Your rights when signing a contract in your home

The Consumer Protection Act, 2002 (CPA) gives you rights when you buy something that costs more than $50 from a salesperson, either at your door or in your home.

Descriptive transcript: Introduction to the Consumer Protection Act

As a consumer, you:

  • have the right to cancel a contract without any reason within a 10-day cooling-off period, beginning the day you receive a written copy of the agreement.
  • must be given a written contract: under the CPA, a consumer contract has to include specific information about the goods or service and your rights as a consumer. If it doesn’t, you can cancel the contract within one year of entering into the agreement.
  • can cancel the agreement, regardless of its value, up to one year after you entered into it if the business or salesperson you’ve signed your contract with made a false or misleading statement about the contract.

Cancel a contract under the Consumer Protection Act

Products and services that cannot be sold door-to-door

For consumers

Certain products and services cannot be offered or sold at your home unless you initiate the transaction (for example, by calling or emailing a business and asking them to come to your home for the purpose of entering into a contract.) There are some exceptions, including instances where you already have a contract in place.

These restricted products and services include:

  • furnaces
  • air conditioners
  • air cleaners
  • air purifiers
  • water heaters
  • water treatment devices
  • water  purifiers
  • water filters
  • water softeners
  • duct cleaning services
  • any good or service that performs or combines one or more of the above functions

Businesses will be able to enter into a contract at your home if you contacted them ahead of time and invited them to your home for the purpose of buying or leasing one of the restricted products and services.

If you call for a repair, maintenance, an energy assessment, or any reason other than entering into a contract for one of these items and the business comes to your home, the business cannot enter into a new contract with you. They will only be able to leave information about the products and services they offer.

Products and services not listed on this page can still be sold door-to-door but businesses must still follow other requirements under the Consumer Protection Act.

Exceptions if you already have a contract

If you already have a written and effective contract in place with a business, they can still contact you by phone, schedule a visit to your home for any reason you request, including repairs and maintenance, and enter into a new contract. However, the business must tell you if they plan to offer you one of the restricted products and services before visiting your home and you would have to agree to hear their offer before they can do so.

After you enter into a contract

Once you have a written copy of the contract, you still have a 10-day cooling-off period to cancel a contract, for the restricted products or services, for any reason.

If you don’t receive a written contract, or the contract you receive doesn’t include required information about the products or services, you can cancel the contract within one year from the day you entered into it. You can also cancel the agreement within one year if the business that you’ve signed your contract with has made a false or misleading statement about the contract.

If you sign a contract for a restricted product or service as a result of restricted door-to-door marketing or due to misleading marketing materials left at your home, the contract will be considered void and you can keep the goods or services without obligation.

If the contract is void and you are charged penalties or fees from third parties (for example, for removing the product) the business is required to reimburse you for those charges.

Requirements for businesses

All businesses providing restricted products and services must:

  • maintain records for three years of how the company made contact with consumers in restricted contracts
  • add a mandatory cover page to the contract informing consumers of their rights
  • ensure any marketing materials that are left at a consumer’s home do not contain misleading information

The mandatory cover page must include the name of the company you are dealing with and must be attached to the contract before you sign it. Once you agree to a contract, you must sign both the contract and the attached cover page.

As of May 1, 2018, businesses must also make sure language in contracts identifies overall costs and any cancellation fees.

Learn more about the new rules and what your business needs to do to comply.

Before you hear a sales pitch

When you open your door to a salesperson, remember:

  • certain products and services can’t be sold or marketed door-to-door
  • ask for photo ID and get the name of the person and the business
  • never share personal information for example, an electricity or gas bill)
  • if you ask a salesperson to leave, they must leave right away. If you feel unsafe, call local police
  • look at the company name on the salesperson’s business card and promotional material and see if it matches the company name on the proposed contract
  • do not rely on a salesperson’s opinion that your water heater is unsafe or should be replaced
  • local utility companies, municipalities, government agencies or regulatory organizations don’t send salespeople door-to-door
  • you do not have to sign a contract on the spot

Before you sign

Read a contract carefully and know your rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002.

Questions to ask

Ask these questions before you sign any contract and get the answers in writing.

  • How long is the contract for?
  • Will the company register a security interest (commonly known as a lien) on title to your home? This could have legal or financial consequences if you decide to cancel the contract early, apply for financing or sell your home. In these cases, you should also seek the advice of a lawyer.
  • When and how can you get out of the contract?
  • What are the consequences and costs if you cancel the contract?
  • Will the business automatically renew your contract without your consent? For example, does it say “without your prior consent”?
  • Are there any fees for removing your existing equipment, installing new equipment, or other added costs?
  • If you have an existing product with a current supplier, are you eligible for an upgrade? Will there be a cost to the upgrade?
  • Will you be responsible for transferring the contract to the purchase or paying cancellation fees if you decide to sell your home?
  • What kind of warranty does the business offer?

Costs you may still have to pay

Be sure before you sign. If your contract has a 10-day cooling-off period, you may still have to pay some costs if you solicited the product from the business and requested that the equipment be installed in your home before the 10 days are over. These costs may include:

  • any rental payments, which are still due if you cancel
  • any expenses the rental company must pay to remove the product or service
  • charges for unreasonable or excessive wear or use of the product or service

Three tips to keep in mind

  1. Remember that if you sign a new contract for a product or service, such as a water heater rental, you will have to end your existing contract with your current supplier. There may be fees for ending your current contract and having your existing product or service removed.
  2. You may be eligible for an upgrade from your current supplier. Call them and check your options before upgrading with a new supplier.
  3. When you buy a home, you may be taking on the responsibility for an existing appliance contract that comes with the home. Ask your real estate agent or your lawyer.

File a complaint

If you think a business has contravened the Consumer Protection Act, you can file a complaint about a contract signed in your home.

Door-to-door and associated mortgage contracts

We are aware that some consumers have been receiving calls from businesses offering them a mortgage to consolidate liens that were placed on title to their property as a result of door-to-door contracts.

Before entering into such a contract, we recommend that you do your research about the business contacting you, review your rights about the laws that may apply to your situation, and contact reputable organizations to learn more. 

You should seek legal advice from a lawyer who is not associated in any way with the person or organization offering you the mortgage.  Do not feel pressured into signing a mortgage you would not have otherwise asked for.

Who to contact

If you have already signed a mortgage contract, you may wish to contact one or more of the following organizations to get more information on your rights and the options available to you:

Home energy contracts

You do not have to sign a home energy contract. However, you should know who supplies your electricity or natural gas and how much energy you use every month.

The Energy Consumer Protection Act protects consumers from unfair or misleading energy companies.

Companies that sell energy contracts must be licenced by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) and must obey Ontario’s laws and rules.

The OEB also has information on:

  • what to consider before signing an energy contract
  • your rights and responsibilities
  • the rules around how energy contracts can be renewed

Read about energy contracts from the OEB.

Contact the OEB if you have a complaint about a home energy company.

Third-party net metering contracts

On July 1, 2022, amendments to laws administered by the Ministry of Energy clarified that third-party ownership arrangements involving power purchase arrangements, as well as leasing and financing third-party ownership models, are permitted under the net metering regulations.   

In the case of a power purchase agreement, the customer agrees to host a renewable generation facility that is owned and operated by the supplier on their property and purchases electricity on the basis of how much electricity is generated.

The supplier must be licensed by the Ontario Energy Board as an electricity retailer and comply with rules for retail contracts. Terms related to the generation equipment, such as solar panels, will be set out as a separate associated equipment agreement, which is not part of the retail contract.  

Who to contact

Contact the Ontario Energy Board if you have concerns about the purchase of electricity. 

If you have concerns about the associated equipment agreement, or about a leasing or financing agreement in which you are leasing or financing the equipment but not paying on the basis of the amount of electricity generated, the Consumer Protection Act may apply. 

Please contact Consumer Protection Ontario to provide more information about your contract so that we can see how we may assist you.

Contact us

If you have questions or concerns about any door-to-door experiences, call Consumer Protection Ontario from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.at: