The Landlord and Tenant Board (Tribunals Ontario), states:

‘A landlord must keep a rental property in a good state of repair. All things that the landlord provides to the tenant must be kept in working order. This could include: electrical, plumbing or heating systems, appliances, carpets in the unit or common areas, walls, roofs, ceilings, windows, doors, locks, lighting, garages, laundry rooms, patios, walkways, or pools.’

It is also incumbent that the tenant informs the landlord, in writing, of any damages or if something is not working. Ultimately there will always be some form of normal wear and tear, for which the landlord would need to take full responsibility of repairing or replacing.

Any damages that is not due to normal wear and tear, whether done intentionally or by not being careful, is the tenant’s responsibility. The damage may occur by the tenant’s guests or people living with the tenant, either way, the tenant would need to replace the damaged item or pay the landlord the cost of the damages.