Short on rent this month?

Being short on rent is frightening, but one late payment doesn't mean you lose your home. In Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec, for example, a landlord has to follow a legal process, and paying what you owe in time can stop it. The sooner you act, the more options you have.

What to do first

1. Talk to your landlord before rent is due

   Tell your landlord how much you can pay now and when you can pay the rest. Some landlords will agree to a short plan rather than start a formal process. If you agree on something, get it in writing, even by text or email.

2. Look for a rent bank

   Rent banks help tenants who are behind on rent or at risk of losing their home. In Ontario they're run locally, so whether help comes as a loan or a grant, and how much, depends on where you live. In British Columbia, see BC Rent Bank. 211.ca can tell you which programs serve your area.

3. Check what other help you can get

   211.ca also lists emergency help from your province or municipality and from community agencies. Some of it covers rent arrears.

4. Read any notice carefully

   If your landlord gives you a notice for unpaid rent, note the dates on it. The rules below explain what it means in three provinces. A tenant rights clinic or legal aid office can explain your options for free.

What a notice for unpaid rent means

Ontario

A landlord starts with an N4 notice, which names the amount owed and a termination date. According to the Landlord and Tenant Board, the notice is void if you pay the rent you owe, plus any rent that has come due since, before the landlord files an application with the Board. To evict you, the landlord has to apply to the Board.

British Columbia

For unpaid rent, a landlord uses a 10 Day Notice to End Tenancy. The BC government says tenants have 5 days to dispute it. If the tenant doesn't pay the rent or dispute the notice, the landlord can ask for an order of possession without a hearing. Act within those 5 days.

Quebec

If rent is more than three weeks late, the landlord can ask the Tribunal administratif du logement to end the lease. The Tribunal says this can be avoided if the tenant pays the rent owed, plus costs and interest, before a decision is made.

This is general information, not legal advice, and rules can change. Check with your province's tenancy office or a legal clinic for your situation.

When a loan makes sense

If your landlord won't wait and a rent bank can't help in time, an installment loan can cover the gap and spread it over a few months. It makes sense when you're short by $300 to $3,000 for a one-time reason, such as a late paycheque or an unexpected bill, and the payments fit your budget along with next month's rent.

With Urgent Loans, one application goes to the lenders in our network:

• Loans of $300 to $3,000, repaid over 90 to 120 days
• The lenders in our network don't run credit checks. A lender may ask for more documents, such as ID, proof of income or a recent bank statement, and may verify your bank account online.
• Funds often the same day you sign
• Applying is free, and nothing is final until you sign a lender's contract

For example, a $300 loan at 32% APR over 98 days is repaid in 7 bi-weekly payments of about $44.99, for a total of $314.93. This example is for illustration only. See what an installment loan costs for how to compare offers.

When it doesn't

If rent is more than your income can cover every month, a loan adds a payment without fixing the gap. A non-profit credit counsellor or a housing help centre can help you look at your options. Having several loans at once can hurt your finances.

More options when money is short are on our emergency loans page.

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Urgent Loans is not a lender. Each lender in our network sets its own terms and makes its own decision. See how it works.