If a tenant asked to install a window air conditioner this summer, the rules around your answer changed on July 1, 2026. Here's exactly what's now required, what you can still charge for, and what you still can't do.
What Changed
As of July 1, 2026, tenants generally have the right to install and use a window or portable air conditioner in a unit where the landlord doesn't already provide cooling — a provision from the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 that only came into force this summer. Landlords can no longer categorically prohibit this, provided the tenant meets the legal conditions.
The Conditions Tenants Must Meet
A tenant installing a new unit after July 1, 2026 must:
Notify the landlord in writing before installation
Provide details on the unit's energy efficiency and expected usage, if the landlord pays for electricity in the unit
Install and use the unit safely, without damaging the rental unit or the building
Comply with all applicable municipal bylaws and condominium or building rules
If a tenant already had a window or portable unit installed before July 1, 2026, two of these requirements don't apply retroactively — they don't need to provide written notice or efficiency/usage details for a pre-existing installation, even though the landlord's right to recover electricity costs still applies going forward.
What Landlords Can Still Charge
If you pay for the electricity in the unit, you may add a seasonal, electricity-based charge to recover the added hydro cost — but this has to be handled correctly, not as an arbitrary flat add-on. If you want to recover costs for a capital improvement instead — like installing central cooling — that requires a separate Above Guideline Increase (AGI) application through the LTB, a different and more formal process than a seasonal electricity charge. For context on how Ontario's standard rent increase guideline works separately from this, our recent coverage of the 2026 guideline walks through that mechanism in full.
What Landlords Still Cannot Do
You cannot flatly refuse a compliant installation. As of now, neither the Residential Tenancies Act nor its regulations define specific circumstances where a landlord can prohibit an air conditioner outright — so don't assume you have blanket veto power just because you'd prefer not to deal with it.
You cannot charge whatever you want for electricity. The seasonal charge has to reasonably reflect actual added cost, not function as a disguised rent increase.
A Separate Issue: Toronto's Own Cooling Bylaw
Worth knowing distinctly from the provincial A/C installation rules: there is no province-wide law requiring landlords to provide air conditioning, and no provincial maximum indoor temperature rule. However, Toronto and Mississauga both have their own municipal bylaws capping indoor temperatures at 26°C — but only in units where cooling is already provided by the landlord. If your unit has never had landlord-supplied cooling, this municipal cap doesn't create a new obligation to install it. The only true province-wide temperature rule concerns heat, requiring a minimum of 20°C from September through mid-June.
What Landlords Should Do Now
Update your lease templates and tenant communications to reflect that outright prohibition of tenant-installed units is no longer a safe default position.
Decide your seasonal electricity charge policy in advance, rather than negotiating it ad hoc with each tenant who asks.
Confirm your specific building's condo or landlord rules don't create an additional layer of restriction beyond the provincial baseline — condominium corporations can still have their own reasonable rules about exterior-facing units, for instance.
If you're managing multiple units, consider centralizing this policy so it's applied consistently — inconsistent handling of similar requests is exactly the kind of pattern that draws scrutiny if a dispute ever reaches the LTB.
The Bottom Line
Ontario landlords lost the ability to simply say no to a compliant air conditioner installation as of July 1, 2026 — but gained a clear, defined right to recover the added electricity cost when they're the ones paying the hydro bill. Getting your policy and paperwork aligned with the new rules now avoids friction with tenants and unnecessary risk at the LTB later.
Want help updating your lease policies to reflect this and other recent RTA changes? Contact our team — we help GTA landlords stay compliant without the guesswork.
This article summarizes general Residential Tenancies Act principles and is not legal advice. Consult a paralegal or lawyer for guidance specific to your situation.
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