TorontoReverseMortgage.ca lists the fall 2026 dates that matter to Toronto homeowners 60 and older, starting with the Toronto property tax relief deadline: 2026 applications are due November 2.
Fall 2026 dates at a glance
| Date | What happens | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 24, 4:30 p.m. | Last day to ask for a mail-in ballot | Voters |
| Oct 6 to 11 | Advance voting | Voters |
| Oct 15 | Property tax and Vacant Home Tax instalments | Owners on the pre-authorized plan or billed the tax |
| Oct 26 | Municipal election day | Voters |
| Oct 28 | Bank of Canada rate decision | Anyone watching rates |
| Nov 2 | Deadline to apply for 2026 property tax relief | Low-income seniors and people with disabilities |
| Nov 16 | Property tax and last Vacant Home Tax instalments | Owners on the pre-authorized plan or billed the tax |
| Dec 9 | Bank of Canada rate decision, the last of 2026 | Anyone watching rates |
| Dec 15 | Last 2026 pre-authorized property tax instalment | Owners on that plan |
| Dec 31 | Deadline to dispute a 2025 Vacant Home Tax bill | Owners billed the tax |
November 2: the property tax relief deadline
The City’s relief programs cancel or defer the year’s property tax increase and give water and solid waste rebates to low-income seniors and people with disabilities. Applications for 2026 are due Monday, November 2, and you must reapply every year (City of Toronto).
A City news release from February 3 gave the date as Friday, October 31, but October 31 is a Saturday this year. Applying before the end of October meets both dates.
- Income: all owners living in the home, including a spouse, must have a combined income of $62,000 or less.
- Cancellation: for owners 65 and older, owners 60 to 64 receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement or the Spouse’s Allowance, and owners receiving disability benefits. The assessment must be below $975,000, and you still pay the base tax.
- Deferral: postpones the increase, with no assessment limit and wider ages, including 50 and older with a registered pension. The deferred tax becomes due when the home is sold or transferred.
- Water rebate: 30% off a metered water bill for homes using less than 400 cubic metres a year.
- Other rules: at least a year of owning and living in the home before October 31, 2026, no unpaid taxes from past years, and the utility account paid in full.
Assessments are still based on January 1, 2016 values, so the $975,000 limit applies to that older value (MPAC). The 2026 increase on the average Toronto home, assessed at $692,140, was $92 (2026 budget report).
A property tax deferral and a reverse mortgage are one route or the other: how Toronto’s property tax deferral works.
Bank of Canada decisions: October 28 and December 9
The Bank of Canada raised its policy rate by 0.25 points to 2.5% on October 28, 2026 (Bank of Canada), after holding it at 2.25% on September 2. Its next decision is December 9, at 9:45 a.m. Eastern time (upcoming events).
Reverse mortgage 5-year fixed rates ranged from 6.23% to 6.49%, as advertised by the lenders and checked October 31, 2026 (what a reverse mortgage costs in Toronto).
Property tax and Vacant Home Tax payments
The City’s 11-instalment pre-authorized plan has three property tax withdrawals left in 2026: October 15, November 16 and December 15 (City of Toronto).
Vacant Home Tax dates matter only to owners billed for 2025. Every residential owner must declare each year, even for the home they live in, and a home with no declaration is billed as vacant at 3% of its assessed value (Vacant Home Tax).
The 2025 tax is due in three instalments: September 15, October 15 and November 16, 2026. Bills can be disputed until December 31, 2026. A home can be exempt for up to two years in a row when its main resident spent at least six months of the year in a hospital or a long-term or supportive care facility (the Vacant Home Tax when a parent moves into care).
Unpaid Vacant Home Tax is added to the property’s taxes and charged 1.25% a month (property tax arrears in Toronto).
October 26: the municipal election
Election day is Monday, October 26, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Advance voting is October 6 to 11, and mail-in ballots must be requested by September 24 at 4:30 p.m. (City of Toronto elections). The council elected that day sets the City’s 2027 tax rates and relief thresholds.
Free library sessions on wills, estates and retirement
These Toronto Public Library sessions are free. Events can change or be cancelled, so check each event page before you go.
- Oct 1, Oct 15, Oct 29, Nov 12 and Nov 26, 2 to 4 p.m., Queen/Saulter: Financial Workshops for Seniors, for low-income seniors, on Old Age Security, the Guaranteed Income Supplement and income tax.
- Tuesday, Oct 20, 1 to 2 p.m., Maryvale: How to Prevent Frauds and Scams for Older Adults, given by a retired lawyer. Registration required.
- Monday, Nov 2, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Richview: Estate Planning, on powers of attorney, wills, joint accounts, gifting and trusts. Drop in.
- Thursday, Nov 5, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Mount Dennis: Retirement Planning, covering the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security.
- Monday, Nov 16, 2 to 3 p.m., Yorkville: How to Avoid Legal Problems, on powers of attorney, wills and codicils (changes to a will). Registration opens Nov 2.