The rental agreement, often referred to as the lease, is a document describing the location, the length of the tenancy, itemizing the amount of the rent, and the responsibilities of the parties involved.
In some provinces, it is mandatory to complete and sign a written rental agreement, while in other provinces, an oral agreement is fine. A lease is actually just one type of rental agreement and is usually binding both parties to a certain time limit, such as six months or a year. During that time, there can be no changes to the agreement unless both parties agree. For instance, the tenant must pay the rent every month for the agreed term, and the landlord cannot increase the rent during that time.