Landlord in Ontario is asking for "first and last month's rent" — is "first month" actually a deposit?

Nothing's off — it's just two different things that happen to be due at the same time. "Last month's rent" is a genuine deposit (capped at one month's rent, must earn interest paid to you annually, and can only be applied to your actual final month) — Ontario doesn't allow a separate damage deposit on top of that. "First month's rent" isn't a deposit at all, it's simply your first rent payment, due on move-in like any other month. So paying both at signing is normal, but if a landlord tries to also collect a separate damage deposit, that's not allowed in Ontario. See /guides/renters-insurance-and-renting-basics for how this compares to BC/Alberta/Quebec, which are all different. General information from my own experience, not legal advice — for anything specific to your file, a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer can look at your actual documents.