ZAREI LEGAL SERVICES

A landlord is only entitled to collect the first month’s rent plus a maximum of one month’s rent deposit. This is why “first and last” is legal — not because it counts as two deposits, but because one is current rent and the other is the deposit for the last month. Any amount beyond this…

If you are a landlord or tenant in Ontario, several important changes to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006—commonly known as the RTA—will take effect on September 21, 2026.

Almost everyone heading into Ontario’s Small Claims Court or the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) asks the same question: “If I win, does the other side have to pay for my lawyer, my paralegal, and all my court costs?” The short answer is: usually not, not in full. Ontario law sets specific caps on cost…

Many people assume that after living together in a common-law relationship for a certain number of years, they automatically acquire the same property rights as married spouses. In Ontario, this is not the case.

One of the interesting cultural differences many newcomers notice in Canada is how often people say “sorry” during everyday conversations. These frequent apologies often reflect a culture where people are encouraged to be respectful, considerate, and willing to take responsibility for their actions without unnecessary excuses. However, in many situations, Canadians apologize simply as a…

When a relationship ends, one of the most emotional questions is often one of the simplest:

The fact that a basement apartment is “illegal” or lacks the required municipal approvals does not, by itself, remove a tenancy from the protection of Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA). Contrary to a common misconception, the term illegal basement is not an independent legal concept under the RTA, and the mere absence of permits…

Divorce is common within immigrant communities, where the challenges of immigration and changing circumstances often lead couples to obtain a divorce from a foreign court.

Introduction The increasing immigration of Iranian families to Canada has raised important legal questions regarding the recognition of foreign marriages and divorces within the Canadian legal system. A key issue is whether an Iranian divorce is legally valid and enforceable in Canada, particularly in Ontario.

Under Ontario’s Marriage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.3, persons aged 18 or older may marry without parental consent.