Where Canadian Landlords Must Register (and Where They Don't)
Most Canadian provinces don't have a province-wide landlord registry — but several municipalities now require landlord-specific registration, and missing it triggers fines starting at $500/day in some cities. Here's where it applies in 2026.
Provincial registries (province-wide)
No province in Canada requires every landlord to register province-wide. The closest is Quebec's TAL lease registration, which is mandatory for every residential lease modification (not the lease itself).
Municipal landlord licensing (where it bites)
The cities currently running landlord-licensing programs: Toronto (RentSafeTO – buildings 3+ units), Mississauga (Residential Rental Licensing Pilot), Hamilton (lodging house licence), Halifax (short-term-rental registry, 2024+), Vancouver (Standards of Maintenance bylaw), Surrey (Business Licence – Rental Property). Each has its own application fee ($150–$430/yr/property) and inspection requirements.
Federal CRA business number
Required only if you're paying GST/HST, hiring employees, or importing/exporting. A pure residential rental landlord with under $30k/yr in commercial rent (parking, storage rented separately, short-term rental income) generally does NOT need to register for GST/HST.
What registration actually triggers
Annual inspection, a public landlord registry entry (which tenants can search), and fast-track tenant complaint routing. If you operate in any of the listed cities, register — the fine for non-compliance is dramatically higher than the licence fee.
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Start free trialCommon questions
QWhat's the deadline to file rental income to the CRA?
Rental income is reported on the T776 form filed with your personal T1 return. The deadline is April 30 of the year after you earned the income (June 15 if you're self-employed, but any balance owing is still due April 30).
QDo I need to charge GST/HST on rent?
Long-term residential rent is GST/HST-exempt. Short-term rentals (under 30 days) are taxable once you exceed the $30,000 small-supplier threshold across all your business activities.
QCan I deduct mortgage payments?
You can deduct the interest portion (and most carrying costs) of your mortgage on a rental property, but NOT the principal repayment. Central Rentals splits this automatically inside your T776 export.