Is Your Lease Actually Legal?

LeaseScan is completely free to use. The analysis runs entirely in your browser using your device's computing power — there are no server costs for processing your lease. The site may eventually offer premium features (like AI-powered clause negotiation suggestions), but the core scanning tool will always be free.

Your lease text never leaves your device. The entire analysis runs in your browser using JavaScript — nothing is sent to any server. If you use the optional AI enhancement feature (Chrome only), it uses Google's on-device Gemini Nano model, which also processes locally.

Ontario's Bill 60, passed in November 2025, is one of the most significant overhauls of the Residential Tenancies Act in years. Key changes include: faster LTB processing for rent arrears applications, updated rules around "landlord own use" (N12) evictions with stricter bad-faith penalties, standardized virtual hearings at the LTB, and new tenant compensation entitlements. Most tenants are unaware these rules changed — LeaseScan flags any lease clauses that interact with the new rules.

In Ontario, no-pets clauses in residential leases are legally unenforceable under Section 14 of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. Your landlord cannot legally evict you for having a pet based on a lease clause alone. The only exception is if you live in a condominium where the condo corporation's declaration (not just the lease) validly prohibits pets. Always check whether you are in a condo vs. a regular rental building.

No. Ontario landlords can only collect a last month's rent deposit. Any deposit described as a "security deposit," "damage deposit," "pet deposit," or similar is illegal under Section 105–106 of the RTA. If you paid one, you can file a T1 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board to get it back, plus interest.

First, don't panic — many landlords include illegal clauses by mistake (using old templates). You have several options: (1) Ask the landlord to remove or amend the problematic clauses before signing. (2) Sign the lease — illegal clauses are still void even if you sign them; the RTA always prevails. (3) Contact a tenant legal clinic for advice before signing. In Ontario, free help is available through ACTO (Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario) and LTB Duty Counsel at hearings.

No. LeaseScan is designed exclusively for residential tenancy law. Commercial leases are governed by entirely different legislation and have far fewer tenant protections. If you're reviewing a commercial lease, consult a commercial real estate lawyer.

BC and Alberta rule sets are partially available now. Full coverage (matching Ontario's depth) is planned for Month 2–3. Quebec (bilingual) is planned for Phase 3. Each province has meaningfully different laws — for example, BC allows pet damage deposits (Ontario doesn't), and Alberta has no rent control (Ontario does).