Nov 15, 2026
Every few days, Pam Bartholomew checks her Kijiji inbox, hoping somebody wants to buy her burial plot. She listed it after moving from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to Aylmer, ON, and more than three months later, interest has been thin.
And that’s surprising. Toronto is running out of places to bury people and its population is aging, so an unused grave should be easy to sell. Plenty of Canadians are counting on it. Hundreds are now reselling plots on Kijiji, the Toronto Star reports.
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But a burial plot isn’t like buying a home. Ontario caps what you can charge, limits who can buy to resell and dictates how a sale must happen. The rules in place shape whether a listing ever becomes a sale.
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How short on burial space is Toronto?
The shortage is real. Only 23 of Toronto’s 206 registered cemeteries remain active, with all projected to reach maximum burial capacity within the next 10 to 30 years, according to The Local. That holds even after accounting for the falling burial rate and the rise in cremations.
That squeeze, plus an aging population, is why many resellers expect a quick sale, according to the Toronto Star. A scan of Kijiji’s GTA listings show asking prices from $3,000 for two Pickering graves to $135,000 for a double plot at Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
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What are you actually buying when you buy a plot?
You don’t buy the land. In Ontario, buying a plot means buying interment rights, or the right to place remains in a grave, crypt or niche.
Under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 (FBCSA), you can sell unused rights to a third party as long as the cemetery’s bylaws don’t prohibit it. The cemetery must confirm the seller actually owns the interment rights, update its official records, issue a brand-new certificate and will likely tack on an administrative transfer fee.
What happens if the cemetery outright bans private, third-party sales? Rights holders can then cancel, forcing the cemetery to repurchase the rights at its current listed rate, according to the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO), the government-delegated regulator that administers the FBCSA. The catch: cemeteries don’t have to buy back empty graves in a plot where another space is already occupied.
Why can’t some sellers find buyers?
Part of the answer is the price cap. The BAO requires resales at fair market value, capped against the operator’s price list. Only cemetery operators or other FBCSA licensees may buy rights in order to resell them for profit. Mount Pleasant Group’s resale guidance is blunt: plots cannot be sold or transferred for more than the current listed price of a comparable plot.
That means a private seller is effectively competing with the cemetery itself. If someone can buy an identical grave straight from the cemetery office without dealing with a stranger on the internet, they’ve got no reason to pay full price online. It’s no surprise, then, that one broker advertises Toronto plots at up to 50% below cemetery prices.
And just like a new home, it’s all about location. Families often want a grave near relatives, in a particular faith section or close enough to visit. No matter the cemetery shortage, a plot meant for one family won’t work for everyone.
What are the risks of buying a burial plot online?
The biggest risk is handing over money to someone who doesn’t have the legal right to transfer the plot to you. Only the registered rights holder can sell, and the cemetery has to process the transfer.
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The second is underbudgeting. The plot price covers the land only — opening and closing, vaults, markers, and transfer fees all cost extra. Ontario law requires cemetery operators to post lot prices on their public website, if they have one, so you can compare any listing with the cemetery’s own price.
Finally, read the bylaws. Strict rules on eligible interments or memorial types can make a “bargain” plot completely useless.
What to do now
If you’re selling:
- Ask the cemetery operator two things: are private resales permitted, and will they buy the plot back
- Check the current price list, and expect to price below it to attract buyers
- Detail the exact section, site access, and any included services in your listing
If you’re buying:
- Get the cemetery’s price list and bylaws before negotiating
- Confirm with the cemetery office that the seller legally owns the interment rights
- Don’t pay in full until the cemetery is ready to issue a certificate in your name
- Factor in the extras: interment, vault, marker, and transfer fees
For questions or complaints, the BAO can be reached toll-free at 1-844-493-6356.
Scarcity won’t sell a burial plot. For sellers, a fair discount and a fast, clean transfer are what turn a listing into a sale. A private plot is only a deal if it beats the cemetery’s all-in price and the paperwork is completely ironclad.
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Amy Tokic is an SEO content editor for Money.ca. She holds a B.A. in Communications from the University of Windsor. Amy is an award-winning author and has been writing professionally for 15 years, publishing articles in the lifestyle and health sectors.
