The Process at a Glance
An eviction for non-payment of rent runs through four stages, and each has its own form, its own earliest date and its own way for the tenant to end it by paying. Only the Board can end the tenancy, and only the sheriff can remove a tenant who stays after an order.2,7
| Stage | Form or step | Earliest timing | How the tenant can stop it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice | N4 | The day after rent was due; termination date at least 7 days later, plus time for mail or courier | Pay the arrears and any new rent before the landlord files1 |
| Application | L1, with the N4 and a Certificate of Service | The day after the N4 termination date | Pay the arrears, new rent and the filing fee before the order issues1 |
| Hearing | Notice of hearing from the LTB, usually a Zoom or phone hearing | Set by the LTB | Agree a payment plan, or raise issues on the stated conditions7 |
| Order and enforcement | Eviction order, filed with the Court Enforcement Office | The date in the order | Pay the amount in the order before it becomes enforceable, or once per tenancy before the sheriff acts1 |
Step 1: The N4 Notice
The N4 is the Notice to End your Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent. Rent is due by midnight on the due date, so the earliest you can give the notice is the day after; with rent due on March 1, that is March 2.4 The tenant must still be living in the unit.4
Since September 21, 2026, the termination date in the notice can be no earlier than the 7th day after the notice is given.1 The LTB says an N4 given before that date follows the old rule: 14 days for monthly or yearly rent, 7 days for daily or weekly rent.6 Do not count the day you give the notice. Add one business day if you send it by courier and five days if you mail it.4
The notice must state the rent owing and tell the tenant they can avoid termination by paying that amount, plus any rent that has come due since, by the termination date.1 The LTB’s checklist is where most N4s fail:
- Name every tenant in possession and give each one a copy.4
- Use the full address, including the unit number and postal code.4
- Claim rent only. Parking or a flat monthly utility charge paid to you counts as rent; utilities the tenant pays to the utility, the last month’s rent deposit and NSF charges do not.4
- Make the total on page one match the rent owing table on page three.4
- Sign and date it. Hand it over, leave it in the mailbox, slide it under the door, or send it by fax, courier or mail. Posting it on the door is not allowed.4
An invalid notice can get the application dismissed, and you start again.4 Keep a copy of what you served: you will file it with the application.
Step 2: The L1 Application
If the tenant hasn’t paid or moved out by the termination date, you can file Form L1 from the next day.1 The tenant must still be in the unit when you file. If they have left, the route is an L10 claim instead, which you must file within one year of the move-out.5
The filing needs the completed L1, a copy of the N4, the Certificate of Service showing how and when you served it, and the fee. Missing any of them gets the application refused.5 The L1 fee is $201, or $186 if you file through the Tribunals Ontario Portal.8
Include all rent owing up to the filing date, not just the N4 amount, and any NSF bank charges plus your administration charge of up to $20 per cheque.5 The Board subtracts any rent deposit and interest you hold from what the tenant owes.2 The most the LTB can order is $50,000; above that, a landlord who wants the full amount should go to court, because filing at the Board gives up the excess.5,2
Most notices of termination must be acted on within 30 days of the termination date, but that limit does not apply to an application based on unpaid rent.1 If you want the money but not the eviction, an L9 application collects arrears while the tenancy continues; an L9 order cannot later be used to evict.6
Step 3: Before and at the Hearing
The LTB sends both sides the application and a notice of hearing with the date, time and format. Most hearings are virtual, by Zoom or phone; in-person hearings are scheduled only on an approved accommodation request.7
Many arrears files never reach a hearing. If you and the tenant agree a payment plan on the LTB’s mandatory Payment Agreement Form and file it before the hearing starts, the Board can issue a consent order without one.2,6 If the tenant later misses a payment and agreed to that term, you can apply for eviction without a hearing on an L4 within 30 days of the missed payment.6
If the hearing goes ahead, file the L1/L9 Application Information Update five business days before it, and share your evidence with the tenant at least seven business days before.7 The tenant can raise their own issues, such as maintenance, but for applications filed on or after September 21, 2026 they must give written notice and pay you at least half the arrears claimed, directly and not into the Board, at least seven days before the hearing.2,3,6
The member must consider whether to refuse the eviction or delay it before granting it.2 The Board must refuse if the landlord is in serious breach of their obligations, or if the application is retaliation for the tenant enforcing their rights or complaining to authorities.2 Since September 21, 2026, the Board can postpone enforcement of most eviction orders only with the landlord’s consent, or if postponing is not unfair to the landlord or other tenants and there are compelling grounds.3 Neither the Act nor the regulation says how this applies to an application filed before that date, so ask the Board or a representative if yours was.
Step 4: The Order and Enforcement
An eviction order for arrears sets out the rent owing, a daily compensation amount and any costs, and the amount the tenant must pay to void it.1 If the tenant pays that amount before the order becomes enforceable, the order is void.1 After that date, but before the sheriff carries out the eviction, the tenant can still pay everything owing and bring a motion to set the order aside, once per tenancy.1
If the tenant doesn’t pay or leave, file the order with the Court Enforcement Office, also called the sheriff’s office. The money part of the order is enforced separately through the Small Claims Court.7 An eviction order expires if it isn’t filed with the sheriff within six months of taking effect.2
You cannot take possession yourself. A landlord can recover a unit only when the tenant has left or a Board order authorizes it, and changing the locks without one is an illegal lockout.2,7
Either side can ask the Board to review an order within 15 days of its issue, for orders made since July 1, 2026, and can appeal to the Divisional Court within 30 days, but only on a question of law.2
Why Timelines Vary
Only the notice periods are fixed. The LTB publishes a service timeline for issuing orders after a hearing, but its hearing-scheduling figures rest on 2024 volumes, so this page gives no hearing wait. The LTB publishes no timeline for sheriff enforcement.
What moves a file in practice:
- Service. Mailing the N4 adds five days; courier adds one business day.4
- Errors. A wrong amount, a missing tenant or an unsigned notice can send you back to the start.4
- Payments. Full payment voids the notice or the order at each stage.1
- Agreements. A filed payment agreement replaces the hearing with a consent order.2
- Tenant issues and reviews. A tenant who meets the conditions can raise repair or rights issues at the hearing, and either side can request a review.2
The cheaper fix sits before the lease. Checking an applicant’s income and rental history at the source, within what Ontario allows landlords to ask, is how most landlords try to avoid rent arrears in the first place.
This page is general information about Ontario law, not legal advice. Eviction rules changed on September 21, 2026; for a specific file, contact the LTB or get advice from a lawyer or licensed paralegal.
Questions
How Many Days Does an N4 Give the Tenant?
At least 7 days for an N4 given on or after September 21, 2026, not counting the day it is given. Add five days if you mail it and one business day by courier. Notices given before that date followed the old 14-day rule for monthly rent.1,6
When Can a Landlord File an L1?
From the day after the termination date in the N4, if the tenant hasn’t paid the arrears and is still living in the unit. There is no 30-day deadline for an application based on unpaid rent.1
Can the Tenant Stop the Eviction by Paying?
Yes. Paying in full before the landlord files voids the N4; paying arrears, new rent and the fee before the order discontinues the application; paying before the order is enforceable voids it. After that, a tenant can pay and move to set it aside once per tenancy.1
Sources
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17
Government of Ontario, e-Laws, ss. 59, 69, 71 and 74, consolidated from September 21, 2026. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17
Government of Ontario, e-Laws, ss. 39, 81, 82, 83, 85, 87(4), 206, 207, 209 and 210, consolidated from September 21, 2026. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- O. Reg. 516/06: General (Residential Tenancies Act, 2006)
Government of Ontario, e-Laws, ss. 8.3 and 8.4, as amended by O. Reg. 241/26. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Instructions: N4 Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent, and Form N4 (2026/09)
Landlord and Tenant Board, Tribunals Ontario, Sections A to D; N4 checklist; updated September 21, 2026. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Instructions: Form L1, Application to Evict a Tenant for Non-Payment of Rent and to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes
Landlord and Tenant Board, Tribunals Ontario, Sections A, B and D; Part 5 Section 2; Part 6 note on the $50,000 limit; July 2026. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- If a Tenant Does Not Pay Rent
Landlord and Tenant Board, Tribunals Ontario, Rules about termination dates; Work out a payment plan; Apply for Just the Rent Owed; Raising Tenant Issues at the Hearing; last updated September 21, 2026. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Application and hearing process
Landlord and Tenant Board, Tribunals Ontario, Panels 1, 4, 5, 6 (Enforcement of an LTB order) and 7 (LTB service timelines). Accessed October 22, 2026.
- Forms, filing and fees
Landlord and Tenant Board, Tribunals Ontario, Fees: Application fees for landlords. Accessed October 22, 2026.
