Your questions,
translated.

The federal minimum depends on the price: 5% of the first $500,000, then 10% of the portion between $500,000 and $1.5 million. At $1.5 million or more, it’s 20%. On a $600,000 home, that’s $25,000 + $10,000 = $35,000. Lenders can ask for more, especially if you’re self-employed. Source: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

Yes, with an insured mortgage, on homes under $1.5 million (the cap rose from $1 million on December 15, 2024). The insurance premium runs from 0.60% to 4.00% of the loan, depending on your down payment, and is usually added to the mortgage. In Ontario, sales tax on that premium can’t be added to the loan, so it’s paid in cash at closing. Sources: Finance Canada, CMHC

Land transfer tax (minus any first-time buyer refund), legal fees and disbursements, title insurance, property tax and utility adjustments, a home inspection and, if you put less than 20% down, sales tax on your mortgage insurance. The full list, with a worked $600,000 example, is in our closing costs guide.

No. Ottawa buyers pay Ontario’s land transfer tax only. In Ontario, Toronto is the only city that charges its own on top. A quiet advantage of buying here.

$8,475, using Ontario’s brackets: 0.5% up to $55,000, 1% up to $250,000, 1.5% up to $400,000 and 2% up to $2 million. Eligible first-time buyers get up to $4,000 back, bringing it to $4,475. Source: Ontario Ministry of Finance

You must be at least 18, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, never have owned a home anywhere in the world, and move in within nine months. If your spouse owned a home while you were married, neither of you qualifies. Your lawyer usually claims the refund when the purchase registers. Source: Ontario Ministry of Finance

Since December 15, 2024, 30-year amortizations on insured mortgages are open to all first-time buyers and to anyone buying a new build. CMHC adds a 0.20% surcharge to the premium. A longer amortization lowers the payment but raises the total interest, so run the numbers both ways. Sources: Finance Canada, CMHC

The First Home Savings Account gives you $8,000 of tax-free room a year, up to $40,000 in total. The Home Buyers’ Plan lets you withdraw up to $60,000 from your RRSP; for first withdrawals from 2026 to 2028, repayments start in the fifth year after. And yes, you can use both for the same home. Sources: CRA (FHSA), CRA (HBP), Finance Canada

For eligible first-time buyers, yes: 100% of the federal GST on a new home up to $1 million (with a partial rebate up to $1.5 million), plus up to $80,000 of the provincial part of the HST in Ontario. Eligibility rules apply, so confirm with the CRA and your lawyer before counting on it. Source: Canada Revenue Agency

Typically $350 to $600 in Ontario, depending on the home’s size and condition. It’s a visual examination, not a pass or fail, and Ontario doesn’t license home inspectors, so ask about experience and insurance, and go along if you can. Source: Government of Ontario

Not for resale homes: once your offer is firm, it’s firm. That’s why conditions like financing and inspection matter so much. Buyers of new or pre-construction condos get 10 days to cancel after receiving the signed agreement and disclosure documents. Source: Government of Ontario

Under Ontario’s rules, a representation agreement must be in writing and presented to you as soon as possible, and an agent generally won’t show homes without one. Its length is up to you (a day, a few weeks, a few months), and so is the fee you agree on. Read the holdover clause before you sign. Source: RECO

The main items: brokerage commission (plus HST), legal fees to close, paying off your mortgage (including any prepayment penalty), and whatever you spend getting ready: repairs, cleaning, staging, moving. Ask your lender for a payout statement early. Penalties surprise people.

No. The amount is decided between you and the brokerage; it isn’t set by RECO, the government or any real estate board. The better question is what you get for it. Source: RECO

With a comparative market analysis: recent sales of similar homes nearby, adjusted for size, condition, lot and upgrades, then checked against what you’d be competing with today. It’s an opinion of market value, not an appraisal. Request yours here, prepared personally within two business days.

In September 2026, the median Ottawa home sold in 27 days, up from 22 in August, with 4.8 months of inventory. Your timeline depends on price, condition and neighbourhood. Source: Ottawa Real Estate Board

Selling first gives you a firm budget but may mean a short stay somewhere in between. Buying first secures the next home but risks carrying two. Bridge financing can soften either. The right call depends on your equity, your price range and your appetite for risk, so map both before you list.

Spring usually brings the most buyers, and the most competing listings. Fall and winter bring fewer of both, and the buyers who are out tend to be serious. The best time is when the numbers work for your next move.

If it was your principal residence for every year you owned it, the gain is generally tax-free under the principal residence exemption, though you still report the sale on your tax return. Rentals and partly rented homes are different. Speak with an accountant before you list.

For a property you won’t live in, plan on at least 20% down, because mortgage insurance usually isn’t available. If you’ll live in one unit of a small multi-unit property, different rules can apply. Talk to a mortgage professional before you shop.

For most units, yes: Ontario’s guideline is 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027, once every 12 months, with 90 days’ written notice. Units first occupied after November 15, 2018 are exempt, which matters a great deal when you’re comparing a newer property with an older one. Source: Government of Ontario

Both, but cash flow pays the bills while you wait for appreciation. Run the numbers with today’s rates, realistic rent, vacancy, maintenance and any condo fees. If a property only works on optimistic assumptions, it doesn’t work.

Often, yes, subject to Ottawa’s zoning, the building code and permits, so check the specific property before you buy on that plan. Worth knowing: most new basement apartments first occupied after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the rent increase guideline. Source: Government of Ontario

A rent deposit of no more than one month’s rent (one week’s, if rent is weekly). It can only be used as rent for the last month of the tenancy, and the landlord must pay interest on it every year. Source: Landlord and Tenant Board

No. The rent deposit can’t be used for damage. Landlords: protect yourself with dated photos and a signed move-in checklist instead. Source: Landlord and Tenant Board

For most residential tenancies signed on or after April 30, 2018, yes: Ontario’s Residential Tenancy Agreement (Standard Form of Lease). Source: Landlord and Tenant Board

For most tenants, by no more than the provincial guideline: 2.1% in 2026 and 1.9% in 2027. Your landlord needs 12 months since the last increase and must give 90 days’ written notice. Units first occupied after November 15, 2018 aren’t covered by the guideline. Source: Government of Ontario

Do: screen every applicant the same way, use the standard lease, and keep records of rent, repairs and the unit’s condition. Don’t: enter without proper written notice, change the locks on a tenant, or take matters into your own hands in a dispute. The Landlord and Tenant Board process exists for a reason, and skipping it tends to cost you more.

Yes, a landlord’s own use (or a close family member’s) is a legal reason to end a tenancy, but it requires the proper notice, specific conditions and, if the tenant doesn’t leave, an order from the Landlord and Tenant Board. Get advice before you serve or respond to a notice. Source: Landlord and Tenant Board