Firm, Inc., Brokerage. Unit 104, 391 Major Mackenzie Dr E, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 1H8. Phone 647-667-5555. This article is general information, not legal, tax or mortgage advice. Market figures are board-wide summaries and are not an appraisal of any property. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers already under contract with a brokerage.