Not often. When you’re buying a property in Canada, a deposit on your home is accompanied by an Agreement of Purchase and Sale (APS). When the deposit is paid and the APS is signed, you’re officially in a legally binding contract. Now that the purchase has been processed, it is not a good idea to try and go back on your word - the seller may have grounds to sue. Unless you have put conditions on the deposit (i.e., the sale to go through only if the seller agrees to fix a door or a fence on the property) and the conditions have not been met, your deposit can be returned after both parties sign a release form.