In Ontario, you receive the keys to your new home on the closing date specified in your Agreement of Purchase and Sale. However, "closing date" doesn't mean "9 a.m." — the actual transfer typically happens in the afternoon, sometimes as late as 5 or 6 p.m. Here's what drives the timing and what to do when things are delayed.

What has to happen before keys change hands

Closing is a chain of events, each dependent on the one before it:

  1. Your lender advances the mortgage funds to your lawyer's trust account
  2. Your lawyer assembles the total purchase funds (mortgage advance + your down payment and closing costs) and sends them to the seller's lawyer
  3. The seller's lawyer confirms receipt of funds and authorizes the land registry office to register the transfer
  4. The transfer is registered — this is the moment you legally own the property
  5. The seller's lawyer releases the keys to the listing agent, who releases them to your buyer's agent or directly to you

Each step takes time. Mortgage advances, wire transfers, and land registry processing all move during business hours and don't happen instantly. The chain typically completes by early to mid-afternoon — but it can run later if anything in the chain is delayed.

Why you often get keys in the afternoon

Lawyers are managing multiple closings on any given day. Your file may not be the first processed. Wire transfers take 1–3 hours to clear. Land registry offices can be backlogged. Even in a perfectly smooth transaction, 2–4 p.m. for key receipt is typical. Plan your move-in accordingly — scheduling movers for 9 a.m. on closing day, expecting immediate possession, often leads to a frustrating morning of waiting.

If the sellers haven't vacated

This is one of the most common closing-day complications. Your agreement specifies that the property is delivered "vacant" on the closing date. If you arrive and the sellers are still present, or their belongings haven't been removed, notify your agent and lawyer immediately. Your lawyer can hold closing funds or apply legal pressure. In practice, most "still there" situations resolve within hours — but document everything and don't accept the keys until the property is actually in the condition the agreement requires.

When closing is delayed

Delays on closing day happen. Common causes include wire transfer delays, a title issue that surfaces at the last minute, or a problem in a chain of transactions (if the sellers are closing on their next home the same day and that deal is delayed, it creates a cascade). If your closing is materially delayed beyond the closing date — meaning it won't happen that day at all — both lawyers communicate to arrange an extension. Brief extensions of one to three days are typically handled without formal amendments to the agreement.

If the delay is the seller's fault (they failed to deliver vacant possession, there's a title problem they need to resolve), they may owe you compensation for carrying costs — discuss this with your lawyer.

What to do on closing day

  • Don't book movers for first thing in the morning — mid-morning at earliest, with the understanding that you may not have access until early afternoon
  • Have your phone charged and available so your agent or lawyer can reach you when keys are ready
  • Have your ID available — some handoff arrangements require verification
  • Do your final walkthrough the evening before if possible, so you're not discovering problems at the same moment you're trying to coordinate movers

After you have the keys

First priority: change the locks. The seller surrendered all known copies, but there may be other keys in circulation — contractors, cleaners, previous occupants. A lock rekey costs $100–$200 per door. Do it immediately. Then: confirm utilities are in your name, update your address with Canada Post, CRA, your bank, and your employer, and register with the condo management if applicable.