Rent-to-Income Ratio

Rent as a share of income, a common but legally limited screening tool.

The rent-to-income ratio expresses rent as a percentage of a tenant's income, and landlords often look for rent to be a manageable share of it. But it has legal limits in Canada: in Ontario, income information can be considered only together with credit checks, references, and rental history, and applying a rent-to-income cutoff (such as a 30% rule) on its own is not permitted. It is one signal, not a gate.

General information only, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules change and vary by province; confirm the current details with the relevant authority before you rely on them.