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Syed Maqutadir Rehman

Founder & CEO, Tenon10

Syed is the founder and CEO of Tenon10, an AI-native property management platform built for Canadian landlords and property managers. Before Tenon10 he was a Senior Software Engineer at Morningstar and a developer at Canadian Tire Financial Services, and he has been building rental-management software since 2020. He writes about Ontario tenancy rules, rent increases and running a small rental portfolio well.

Articles by Syed Maqutadir Rehman

329 published articles, newest first.

  • Smoking and Cannabis Policies in Ontario Rentals: What a Landlord Can Actually BanLegal insurance
    ONArticle

    Smoking and Cannabis Policies in Ontario Rentals: What a Landlord Can Actually Ban

    Here's the twist that surprises people: a "no smoking" clause in an Ontario lease IS enforceable — unlike a "no pets" clause, which is void. But the rule has limits. A landlord can't add a smoking ban mid-tenancy, a clause that names tobacco doesn't automatically cover cannabis or vaping, and even a grandfathered smoker can be evicted if the smoke drifts. Here's exactly how smoking and cannabis rules work in Ontario, for tenants and landlords.

    9 min read
  • Pet Policies in Ontario: Why "No Pets" Clauses Don't Hold (and the Exceptions That Do)Legal insurance
    ONArticle

    Pet Policies in Ontario: Why "No Pets" Clauses Don't Hold (and the Exceptions That Do)

    That "no pets" line in your Ontario lease? It's void — section 14 of the Residential Tenancies Act makes no-pet clauses unenforceable once you're a tenant. But the rule has real limits: a landlord can refuse a pet owner before you sign, a condo declaration can still ban pets, and behaviour like damage, danger, or allergies can be grounds for eviction. Here's exactly how pet rules work in Ontario, for tenants and landlords.

    10 min read
  • Ontario Rent Increases 2027: The Complete N1 GuideFinancial compliance
    ONArticle

    Ontario Rent Increases 2027: The Complete N1 Guide

    Ontario's 2027 rent increase guideline is 1.9% — the maximum most landlords can raise rent without going to the LTB. This complete guide covers the 1.9% cap, the exact N1 notice rules, the 90-day timing (you can serve as early as October 2026 for a January 2027 increase), who's exempt, and the mistakes that quietly void an increase.

    13 min read
  • Move-In and Move-Out Inspections in Ontario: The Right Way to Document a RentalOperations
    ONArticle

    Move-In and Move-Out Inspections in Ontario: The Right Way to Document a Rental

    Ontario doesn't legally require a move-in or move-out inspection — but skipping one is how landlords lose damage claims and tenants lose deposits. Because Ontario bans damage deposits, an inspection report isn't a deduction tool; it's your evidence at the Landlord and Tenant Board. Here's how to document a rental properly at both ends of a tenancy, for landlords and tenants alike.

    10 min read
  • Ontario's New Rent Repayment Agreement Rules (July 2026): The Mandatory LTB Form ExplainedLegal insurance
    ONArticle

    Ontario's New Rent Repayment Agreement Rules (July 2026): The Mandatory LTB Form Explained

    As of July 1, 2026, a rent-arrears repayment agreement filed with the Landlord and Tenant Board must use the Board's official form — no more handwritten deals on the back of an envelope. Here's how the new s.206 rule works: what the mandatory form covers, the section 78 clause that lets a landlord skip a new eviction notice if the deal is broken, the 30-day reopening window, and what it all means for tenants and landlords trying to keep a tenancy intact.

    10 min read
  • Can Your Landlord Ban Your Air Conditioner? Ontario's New AC Rules (July 2026)Legal insurance
    ONArticle

    Can Your Landlord Ban Your Air Conditioner? Ontario's New AC Rules (July 2026)

    As of July 1, 2026, Ontario tenants have an explicit right to install a window or portable air conditioner — even when the landlord doesn't provide cooling. But the right comes with conditions: written notice first, a safe install, and a seasonal electricity charge the landlord can add in a way that breaks all the usual rent-increase rules. Here's exactly how the new s.36.1 rule works for tenants and landlords.

    11 min read
  • The T5 Application: How Ontario Tenants Fight a Bad-Faith EvictionLegal insurance
    ONArticle

    The T5 Application: How Ontario Tenants Fight a Bad-Faith Eviction

    You moved out because your landlord "needed the unit" — then it went back on the market at a higher rent. That's a bad-faith eviction, and the T5 is how you fight back. This complete guide covers what counts as bad faith, the deadlines that split by reason (one year for an N12, up to two for an N13 renovation), the evidence that proves it, and compensation up to 12 months' rent plus a fine.

    13 min read
  • The T2 Application: How Ontario Tenants Enforce Their RightsLegal insurance
    ONArticle

    The T2 Application: How Ontario Tenants Enforce Their Rights

    When a landlord enters without notice, harasses, changes the locks, or shuts off a vital service, the T2 is how an Ontario tenant fights back. This guide covers exactly what the T2 covers, the strict one-year deadline, the remedies you can ask for — rent abatement, compensation, an order to stop — and the mistakes that get applications dismissed.

    11 min read
  • The Last Month's Rent Deposit Rules in Ontario: A Landlord's GuideFinancial compliance
    ONArticle

    The Last Month's Rent Deposit Rules in Ontario: A Landlord's Guide

    The last month's rent deposit is the most common — and most misunderstood — deposit in Ontario. It can only be used for the last month's rent, never for damage, and you owe your tenant interest on it every year. This guide shows landlords exactly what you can collect, how the annual interest and top-up work, and why almost every other "deposit" is illegal.

    12 min read
  • Bookkeeping for Ontario Landlords: The Complete GuideFinancial compliance
    ONArticle

    Bookkeeping for Ontario Landlords: The Complete Guide

    Good bookkeeping is the difference between a rental that runs like a business and one that costs you at tax time. This complete guide shows Ontario landlords what records to keep, how to track income and expenses, which costs are deductible, how long the CRA expects you to keep everything, and how clean books flow straight into your T776 at year-end — whether you own one unit or a growing portfolio.

    13 min read
  • Guarantor Agreements in Ontario: A Landlord's GuideLegal insurance
    ONArticle

    Guarantor Agreements in Ontario: A Landlord's Guide

    A guarantor can turn a borderline applicant into a safe one — but only if the agreement is set up properly and offered fairly. This guide shows Ontario landlords what a guarantor actually does, how to put a guarantee in place that holds up, how to screen and verify one, and the human-rights line you can't cross by demanding a guarantor only from certain applicants.

    11 min read
  • Income Verification for Self-Employed Tenants: A Landlord's GuideOperations
    CanadaArticle

    Income Verification for Self-Employed Tenants: A Landlord's Guide

    No pay stub doesn't mean no proof. Self-employed applicants — freelancers, contractors, gig workers, small-business owners — are a fast-growing share of Ontario renters, and screening them out for lacking a T4 is both bad business and a legal risk. This guide shows landlords which documents actually verify self-employed income (Notices of Assessment, T1s, bank statements), how to read them, and how to stay onside the Human Rights Code.

    10 min read