August 17, 2026 | Blog

Can Ontario Landlords Make Tenants Shovel Snow? What If They Agree—and Then Stop?

It sounds like a simple arrangement.

A landlord rents out a house for $2,800 per month and tells the tenant:

“I’ll charge you $2,700 if you take care of the lawn in the summer and shovel the snow in the winter.”

The tenant agrees. Everything works fine for a while.

Then winter arrives, snow starts piling up, and the tenant suddenly says:

“I’m not shovelling anymore.”

Can the landlord simply tell them, “It’s in the lease—you agreed to do it”?

Or increase the rent back to $2,800?

For Ontario landlords, snow removal is more complicated than many people realize. Recent case law has also added an important distinction between common areas and areas used exclusively by one tenant.

Who Is Responsible for Snow Removal in Ontario?

The starting point is the landlord’s general maintenance obligation.

Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act requires landlords to maintain residential complexes in a good state of repair, fit for habitation, and in compliance with applicable health, safety, housing and maintenance standards.

Ontario’s maintenance standards also require exterior common areas to be kept clean and free of hazards, including unsafe accumulations of snow and ice.

This is especially relevant in properties where multiple tenants share areas such as:

Driveways
Walkways
Outdoor stairs
Parking areas
Entrances
Other common outdoor spaces

For these common areas, landlords should be very careful about simply inserting a clause into the lease saying, “Tenant is responsible for all snow removal.”

But What About a Single-Family Home or Townhouse?

This is where Ontario law has become more nuanced.

A 2024 Ontario Court of Appeal decision, Crete v. Ottawa Community Housing Corporation, addressed snow and ice removal from areas used exclusively by one tenant.

The case involved a townhouse where the tenant had exclusive use of the exterior steps. The Court of Appeal upheld the enforceability of a lease provision assigning snow and ice removal for that exclusive-use area to the tenant. Ontario’s Landlord’s Self-Help Centre has since highlighted the decision as an important clarification: common areas and exclusive-use areas should not automatically be treated the same way.

That means a blanket statement such as:

“Ontario landlords are always responsible for shovelling all snow.”

is too simplistic.

The type of property and the area involved matter.

The Bigger Problem: Lowering Rent in Exchange for Snow Removal

Now return to our original example.

The normal rent is supposed to be $2,800.

But the landlord says:

“Pay me $2,700 and shovel the snow yourself.”

This may sound convenient, but mixing rent with maintenance work can create unnecessary problems.

The Landlord’s Self-Help Centre specifically cautions landlords against reducing rent in exchange for work such as groundskeeping or snow removal. Its guidance recommends charging the full rent and paying the tenant separately for work performed instead.

Why?

Because once the discounted amount becomes the rent being paid, a landlord may have difficulty later arguing:

“You stopped shovelling, so now you owe me another $100 every month.”

The rental arrangement and the maintenance arrangement have become mixed together.

A $2,800 vs. $2,700 Example

Consider two different ways of arranging the same situation.

Option A: Reduce the rent

Normal rent: $2,800

Tenant agrees to shovel snow.

Tenant pays: $2,700

Everything seems fine—until the tenant stops shovelling.

The landlord now wants the additional $100.

But the arrangement may create a dispute over what the lawful rent actually is and whether the landlord can simply start demanding $2,800.

Landlord’s Self-Help Centre specifically warns that this type of arrangement can leave landlords without a clear remedy if the work stops.

A Cleaner Approach: Keep the Two Arrangements Separate

Now consider another structure.

Rent remains:

$2,800 per month.

The tenant pays the full $2,800.

Separately, there is an appropriate agreement under which the tenant is paid, for example:

$100 for agreed property-maintenance services.

If the agreed work is properly performed, the tenant receives the separate payment.

If it isn’t performed, the landlord does not automatically change the rent—the maintenance arrangement is dealt with separately.

This keeps two different things from becoming confused:

Tenancy → Rent

Work performed → Separate compensation

The Landlord’s Self-Help Centre has specifically recommended this type of separation when landlords arrange for tenants to perform groundskeeping or snow-removal services.

Why “It’s Written in the Lease” Isn’t Always the End of the Story

Landlords sometimes assume:

“If the tenant signed it, it must be enforceable.”

That isn’t necessarily true.

A residential lease cannot simply override statutory obligations.

At the same time, the recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision demonstrates that a provision dealing with an exclusive-use exterior area may be treated differently from an attempt to transfer responsibility for common-area maintenance.

That is why context matters.

A tenant in a detached house who exclusively uses a driveway may present a very different situation from a tenant in a four-unit building being told to clear the shared entrance for everyone.

What If the Tenant Agreed—and Then Stops?

Suppose you already have an arrangement and your tenant suddenly stops clearing the snow.

The first reaction should not be:

“Fine. I’m adding $100 to your rent next month.”

First, determine what kind of arrangement you actually have.

Was snow removal simply written into the residential lease?

Is the area exclusively used by that tenant?

Is it a common area?

Was the rent discounted in exchange for the work?

Was there a separate agreement?

Those details can significantly change how the situation should be handled.

Most importantly, the landlord should make sure unsafe snow and ice conditions are dealt with promptly rather than allowing a contractual disagreement to turn into a safety issue.

What If Someone Slips and Gets Hurt?

This is where snow removal becomes more than a disagreement between landlord and tenant.

It becomes a potential liability issue.

An icy staircase, driveway or walkway can cause serious injuries.

If someone slips, the question may no longer simply be:

“Who was supposed to shovel?”

Instead, there may be questions about who controlled the area, what the lease said, whether reasonable steps were taken, applicable municipal requirements, insurance and the circumstances of the accident.

This is another reason landlords should not treat snow removal as an informal handshake arrangement.

Clear responsibility, documentation and appropriate insurance coverage matter.

What About Condos?

Condominiums can be different again.

For many condo units, exterior snow removal is handled by the condominium corporation or its property-management company as part of common-area maintenance.

However, townhouses and certain condominium developments may contain exclusive-use areas, private entrances, terraces, walkways or other spaces where responsibilities can differ.

Landlords should therefore check both:

the tenancy agreement and the condominium’s declaration/rules or management arrangements.

Don’t assume that every condo handles snow removal the same way.

What Should Ontario Landlords Do?

For landlords dealing with snow removal at a rental property, a few principles can prevent many problems.

First, identify whether the area is common or exclusive-use. That distinction has become particularly important following the Ontario Court of Appeal’s clarification.

Second, avoid casually reducing rent in exchange for maintenance work. If a tenant is being compensated for work, keeping the rent and compensation separate can avoid confusion over the lawful rent.

Third, document the arrangement clearly. Don’t rely on a conversation such as “You take care of the driveway and I’ll give you a discount.”

Fourth, don’t ignore unsafe conditions while arguing over responsibility. Snow and ice can create immediate safety risks.

And finally, remember that municipal rules, the property type and the specific tenancy can affect the situation.

Why Professional Property Management Helps

Snow removal sounds like one of the smallest parts of managing a rental property.

But this example demonstrates why property management often becomes complicated.

One sentence in a lease can eventually affect:

rent, maintenance responsibility, contractor arrangements, documentation, safety and liability.

Professional property management helps owners establish clear responsibilities from the beginning, coordinate seasonal maintenance and respond quickly when something isn’t being done properly.

That is far easier than trying to solve the problem after the driveway has already turned into a sheet of ice.

Final Thoughts

So, can an Ontario landlord make a tenant shovel snow?

Sometimes the answer depends on the property and the area involved.

Ontario law distinguishes between a landlord’s maintenance obligations for a residential complex and situations involving exterior areas used exclusively by a particular tenant. Recent Ontario Court of Appeal guidance has reinforced that distinction.

But one practice landlords should be particularly cautious about is:

“Your rent is $100 cheaper if you shovel the snow.”

Mixing rent with payment for maintenance work can create unnecessary problems later if the tenant stops performing the work. Landlord-focused guidance recommends keeping the full rent and any compensation for maintenance services separate.

At Topromanage, we believe good property management starts before a problem occurs—with clear agreements, proper documentation and reliable maintenance arrangements.

Because when the first major snowfall arrives, you don’t want to start figuring out who was supposed to bring the shovel.