Hi: You will need to go back to the start of the lease and calculate the interest owing for each year. These are the annual percentages for the last 8 years. I'm struggling to at the moment, but what I recall is that interest rates had been rather low--plunging actually, for several years. On that basis, I'd argue that you are indeed holding the deposit--it's just that you're holding it in the tenant's account.Thanks for the question.Michael K. E. Thielewww.ottawalawyers.com. What would the overt step be? No other calendarization is required. There is no need to wait to the end of the tenancy. Arguably, you are missing interest on your interest--which is what is calculated if the annual interest was added to your LMR so that your LMR tracks the annual rent increases. Is this correct or was I short changed?Thank you! Interest owed to tenant on last months rent deposit. I think this leads to a silly outcomes and periods of time that interest is required to be paid even when the interest rate was zero for most of the time the deposit was held and further leads to outcomes where zero interest is paid because it was held for less than 12 months. The tenant is not at liberty to use this money as to do so would risk the cheque going NSF. You will be given a minimum of 11 days to pay and then the termination and eviction will be voided and you get to stay.Is there a reason to be coy about the problem with the N1 (Notice of Rent Increase)? Hence, $1000 x 2% = $20 /12month = $1.67 x 9 months = $15.00. Does my landlord owe me interest on last month's rent deposit? In your second paragraph, is the 2017 supposed to be 2007? For the individual unit it may not matter--but think of the amounts at play if there are hundreds of units in a building. Hi: From time to time I think I've heard it all and then I get a quirky question like this. We've never been paid interest for the past since we moved in August 2016 to now. Add the three years of interest together and that is what you are owed. The interest is payable on the LMR and not the rent that you paid. No harm or foul on what tenant's are paid on their deposit relative to that 2.5%. If it was paid July 1 and used the following June, then the landlord would pay 11 months of interest using the annual percentage rates for each year (July to Dec and Jan to June). Hi Michael,I'm in a situation where I put in my 60 days notice to move out but just recently noticed that the rent increase my landlord did is considered illegal. I currently pay $3200 and the N1 says $3500 + 1.8% increase. The longer it takes for the landlord to figure out the rent increase was invalid the longer it will take for them to serve you with a proper and valid N1. Thanks for providing this information. However, the long-awaited decline in food . We've created a simple calculator to help you calculate interest owed on rent deposits. A rent increase of 2.2% on $1,000 = $22. The Guideline Interest amount is the amount that a landlord may increase the rent by every year. If you are in a location where there is a local community legal clinic consider popping in and asking them to look over your facts to determine whether you are entitled to a refund. Surprisingly, now is a fantastic time for you (as a tenant) to file an LTB application. Hi: There isn't a particular way to challenge the N1 after being served with it. me) does make it seem like the 2.2% is monthly interest--which it isn't.For the LMR deposit (Last Month's Rent), you are getting 2.2% annually on the amount held annually. It cannot be used for damage or other costs. You don't say your exact start date but roughly I think you will be getting 6% from 1997 to 2007 which is $52.50 per year. That does not make sense to me. I think this is wrong on the wording of the RTA (s. 106) and it seems to defeat the intention of the legislature which, I think, clearly intended for landlords to pay interest for the time they hold the deposit. Landlords may only raise rent if they give tenants at least 90 days' written notice using the correct form. interest on last month's rent deposit (Ontario) This presumes that your Notice of Termination remains valid and enforceable and that the tenancy is not terminated. However, times change, and with interest rates pushing up and it being relatively easy to get more than 2.5% in a high interest savings account landlords can now actually earn on the deposit in excess of what they have to pay on the deposit. However, the landlord also owes you interest on $1350 for the amount of time he/she held it. Ultimately, there will be a year where you do not pay interest for the deposit that is held for 11 months (or less) and the LMR is applied within the notice period given. I have explained elsewhere that I think the LTB is wrong on how it explains the calculation of LMR interest. Should I calculate using the 2022 percentage (1.2%) or 2023 (2.5%)? If the landlord held $1000 (as a Last Month's Rent deposit) from April 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016, you would be owed 9 months of interest. In fact, absent cooperation from the landlord you could deduct the interest owed to you from future rent.Good luckMichael K. E. Thielewww.ottawalawyers.com. In my view, you pro-rate the calculation of interest for the calendar year at 1.2% in 2022. There is no "deeming" the rent valid in your context.The interest that is owed to you is based on the lawfully held last month's rent deposit. Or landlord will have to pay interest for the 11 months that the deposit was held? A key deposit cannot be more than the actual cost to replace the keys. Hi: Commercial versus Residential is like apples versus oranges. Your self interest dictates that you say nothing for as long as possible because until a proper Notice of Rent Increase is served your rent stays the same. The interest payable is based on the entire rent amount you hold, including subsequent rent increases if there are any. 2021 rent increase guideline ontario - Ontario Landlords Shouldn't you be able to claim interest at the higher rate? The 12 months interest is calculated using the guideline rate in effect when the interest payment is due. Will they only be responable for the time they told ownership, Nov 18, 2019? Those units may have had the rent increased by more than the interest payable on the deposit. However, before jumping to conclusions, ask the landlord to provide a copy of your rent ledger. No other calendarization is required. I started renting Sept 1st 2006 with $650+$650 to cover first and last month at the time and haven't been paid any interest over the years. The purchaser wants to know the extent of the LMR deposit liability. I need to pay him interest on his deposit but I cannot find the rate for Ontario Canada. It had been this amount since the separate regulation of residential tenancies in the 1970's. The increase is actually calculated as an annual rate on an annual amount of rent that is paid to the landlord. A question that I get from time to time is how to calculate the interest owing on a last months rent deposit. Toronto Ontario landlords could be sitting on thousands of dollars of interest owed to tenants Advocates call practice of asking for a deposit top-up while holding onto interest. Residential rent increases | ontario.ca After 2007, you will be entitled to varying amounts based on the annual guideline.Your landlord is mistaken in a few other ways. That being said, I don't see how the landlord could recover the rent that was lost through the tenant's deduction of the interest from rent owing.It should be noted that for the most part, notwithstanding the complicated section on LMR interest, the amounts are nominal and there isn't exactly a lot of litigation on the issue.Michael K. E. Thielewww.ottawalawyers.com. Certainly you can go ahead and claim interest but I think it is a mistake to think about the illegal deposit in the context of a lawful LMR. Confused about this whole transfer but glad we do not have to MOVE.Really the cost of moving does truly out weighs interest owed. I see a once a year obligation to pay interest. Or do you only owe the last month because you've already paid for half the notice period? He says forget the wear and tear there are always repairs to be done. [Ontario] Interest on Last Months Rent? : r/PersonalFinanceCanada - Reddit This is the form you will use to apply for a rebate or return of an illegal rent. The landlord must pay the tenant interest on the rent deposit every year. You could, for the sake of argument and positioning, assert and calculate the interest for each following year by adding the interest earned to the LMR for each subsequent calendar year (on the basis that it was not paid to you). Where can I find it? Ultimately, when you terminate your tenancy you do not calculate interest for the month to which the deposit is eventually supplied. Interest on Last Month's Rent Deposit (sample calculation in Excel Because the tenancy ended on November 30, 2018, there were only 11 months in the tenancy in the year 2018. The law on LMR interest allows for a few options which unfortunately have the effect of making things murky. The amount of the increase is a percentage amount known as the guideline amount. While your view that interest should be paid at 9.15% follows the logic of the RTA (guideline percentage increase equals the interest payable) the application of what you are thinking is not based on anything legal. I gave my landlord 625dollars 12 years.have never received any kind of interest.Am moving.out end of June.How much would he owe me. The vast majority of things in the property have a "useful life" shorter than your tenancy. What then of the interest payable to a tenant if the deposit was held for 17 months? I come up with about 111.49 of interest. Ontario Landlord and Tenant Act; questions and answers I was only living at the rental unit for 2 months in 2018 when he told my roommate rent is increasing, I calculated and the increase was 1.85%. Hi: Thanks for this question as it makes one do some mental gymnastics. The rental agreement between me and the tenant began in July 1, 2022. You don't say how the landlord increased the rent but I assume from how you set it out that the landlord did not serve you with a Form N1 Notice of Rent Increase (?). The interest rate paid on the last month's rent deposit is the same as the annual guideline increase amount for the rent. LTB | 2019 Rent Increase Guideline - Tribunals Ontario Hi: If the N1 amounts to an illegal increase then you shouldn't pay it. Thank you! In a "month-to-month" tenancy, either the tenant or the landlord must give written notice at least one-month in advance. You lose a month of interest in December 2019. The interest can only be added to the deposit if the monthly rent is lawfully increased (in which case the interest equals the increase and no money changes hands).Your landlord is further mistaken when he says LMR deposits are applied to damages. When the time for the rent increase comes you could refuse to pay it. Has your rent ever adjusted (one month a little less) to account for the credit? Ontario. Interest on Last Month's Rent Deposit (calculation, issues and rulings) Summary: How is interest on Last Month's Rent (LMR) deposit calculated? End of Tenancy, Last Month's Rent : r/OntarioLandlord - Reddit i been live as tennant since 2001 my landlord never pay me a penny on my deposit do think i cant get my money back. Further, your landlord has not increased rent by the lawful amount on an annual basis therefore the interest exceeds the shortfall between the amount on deposit($1250) and the current lawful monthly rent($1295). Pet Deposits If you have been paying the additional amount to increase your LMR deposit but are not getting paid the LMR interest then you are owed money. They will argue ( I assume) that your signature supports their position when at the end of your tenancy you indicate that interest is owed. This is most evident from the old version. For those who were looking for rules on rent increases in Ontario please go to the following two links Tenants Most Asked Questions & Answers and the present Landlord and Tenant Act, Ontario Remember these are the Ontario maximum yearly rent increases permitted without the landlord applying for more and having it approved. In fact, without getting credit for the interest they will say your LMR is short and you owe money---which will feel like insult being added to injury.In my view, next month you should take the credit for interest owed to you. I have a question regarding the interest on rent deposit (in our case last months rent). The proper forms for this notice are available from the Landlord and Tenant Board. 2006, c. 17, s. 106 (6).There is nothing that I am aware of that adjusts the interest rate to follow the percentage increase that you paid on your rent ( presumably in a partially exempt unit). Mortgage holders to get 12-month grace period before repossessions amid Exception Landlords are required to pay interest on last month's rent deposits but calculating the interest can be a pain. Scroll up through the comments on this article and you can see references to interest rates---I believe it was 6% up to 2007 (though I've noticed a typo in one of my answers indicating 2017). You mention that you are actually taking the step of topping up the LMR with interest earned which I presume means that you are also serving an N1 (Notice of Rent Increase) to increase the rent by the Guideline amount (section 120). You are not obligated to tell the landlord about their mistake. The answers are not legal advice and no one should rely on the answers provided as legal advice. served an N9 60 days before end of term), the LMR would be applied to month 12, meaning no deposit would be held for 12 months--and on the commenter's math no interest would be payable. This calculation method does not comply with the statute. The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) does not say "you can't accumulate" rent increases. Can the landlord owe interest before the lease anniversary? (i.e., If the landlord does not take an annual rent increase or does not take the full amount authorized there will then be an interest amount owing to the tenant. Presumably (but not necessarily), the LMR is equal to the amount of your rent. Or having the black mold in the basement removed.He lives 5 hours away and we are the ones who have been responsible for having maintenance done and taking time off work when people needed to be in the house for repairs.So, how do I deal with this battle. The interest has been consistently added to your deposit to keep pace with your current rent. 1.5% For 2021, rental rates for existing tenants will not increase on September 1, 2021. If you have received Last Months Rent cheque, but never cashed it in, are you still required to pay for the interest, because technically the tenant still has the cash pocketed. When the landlord does this, the landlord may also require the tenant to increase the rent deposit to the legal amount of the current rent. The LMR was then not applied to April 2020 (because legally it can only be applied to the Last Month). Hi Nick: In short the answer is no. As an illegal deposit it does not follow that interest is paid on these as if they were a legal deposit. As for the year 2021 where there was no rental increase, does the rental deposit really earn no interest for this year? 1.8% in 2019 and 2.2% in 2020.Michael Thielewww.ottawalawyers.com, Hi, Michael, We have just given our landlord our 60 day notice that we are vacating. The question is usually complicated by a multi-year tenancy where no interest has been paid during the entire tenancy. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, the interest rate is the same as the rent increase guideline. That gives you the annual amount of interest. Being asked to sign papers respecting the deposit is likely a request from the purchaser of your property. [Ontario] Interest on Last Months Rent? In 2019, my rent went up by 1.8% to $890.75 and upon moving out Dec 18 2019, my landlord returned $318.42. I imagine you will do that by simply taking the top up from the interest that you're owed.The "maintenance" is laughable--presuming you've treated the way your question suggests. Do this calculation for each year that the LMR was held by the landlord. All other tenants have the possibility of their last month's rent deposit being kept level to the actual monthly rent by applying the interest to the deposit held. Ontario's 2022 Rent Increase Guideline | Ontario Newsroom The RTA allows for the annual payment out of the interest while at the same time allowing the landlord to add the interest to the LMR deposit to bring it up to the lawful rent amount. You do the math then (when the tenancy terminates) because it is convenient to do so. The logic of your question/comment is a good one though. LTB | A Guide to the Residential Tenancies Act - Tribunals Ontario yes. Once a year, you'll receive an interest cheque from your landlord from the interest earned on your last months rent money. If the interest was paid after month 12 what happens to interest that was theoretically accruing in months 13 to 17? This is the first I've heard of it as we are giving our 60 day notice shortly as we just purchased a house. Regardless though the interest is dealt with on an annual basis.It sounds like the interest in your situation has not been dealt with annually. (examples) Offsetting interest against the 'top-up' of LMR deposit Is interest due on any other deposits or funds? I asked about the interest on the last month's rent as he has our last month's rent cheque. Note that you should not calculate any interest for the month in which the deposit is being used to pay the rent.Michael K. E. Thielewww.ottawalawyers.com. Presumably he isn't calculating interest for November and December because the deposit at that stage has only been held for 2 months. Failing such notification, the landlord is simply indebted to the tenant and the tenant can deduct the interest from future rent. In that case, refer him to http://www.sjto.gov.on.ca/ltb/faqs/ (Cut and paste into your browser). The 2022 Last Month Rent Deposit Interest Rate is 1.2 per cent. If you paid the deposit in a later month (i.e. From my recollection, the notion of accumulating annual percentages ended with the introduction of rent de-control in the Tenant Protection Act--when landlords were permitted to set the rent to any amount between tenancies.Michael K. E. Thielewww.ottawalawyers.com. Under the LTB math, a tenant who enters into a 12 month fixed term lease, pays a deposit, and gives notice to terminate at the end of that fixed term would get zero interest as the deposit is applied to the 12th month and hence the deposit was not held long enough to draw interest. Ontario landlords are shocked at the announcement by the Minister of Housingthat in 2021 there will be a "rent freeze" and small landlords will not be able to raise the rent at all! (Hence, you paid the landlord $2000.00 on April 1, 2016).The interest that is owed to you arises from the last month's rent deposit. So your question is effectively whether a contracted interest rate (i.e. , first and last month's rent) through the COHB program. Will we get the full interest from Dec 1, 2014 when we eventually move out for the new Owners? I have been living at my residence for approximately four years and annually the landlord increases the rent per the rent increase guidelines and has asked me to pay the increase amount in order to update the rent deposit to the new annual increase amount, which I have done. However, given a start date of Sept 1, I presume your tenancy was on a calendar month and you just moved out early?If your tenancy ended with you giving notice to terminate, and presuming it was a lawful notice, you likely terminated for December 31. If the landlord does not take an annual rent increase or does not take the full amount authorized there will then be an interest amount owing to the tenant. The rate did not change and that sum was incorporated into many standard lease forms. Given that you continue to be in the unit it is doubtful that your tenancy actually is over. There is no value in leaving this amount as a credit to you as the interest is not compounded and it is just credit that isn't earning anything. Hello. Is there nothing payable unless the tenancy is at least 24 months? 107. But until someone cares enough to make an issue of it at a hearing and to "argue it" you have this (in my view) weird LTB method that seems to disregard the point of LMR interest. If the interest exceeds the shortfall then you are owed some money. Hi Amy: The RTA does allow a landlord to request a top up of the Last Month's Rent deposit as the monthly rent is increased. Landlords generally distribute interest payments to all residents at the same time, at a date of their choosing. [Updated January 2023] FAQ: Everything You Need To Know About Rent Comments that have been published may be deleted upon request to the author.The content of this article and any responses to comments are intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Ontario landlords could be sitting on thousands of dollars of interest The wording seems to preclude any variation from the guideline amount. Explain to the adjudicator why the N1 is invalid. In the subsequent comment from him (now lost) he rhetorically asked if the legislation had changed. In 2019 you get 10 months interest (not 11) because the deposit should be used for your last month that is November (the 11th month).Michael K. E. Thielewww.ottawalawyers.com. Ontario Rent Increase Guidelines - ALOFT HOUSING Lease was May 1, 2019 to Apr 30, 2020. This does not mean that the deposit needs to be held for 12 months. When renting, when is the first and last month's rent cashed?