If my roommate doesn't pay their share, am I responsible?

If you're both named on the same lease as co-tenants, yes. Co-tenants are jointly and severally liable — meaning the landlord can pursue any one of you for the full rent, not just your share. If your roommate is instead your subtenant or an unofficial occupant, you're the tenant and you owe the landlord the full rent regardless.

Can one co-tenant move out and end just their part of the lease?

Not unilaterally. A co-tenant can't end only their portion of a joint tenancy. To be released they generally need the landlord's agreement (and often the other tenants'). The safest exit is a new lease or an assignment, so the departing person is formally removed and replaced.

Does the Residential Tenancies Act cover disputes between roommates?

Often not. The Landlord and Tenant Board handles disputes between tenants and landlords, not fights between roommates over chores or a shared internet bill. Roommate-vs-roommate money disputes usually go to Small Claims Court instead.

What happens to the deposit when a roommate leaves?

The last month's rent deposit belongs to the tenancy, not to one person. If a roommate paid part of it and leaves, sorting out who gets reimbursed is between the roommates — the landlord holds it until the tenancy ends. Put your arrangement in writing to avoid a fight later.

Home BlogRoommates & Co-Tenants in Ontario

OntarioSeptember 7, 20267 min read

Roommates and Co-Tenants in Ontario: Who's Liable for What?

Sharing rent is one of the most common ways people afford Ontario's market — until a roommate stops paying or moves out overnight. Whether you're left holding the bill comes down to one question: how are you actually named on the lease?

By the LeasePlain Editorial Team · Checked against Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act per our editorial standards·Last reviewed September 2026

Co-Tenant vs Roommate: The Distinction That Decides Everything

Ontario law doesn't treat every "roommate" the same. There are three common setups:

Co-tenants: everyone signed the same lease with the landlord. You're all tenants together.
Tenant + subtenant: one person holds the lease and rents a room to the other.
Tenant + occupant: one person is on the lease; the other just lives there with no direct agreement with the landlord.

Co-Tenants Share Full Liability

If you're co-tenants on one lease, you're jointly and severally liable for the rent. That means if your roommate skips their half, the landlord can legally demand the entirerent from you — not just your share. The landlord doesn't have to chase the person who didn't pay; they can come after whoever is easiest to collect from. You'd then have to recover your roommate's share from them separately, usually in Small Claims Court.

If You're the Lease-Holder

If the lease is in your name only and you took in a roommate, the landlord deals with you. You owe the full rent no matter what your roommate does, and removing a roommate who won't leave can be complicated — an occupant who isn't your tenant isn't evicted through the LTB in the usual way. Get advice before changing locks or forcing anyone out.

When Someone Wants to Leave

A single co-tenant can't end just their slice of a joint lease by giving notice. To cleanly remove a departing roommate you generally need one of:

A new lease signed with the remaining (and any replacement) tenants;
An assignment of the departing person's interest to a new roommate, with the landlord's consent; or
Everyone agreeing to end the tenancy and start fresh.

See our subletting and assignment guide for how consent works.

Protect Yourself Up Front

Write a simple roommate agreement covering rent shares, deposit contributions, and notice to leave. The LTB won't enforce it, but Small Claims Court can consider it.
Keep records of who paid what — e-transfer history is gold in a dispute.
Know that roommate-vs-roommate disputes usually go to Small Claims Court, not the LTB.