Is Ontario residential tenancy agreement mandatory?

For most new private residential tenancies in Ontario the landlord must use the government's Standard Lease (since April 30, 2018). A tenancy agreement can also be oral or implied, and some tenancies (for example care homes, most social and supportive housing and co-operative housing) are exempt from the Standard Lease. OREA Form 400 is an agreement to enter into a lease, and it states that the lease itself must be on the standard form of lease prescribed under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006.

Can anyone use OREA forms?

OREA standard forms are developed for use by OREA members and licensees; any other use or reproduction needs OREA's prior written consent. Form 400 is for premises located in Ontario. As a rule, the tenant fills it in and sends it to the landlord as an offer. Other provinces and territories may require different documents.

What is the difference between OREA form 400 and the standard form of lease?

Form 400 is the offer stage: a prospective tenant proposes the rent, deposit, and term, and the landlord accepts or counters. The Ontario Standard Lease is the government lease form that most new private residential tenancy agreements signed on or after April 30, 2018 must use (some tenancy types are exempt). Form 400 sets the terms, and once accepted it is already a binding agreement to enter into the lease; the Standard Lease is then signed as the written lease for the tenancy (a tenancy agreement that is not on the standard form is not void for that reason alone).

How to sign an agreement to lease residential?

You need to do the following: Open the document in the editor, enter the necessary information, and click on the empty “Sign” field. It’ll open the “Add Sign” tool. Create a signature using one of the suggested methods. Your sign will be automatically put on the form.

How to get OREA form 400?

OREA lists Form 400 on its website, but the form library requires a member log-in; tenants and landlords usually get it from a real estate agent. The fastest way is to find the required document in the PDFLiner library and fill it in on the spot.

Is OREA Form 400 legally binding?

Once the landlord accepts the tenant's offer within the irrevocable time and the acceptance is communicated back, Form 400 is a binding agreement to enter into a lease on the agreed terms. However, clauses that contradict Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act are unenforceable, and for most private residential tenancies the landlord must still use the Ontario Standard Lease for the tenancy itself (some tenancy types are exempt).

OREA Form 400: Agreement to Lease (Ontario) Fillable PDF

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What Is Fillable OREA Form 400?

OREA Form 400 is a standard form developed by the Ontario Real Estate Association (a professional association), not a government form. Based on it, a landlord and tenant agree on the lease of premises, fix a rent and advance payment, and deal on additional services. The blank has four pages: the agreement itself runs to pages 1-3, and page 4 is Schedule A. Clause 9 names Schedule A among the schedules that form an integral part of the agreement, so read any terms written on it together with pages 1-3; Schedule A must be initialled by all parties. The tenant signs the offer and the landlord signs to accept it; the form also has witness lines next to the signatures. The blank on this page is Form 400 Revised 2020; OREA has since issued a Revised 2024 edition.

Orea form 400 agreement to lease residential screenshot 1

What do I need the OREA form 400 for?

The Agreement to Lease Form 400 is used for a preliminary agreement on the lease of premises and the approval of extra services such as parking, water supply, garbage removal, and so on.
Please note that this agreement to lease and a lease itself are two different documents. An accepted Form 400 is already a binding agreement to enter into the lease; the lease itself is then signed on the Ontario Standard Lease. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, a tenancy agreement takes effect when the tenant is entitled to occupy the unit, whether or not the tenant has moved in. A landlord may ask for a rent deposit (usually last month's rent) of no more than one month's rent or the rent for one rental period, whichever is less; it can only be used for the last rental period, and the landlord must pay interest on it every year.

This paper consists of 21 points and describes the conditions under which a landlord provides their premises.

OREA Form 400 vs. Ontario Standard Lease Form

OREA Form 400 records the offer to lease: the rent, deposit, term, and conditions. It does not replace the lease itself, but once accepted it is a binding agreement to enter into the lease, and its Execution of Lease clause says the lease is to be drawn on the standard form of lease prescribed under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. Separately, under the Act, most new private residential tenancy agreements signed on or after April 30, 2018 must use the government's Ontario Standard Lease; some tenancy types are exempt, and an agreement made before that date does not have to be redone on the Standard Lease just because it is renewed. A tenancy agreement is not void solely because the Standard Lease was not used, and any clause that conflicts with the Residential Tenancies Act is unenforceable. A rental arranged through agents can involve a Form 410 application, then a Form 400 offer, then the Standard Lease, which is sometimes supplied together with the offer; this is an example, not a sequence the law requires.

Content reviewed by the PDFLiner team in September 2026.

PDFLiner is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed by the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA). OREA Standard Forms are copyright OREA and are developed for use by OREA members and licensees. The official current versions are maintained by OREA; the pre-set text of the form must not be altered when it is printed or reproduced.

How Do I Fill OREA Form 400 PDF?

Step 1: First, indicate the date of the OREA Agreement to Lease, the legal names of the parties, and the landlord address.

Step 2: Next, enter information about the room in the subject, terms, rent, and the purpose for which the premises will be used.

Step 3: After that, move on to the distribution of additional services. Depending on the arrangement, the costs can be divided between the owner and the tenant. Use a printable Schedule A if you need to include more information.

Step 4: Carefully read the irrevocability clause (the offer is irrevocable until a stated time and becomes null and void if not accepted), the parties’ obligations, and the tenant's consent to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information.

Step 5: The tenant and the landlord (or their authorized representatives) sign on their signature lines; the form also has witness lines. The landlord, the tenant and their lawyers give their contact details (Address for Service, Tel. No.) in the Acknowledgement, and intermediaries should leave their contact details.
You can email the finished document, share it with a link, download it to your device, or print it.

FAQ: OREA Form 400 PDF Popular Questions

Is Ontario residential tenancy agreement mandatory?

For most new private residential tenancies in Ontario the landlord must use the government's Standard Lease (since April 30, 2018). A tenancy agreement can also be oral or implied, and some tenancies (for example care homes, most social and supportive housing and co-operative housing) are exempt from the Standard Lease. OREA Form 400 is an agreement to enter into a lease, and it states that the lease itself must be on the standard form of lease prescribed under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006.
Can anyone use OREA forms?

OREA standard forms are developed for use by OREA members and licensees; any other use or reproduction needs OREA's prior written consent. Form 400 is for premises located in Ontario. As a rule, the tenant fills it in and sends it to the landlord as an offer. Other provinces and territories may require different documents.
What is the difference between OREA form 400 and the standard form of lease?

Form 400 is the offer stage: a prospective tenant proposes the rent, deposit, and term, and the landlord accepts or counters. The Ontario Standard Lease is the government lease form that most new private residential tenancy agreements signed on or after April 30, 2018 must use (some tenancy types are exempt). Form 400 sets the terms, and once accepted it is already a binding agreement to enter into the lease; the Standard Lease is then signed as the written lease for the tenancy (a tenancy agreement that is not on the standard form is not void for that reason alone).
How to sign an agreement to lease residential?
You need to do the following:
- Open the document in the editor, enter the necessary information, and click on the empty “Sign” field.
- It’ll open the “Add Sign” tool. Create a signature using one of the suggested methods.
- Your sign will be automatically put on the form.
How to get OREA form 400?

OREA lists Form 400 on its website, but the form library requires a member log-in; tenants and landlords usually get it from a real estate agent. The fastest way is to find the required document in the PDFLiner library and fill it in on the spot.
Is OREA Form 400 legally binding?

Once the landlord accepts the tenant's offer within the irrevocable time and the acceptance is communicated back, Form 400 is a binding agreement to enter into a lease on the agreed terms. However, clauses that contradict Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act are unenforceable, and for most private residential tenancies the landlord must still use the Ontario Standard Lease for the tenancy itself (some tenancy types are exempt).

Prepare & Download Your OREA Form 400