The legal deposit is a rule about rent, not a price list.

Ontario

Sections 105 and 106 of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 say the only security deposit a landlord may collect is a rent deposit. It cannot be more than the lesser of one rent period and one month of rent. It is applied to the last rent period. Get settled in Ontario says it cannot be used for damages. The standard-lease guide says a landlord can also take a refundable key deposit and must return it when the keys come back. Extra keys can be charged at cost. A pet or damage deposit is not allowed. The Act requires annual interest on the rent deposit at the rent-increase guideline then in effect. This page does not quote a 2026 guideline percentage.

British Columbia

The province's deposits and fees page says a landlord can charge a security deposit of up to half of one month's rent at the start. The amount is set by the rent in the original agreement and does not rise if the rent later changes. If pets are allowed, the landlord can also charge a pet damage deposit of up to half of one month's rent, on top of the security deposit, no matter how many pets are allowed. The two together can be as much as one month's rent. A certified guide or service dog is not a pet, and the landlord cannot charge a pet damage deposit for one. The landlord cannot keep either deposit without the tenant's written permission or an order from the Residential Tenancy Branch.

Alberta

Starting a tenancy says a security deposit cannot be more than one month's rent at the time the tenancy starts, and it cannot be increased later. Section 43 of the Residential Tenancies Act is the same limit. Refundable fees count toward it. The deposit is not automatically the last month's rent. Disputes can go to the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service or the Court of Justice, as the provincial handbook describes.

Quebec

Article 1904 of the Civil Code of Québec says a landlord cannot require a payment of more than one month of rent, cannot require more than the first term in advance, and cannot require any other sum as a deposit or a postdated cheque. The Tribunal administratif du logement says a security deposit, including a key deposit, cannot be required, and a lease clause that demands one has no effect. The first month can be asked for when the lease is signed, even if the lease starts later.

A paycheque estimate for the province you will live in is on the take-home calculator. The first-week checklist covers the bank account the deposit would leave.

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