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Real Estate Law · Toronto

Real Estate Lawyer in Toronto

A Toronto purchase is taxed twice: the province's land transfer tax, and the City's own on top of it. Get matched with a licensed real estate lawyer who takes real estate matters in Toronto and the surrounding region.

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Most of what a real estate lawyer does on a Toronto closing is the same work they would do anywhere in Ontario: search the title, satisfy the lender, move the money and register the transfer. What is different here is the bill, because a Toronto purchase is taxed twice.

That second tax is not a rounding error, and it changed again this year. Work out what it comes to, and which rebates you can still claim after closing, before you sign anything.

Olanur is a legal matching platform, not a law firm, and has no office in Toronto. The work described on this page is performed by independent licensed lawyers you can be matched with, each of whom sets their own fee. Nothing here is legal advice about your situation.

real estate lawyer Toronto

Toronto is taxed twice, and the rates moved in April 2026

Every property purchase in Toronto attracts the provincial land transfer tax and a municipal one. Both are set out below, with the figures as the province and the city publish them.

  1. Two taxes, not one

    Toronto charges a Municipal Land Transfer Tax under the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and Chapter 760 of the Toronto Municipal Code. It has applied to purchases of all property in the city since 1 February 2008, in addition to the provincial land transfer tax.

  2. What that comes to

    Both ladders run at 0.5 per cent to $55,000, 1 per cent to $250,000, 1.5 per cent to $400,000 and 2 per cent above it. On a $900,000 home with one or two single family residences, the provincial tax is $14,475 and the municipal tax is another $14,475, for $28,950 due on closing. The same purchase in Mississauga attracts the provincial $14,475 and nothing municipal.

  3. The 2026 change at the top end

    Graduated municipal rates above $3 million are not new: they have applied since 1 January 2024. What changed is their level. City Council raised them on 17 December 2025 with effect from 1 April 2026, so the band from $3 million to $4 million went from 3.5 to 4.40 per cent, and the bands above it now run 5.45, 6.50, 7.55 and 8.60 per cent over $20 million. The provincial ladder still stops at 2.5 per cent.

  4. First-time buyers claim twice

    There are two separate rebates and you claim both. The province refunds up to $4,000, which means no provincial tax on the first $368,000. Toronto rebates up to $4,475 of the municipal tax. The core conditions are the same for both: you must be at least 18, you must never have held an ownership interest in an eligible home anywhere in the world, and you must occupy the home as your principal residence within nine months of the transfer.

  5. If you missed the rebate on closing

    You can still apply to the City for up to 18 months after the transfer. There is a $221.22 fee to process a rebate after registration, and the City does not accept utility or property tax bills as proof of occupancy. A driver's licence or a phone bill in your name at the new address does qualify.

  6. Buyers who are not citizens or permanent residents

    The provincial Non-Resident Speculation Tax has been 25 per cent since 25 October 2022 and applies anywhere in Ontario. Toronto added its own Municipal Non-Resident Speculation Tax of 10 per cent on 1 January 2025, on top of the municipal land transfer tax. Both carry rebates if you become a permanent resident, with their own deadlines.

Sources, checked 15 September 2026

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Real Estate Lawyer Toronto: What You Can Be Matched For

The work people in Toronto ask for most often. If your situation does not fit neatly into one of these, describe it in your own words and the match is made from that instead.

All Real Estate Law services

Purchase of Property

Full legal services for buying a residential property, representing you from the signed agreement through to keys in hand.

  • Buyer-side closing
  • Title search coordination
  • Lender documents, registration and reporting
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Condo Status Certificate Review

Review of a condo status certificate before you buy, checking the reserve fund, arrears, special assessments, litigation and rules that could make the unit an expensive surprise.

  • Status certificate review
  • Reserve fund and assessment check
  • Buyer risk summary
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Agreement of Purchase and Sale Review

A lawyer reviews the purchase or sale agreement before you sign it, while the conditions, deposit terms and closing dates can still be changed.

  • Full APS review
  • Plain-English risk summary
  • Suggested changes before signing
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Sale of Property

Full legal services for selling a residential property, representing the seller through closing day.

  • Seller-side closing
  • Title and document review
  • Payout coordination and final reporting
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Mortgage Refinance

Legal services for refinancing a residential mortgage, coordinated with your lender's closing requirements.

  • Refinance closing
  • Lender document handling
  • Registrations and payout coordination
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Title Transfer

Legal services for transferring title to a residential property, whether between family members, into a trust, or after a life change.

  • Transfer document preparation
  • Registration coordination
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FAQ

Real Estate Lawyer Toronto: Questions People Ask

Do I need a lawyer to buy a house in Toronto?

In practice, yes. A transfer of land in Ontario is registered electronically through Teraview, and the land transfer tax statements the province requires are completed as part of that registration. Lenders also require a lawyer to certify title and handle their funds, and title insurance covers a different set of risks again. The real question is not whether you need one but whether the fee you are quoted covers the whole file.

How much is land transfer tax on a Toronto home?

You pay two. On a $900,000 home with one or two single family residences the provincial tax is $14,475 and Toronto's municipal tax is another $14,475, so $28,950 is due on closing. A first-time buyer claims up to $4,000 back from the province and up to $4,475 from the City, bringing that same purchase to $20,475.

What changed about Toronto land transfer tax in 2026?

The rates on high value homes went up. Graduated municipal bands above $3 million have existed since 1 January 2024, and on 17 December 2025 City Council raised them with effect from 1 April 2026. Nothing changed below $3 million. Above it the municipal rate now rises through 4.40, 5.45, 6.50 and 7.55 per cent to 8.60 per cent over $20 million, where the previous bands ran from 3.5 to 7.5 per cent.

I already closed and did not claim the first-time buyer rebate. Is it too late?

Not if you are inside 18 months of the transfer. Both the provincial refund and the Toronto rebate can be claimed afterwards. The City charges $221.22 to process a rebate after registration and asks for proof that you occupied the home within nine months, which it will not accept in the form of a utility or property tax bill.

I am buying a Toronto condo. What should the lawyer be reviewing?

The status certificate, which sets out the corporation's finances, its reserve fund, any special assessment, the rules that bind you and whether the unit is in arrears. It is a time-limited document and reviewing it is a distinct piece of work from the closing itself, so confirm it is included in the quote and not billed on top.

I am not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. What do I pay?

In Toronto, both speculation taxes. The provincial Non-Resident Speculation Tax is 25 per cent and applies across Ontario. Toronto's municipal version adds 10 per cent on certain residential purchases in the city. Rebates exist if you become a permanent resident within four years, and the application window is short, so get advice before you sign, not after.

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Before You Call Anyone

Three guides covering the real estate lawyer Toronto questions this page deliberately does not put a number on, because the figures belong to the posts that own them.