Oral rental agreements

In an oral rental agreement, you and the landlord agree orally (not in writing) that you will rent the rental unit. In addition, you agree to pay a specified rent for a specified period of time - for example, a week or a month. This kind of rental agreement is legally binding on both you and the landlord, even though it is not in writing. However, if you have a disagreement with your landlord, you will have no written proof of the terms of your rental agreement. Therefore, it’s usually best to have a written rental agreement.

It’s especially important to have a written rental agreement if your tenancy involves special circumstances, such as any of the following:

You plan to live in the unit for a long time (for example, nine months or a year);
Your landlord has agreed to your having a pet or water-filled furniture (such as a waterbed); or
The landlord has agreed to pay any expenses (for example, utilities or garbage removal) or to provide any services (for example, a gardener).
Any time that a tenant and a landlord agree to the lease of a rental unit for more than one year, the agreement must be in writing. If such an agreement is not in writing, it is not enforceable.