Moving to Toronto Checklist: Your Rental Move-In Guide

Moving into a Toronto rental goes smoothly when you handle four things before the keys change hands: tenant insurance, utilities (Toronto Hydro, Enbridge Gas and water, depending on your lease), internet, and building logistics like elevator booking. Then, on move-in day, photograph everything, test the alarms and collect every key and fob. In your first weeks, update your address with Canada Post and the government, and get set up on the TTC with PRESTO or a tap-to-pay card.

Key takeaways

• Read your lease first. The standard lease tells you which utilities are yours.
• Book early: internet installation, the condo elevator and movers can fill up, especially around the first of the month.
• Document the unit with dated photos and video before you unpack.
• Update your address: your driver's licence within 6 days and your health card within 30 days in Ontario.
• Transit: tap PRESTO or a credit or debit card on the TTC; fare capping now applies after 47 paid trips in a calendar month.

Two to four weeks before move-in

Confirm your lease

• You have a signed copy of your lease. Most residential tenancies in Ontario must use the Ontario standard lease. If your landlord didn't use it, you can ask for one in writing. See our guide to the Ontario standard lease.
• You know the landlord's legal name and address for sending notices.
• You know your rent due date and payment method. Your landlord can't require post-dated cheques or automatic withdrawals, and must give you a rent receipt if you ask.
• You've paid only what's allowed. Under the Residential Tenancies Act, a rent deposit can't be more than one month's rent, and key deposits must be refundable.

Get tenant insurance

Tenant insurance (also called renter's or contents insurance) usually covers your belongings, your personal liability, and sometimes extra living costs if you have to leave the unit after a covered event like a fire. It's not required by law, but many landlords make it a lease condition, and the standard lease has a section for it.

• Get two or three quotes.
• Ask whether roommates need separate policies (usually yes, if you're not related).
• Send proof of insurance to your landlord if your lease requires it.

Set up utilities

Who pays depends on your lease. Here's how it typically works in Toronto:

• Open accounts for anything in your name, with a start date of your move-in day.
• If you share with roommates, decide whose name each account goes in and how you'll split bills. Our guide to splitting rent fairly covers utilities too.

Book the move

• Condo or apartment? Ask property management about elevator booking, move-in hours, any refundable deposit or fee under the building's rules, and loading-dock access.
• Get the condo rules. As a tenant, you'll need to follow them.
• Book movers or a truck early. Weekends and month-end dates go fast.
• Check street parking rules for the moving truck, and ask your landlord about a parking spot.

Move-in day checklist

Before you unpack: document everything

• Walk through each room and take dated photos and video: walls, floors, windows, appliances, cabinets, bathroom fixtures.
• Note existing damage in writing and email it to your landlord the same day.
• Run taps, flush toilets, open windows, and test burners, fridge and laundry.
• Record meter readings if you're paying for hydro or gas.

Safety check

• Press the test button on every smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm. If one doesn't work, tell your landlord in writing right away. The City of Toronto says landlords must keep alarms working, and you can call 311 if it isn't fixed.
• Find the fire exits, electrical panel and water shut-off.
• Check door and window locks.

Keys and access

• Count every key and fob: unit, building, mailbox, garage, storage locker.
• Get a receipt for any key deposit.
• Register your name with the concierge or building office if there is one.
• Ask how to get packages delivered and how to register guests.

First two weeks: paperwork and settling in

Change your address

• Canada Post Mail Forwarding sends your mail from your old address to your new one for a fee. Worth it if you're moving within Canada.
• ServiceOntario: update your driver's licence and vehicle permit within 6 days and your health card within 30 days. Many changes can be done online in one go.
• Canada Revenue Agency: update your address through your CRA account.
• Your bank, employer, school and phone provider.
• Immigration: if you have an application in progress with IRCC, keep your contact details current with them.

Get around on the TTC

• Pay with a PRESTO card, PRESTO in your mobile wallet, or tap a credit or debit card. A two-hour transfer applies automatically when you tap.
• Need a discounted fare (youth, senior or Fair Pass)? Those need a PRESTO card set to the right fare type. They don't apply to credit or debit taps.
• Since September 1, 2026, the TTC caps monthly fares: once you've made 47 paid trips in a calendar month with the same payment method, the rest of your TTC trips that month are free. Use one card consistently to benefit.

Learn your neighbourhood

• Find your garbage, recycling and green bin collection day (the City of Toronto's TOwaste app helps).
• Locate the nearest grocery store, pharmacy, walk-in clinic and library branch.
• Save 311 for city services and non-emergency issues, and 911 for emergencies.
• Introduce yourself to your neighbours or roommates.

Still choosing where to live? Our guide to the best Toronto neighbourhoods for students compares commute, cost and vibe.

If something isn't right after you move in

Small problems often show up in the first few weeks: a slow drain, a window that won't lock, a radiator that stays cold. Deal with them early, while the move-in condition is still fresh.

• Put repair requests in writing. A short email with photos, the date you noticed the problem and a request for a repair date creates a record you can rely on later.
• Keep a simple log of requests, replies and visits from contractors.
• Know the entry rules. For tenancies covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, your landlord generally needs to give 24 hours' written notice before coming in, except in emergencies.
• Don't hold back rent because of a repair issue. Withholding rent can lead to an eviction application. If repairs aren't done, the Landlord and Tenant Board has a process for that.
• Heat, pests, mould or leaks that aren't fixed can also be reported to the City through 311.

For a fuller picture of what your landlord owes you, see the "Renting in Ontario: your rights" page on ontario.ca.

Moving in with roommates?

A shared move goes better with a quick plan:

• Agree on who buys shared items (toilet paper, cleaning supplies, router) and how you'll split costs.
• Set up a group chat and a shared bills tracker.
• Talk about guests, quiet hours and cleaning in week one, not week six.

On ColivEase, AI roommate matching pairs people by habits, budget and schedule, and the "My Community" language filter helps you meet people who share your languages. Profiles use comic avatars, and real photos are shown only when both people agree. If you're renting a whole home room by room, you can apply per room or as a team. Before you sign, the AI lease check flags unclear terms so you can ask questions first.

Settle in with confidence

A great move-in is mostly about timing: insurance and utilities before you arrive, photos and alarm checks on day one, and address changes in the first week. Keep this checklist handy, and when you're ready to find your next place or the right roommates, get started on ColivEase.