Each year the Ontario Government announces the province's rent increase guideline for the following year. This annual rent increase guideline is the maximum percentage that a landlord in Ontario can increase the rent for an existing tenant without obtaining special approval from the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Follow up:

The 2009 guideline is 1.8 per cent.

This new guideline applies to a rent increase that begins anytime between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009 and applies to most residential rental units in the province of Ontario.

For information on how this guideline is calculated and enforced, visit the Landlord and Tenant Board website at this link.

You can find more detailed information and a chart of past rent guidelines here.