Election Signage:

Question: Can a landlord in Ontario stop me from putting up an election candidate sign in my rented unit?

Answer: In Ontario, you can generally display election advertising posters on your rented premises, and a landlord usually cannot prohibit you from doing so, because Canada Elections Act, S.C. 2000, c. 9, s. 322 limits what landlords may restrict. A landlord may set reasonable conditions on the size or type of election signs, and may restrict posters in common areas of the building, but cannot broadly ban signs on the leased premises or require removal from areas tied to your tenancy. For help understanding how these rules may apply to your situation and how to document your request and response, Marketing.Legal™ can assist Ontario tenants with clear, plain-language guidance and practical next steps; call (800) 551-5751 to get started.

Tenants Have a Right to Use a Sign to Promote an Election Candidate

In Canada, as a free and democratic society, all persons may choose to support a particular candidate in an election; and, with very few exceptions, post signage in promotion of a preferred candidate upon the premises that such persons occupy.  This right expressly includes persons occupying rented premises; and accordingly, a landlord is forbidden from restricting the posting of election signs by a tenant.

The Law

The Canada Elections Act, S.C. 2000, Chapter 9 prescribes the protection provided to a tenant who wishes to advertise or promote a favoured candidate.  Specifically, the Canada Elections Act states:

Conclusion

A landlord may restrict election posters or signs to a reasonable size.  Additionally, a tenant holds the right to place a poster or sign only within the rental unit; and accordingly, a landlord may forbid posters or signs from being placed upon areas beyond the rental unit occupied by the tenant.