City Approval means that the apartment or lodging house has been inspected by staff from the City of Guelph and is considered “up to code” with safety requirements. You still should visit and view the property before renting since city approval does not reflect the current state of the property like new damages, smoking, etc.

The City of Guelph requires that accessory apartments and lodging houses be inspected to ensure that they meet the requirements of the Guelph Zoning Bylaw, the Ontario Building Code, and the Ontario Fire Code. Before renting a place you can request that the landlord provide you with a copy of the City of Guelph paperwork to prove that the unit has been inspected by the City .

Certified Lodging House

A lodging house is defined as a unit with 5 or more bedrooms (“lodging units”). A lodging house can be a house, a townhouse complex, or an apartment in an apartment building. A “lodging unit” is described as a room used to provide living accommodation without the private use of both a kitchen and bathroom. The certification is an annual requirement.

Registered Accessory Apartment

An accessory apartment may have no more than 2 bedrooms and can make up no more than 45% of the total area of the unit. An accessory apartment can exist only in detached and semi-detached homes. This registration is a one-time requirement.

Price Guide

If you are planning to be away for the summer or a semester, and you have already signed a lease with your landlord, subletting your room may have crossed your mind. A sublet is an arrangement made between a tenant and a subtenant, where the original tenant will be returning after a set period of time, but would like to allow another person to move in while they are away.  As a student, you can publish a sublet for free -- find out how here.

Money Saved

Subletting can be very beneficial to both the tenant and the subtenant.  For the tenant, it can be very economical as it is a good way to save money on rent and it is a convenient way to leave your furniture in your room throughout the time you are away.  The subtenant often easily gains a furnished place with very reasonable rent which could be close to summer employment. 

Informing Your Landlord

The Residential Tenancies Act is an Ontario law that protects tenants and landlords*. The Act states that a tenant may sublet their unit with permission of the landlord, but that the landlord may not arbitrarily or unreasonably withhold their consent. The landlord is permitted to charge a fee for expenses incurred by giving their consent to the sublet, but the fee is meant to be reasonable and to reflect the actual costs that the landlord has incurred.

Rental Agreements

If you sublet your room, the original lease agreement signed between you and your landlord is still valid, meaning you are still responsible to your landlord for the rent, any damages incurred by your subtenant and any noise complaints, garbage etc. until the end of the agreement. The sublet agreement signed between you and the subtenant is separate from the lease, but is just as legally binding. You basically become their landlord. The tenant should never make an agreement with the subtenant that lasts longer than their original lease agreement and the rent charged to the subtenant cannot exceed that charged by the landlord to the tenant. A sample sublet agreement can be viewed here .

Terms of the sublet agreement should by clear and include: rent price, duration of stay, use of common areas and furniture, and price of utilities. A copy of the lease signed between the landlord and the original tenant should also be given to the subtenant along with the sublet agreement. Subletters are responsible to the tenant for paying rent, abiding by the terms of the sublease and reporting maintenance and repairs to either their landlord (the tenant) or the original landlord.

*The Residential Tenancies Act was used as a resource when this document was written.

Tenant's Accommodation Checklist