Straight answers to the questions landlords, property managers and tenants actually Google — every answer grounded in the official process and our catalogue of 49,269+ real LTB orders.
The LTB is the Ontario tribunal that resolves disputes between residential landlords and tenants and applies the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. It handles evictions, rent, maintenance, and tenant-rights applications.
No — you can represent yourself. Many landlords and tenants do. A licensed paralegal or lawyer is recommended for contested hearings. The information on LandlordEzy is general information, not legal advice.
The LTB charges a filing fee that varies by application type (for example, landlord L1/L2 applications and some tenant applications). Check the current fee on the official LTB form before filing.
An N-form (N4, N5, N12…) is the notice you serve on the other party. An L-form (L1, L2) is the landlord's application to the LTB, and a T-form (T2, T5, T6) is the tenant's application. Serving a notice does not evict anyone by itself — you must apply to the LTB and get an order.
No. In Ontario a landlord cannot lawfully evict without an LTB order, and only the Sheriff can enforce it. Self-help evictions (changing locks, removing belongings) are illegal.
Use LandlordEzy's case-law search to describe your situation in plain words and pull real, comparable Ontario LTB orders — with file numbers you can cite at your hearing.
The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) is the Ontario law that governs most residential tenancies — rent, notices, evictions, maintenance, and the LTB's powers.
It depends on the reason. Non-payment (N4) uses a 14-day notice; own-use (N12) and renovation (N13) use 60 days; serious safety (N7) can be as short as 10 days. Always confirm the exact termination date rules on the specific form.
Landlord
Serve the N4 (Notice to End your Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent) first. If the tenant doesn't comply by the termination date, file the L1 (Application to Evict a Tenant for Non-payment of Rent and to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes) with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
The N4 termination date must be at least 14 days after the notice is given for monthly/yearly tenancies (7 days for daily/weekly). You may file the L1 the day after the termination date passes. Confirm the exact date on the N4 form.
1. Serve the tenant an N4 stating the exact rent owed and a termination date. Keep proof of how and when you served it. 2. Give the tenant the chance to void the notice: if they pay everything owing on or before the termination date, the N4 is cancelled and the tenancy continues. 3. If it is still unpaid after the termination date, file an L1 with the LTB (online via the Tribunals Ontario Portal, or by email) and pay the filing fee. 4. The LTB schedules a hearing. Prepare your evidence: the lease, a rent ledger showing every charge and payment, and proof you served the N4. 5. At the hearing, present what is owed. The tenant may raise issues (e.g. maintenance) that can affect the outcome. 6. If you succeed, the LTB issues an eviction/payment order. Only the Court Enforcement Office (Sheriff) can physically evict — you cannot.
Never change the locks, remove belongings, or shut off utilities — only the Sheriff can enforce an eviction. The tenant can pay to void the N4 up to the termination date, and can usually pay the full amount to cancel the eviction any time before the Sheriff enforces it.
No. Only the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) can enforce an eviction order. Changing the locks or removing a tenant yourself is an illegal lockout and can expose you to a tenant T2 application.
Landlord
Serve the N8 (Notice to End your Tenancy at the End of the Term) first. If the tenant doesn't comply by the termination date, file the L2 (Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant) with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
An N8 for persistent late payment must give at least 60 days' notice and end on the last day of a rental period (28 days for daily/weekly). Verify on the N8 form.
1. Keep a clear record of the pattern of late payments (dates rent was due vs. dates actually paid). 2. Serve the tenant an N8 for persistent late payment, with a termination date at the end of a rental period. 3. If the tenant does not move out, file an L2 with the LTB and pay the filing fee. 4. At the hearing, show the payment history that establishes the persistent lateness.
This is about the PATTERN of lateness, not a current balance — if the issue is unpaid rent right now, use the non-payment (N4/L1) path instead.
No. Only the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) can enforce an eviction order. Changing the locks or removing a tenant yourself is an illegal lockout and can expose you to a tenant T2 application.
Landlord
Serve the N5 (Notice to End your Tenancy for Interfering with Others, Damage or Overcrowding) first. If the tenant doesn't comply by the termination date, file the L2 (Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant) with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
A first N5 gives the tenant 7 days to fix the issue and sets a termination date 20 days after the notice. A second N5 within 6 months is not voidable (14-day termination). Verify on the N5 form.
1. Document the problem thoroughly: dates, photos of damage, complaints from other tenants, and any communications. 2. Serve a first N5. The tenant has 7 days to correct the behaviour or repair/pay for the damage — if they do, the notice is void. 3. If the tenant corrects it, the tenancy continues. If the SAME or similar problem happens again within 6 months, you may serve a second N5 that cannot be voided. 4. If the behaviour is not corrected (or on a valid second N5), file an L2 with the LTB and pay the filing fee. 5. At the hearing, present your dated evidence and any witnesses.
A FIRST N5 is voidable — the tenant fixing the problem cancels it. Only a valid second N5 within 6 months, or an uncorrected first N5, supports an L2. Serious/willful damage or safety issues use a different, faster path (N7) — see that option.
No. Only the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) can enforce an eviction order. Changing the locks or removing a tenant yourself is an illegal lockout and can expose you to a tenant T2 application.
Landlord
Serve the N6 (Notice to End your Tenancy For Illegal Acts or Misrepresenting Income in a Rent-Geared-to-Income Rental Unit) first. If the tenant doesn't comply by the termination date, file the L2 (Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant) with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
An N6 for an illegal act generally gives a 20-day termination date (10 days where it involves production/trafficking of drugs). Verify on the N6 form.
1. Gather evidence of the illegal act (e.g. police reports, charges, direct evidence). This path is serious and evidence-heavy. 2. Serve an N6 for the illegal act. 3. File an L2 with the LTB and pay the filing fee. 4. At the hearing, present the evidence establishing the illegal act.
This is a serious ground with a high evidentiary bar — strongly consider a licensed paralegal or lawyer.
No. Only the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) can enforce an eviction order. Changing the locks or removing a tenant yourself is an illegal lockout and can expose you to a tenant T2 application.
Landlord
Serve the N7 (Notice to End your Tenancy For Causing Serious Problems in the Rental Unit or Residential Complex) first. If the tenant doesn't comply by the termination date, file the L2 (Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant) with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
An N7 sets a termination date only 10 days after the notice is given. Verify on the N7 form.
1. Document the serious damage or safety problem with photos, reports, and witness accounts. 2. Serve an N7. Unlike a first N5, an N7 is not voidable. 3. File an L2 with the LTB and pay the filing fee. 4. At the hearing, present your evidence of the seriousness.
Reserve N7 for genuinely serious/willful damage or safety impairment — ordinary damage or disturbance uses the N5 path.
No. Only the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) can enforce an eviction order. Changing the locks or removing a tenant yourself is an illegal lockout and can expose you to a tenant T2 application.
Landlord
Serve the N12 (Notice to End your Tenancy Because the Landlord, a Purchaser or a Family Member Requires the Rental Unit) first. If the tenant doesn't comply by the termination date, file the L2 (Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant) with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
An N12 must give at least 60 days' notice and end on the last day of a rental period. The one-month compensation is due by the termination date. Verify on the N12 form.
1. Confirm the person moving in qualifies (you, your spouse, child or parent, your spouse's child or parent, or a purchaser under an agreement of purchase and sale) and intends to occupy for at least one year. 2. Pay the tenant compensation of one month's rent (or offer another acceptable unit) on or before the termination date. 3. Serve an N12 with a termination date at the end of a rental period. An L2 based on an N12 must include the required affidavit/declaration of good faith. 4. If the tenant does not move out, file an L2 with the LTB and pay the filing fee. 5. At the hearing, be ready to prove genuine good-faith intention to occupy.
One month's rent (or an offer of another acceptable rental unit), due on or before the termination date.
Good faith is essential. If the unit is not actually used as stated, the tenant can file a T5 (bad-faith notice) and the LTB can order significant remedies.
No. Only the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) can enforce an eviction order. Changing the locks or removing a tenant yourself is an illegal lockout and can expose you to a tenant T2 application.
Landlord
Serve the N13 (Notice to End your Tenancy Because the Landlord Wants to Demolish the Rental Unit, Repair it or Convert it to Another Use) first. If the tenant doesn't comply by the termination date, file the L2 (Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant) with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
An N13 generally must give at least 120 days' notice and end on the last day of a rental period. Compensation rules depend on the number of units. Verify on the N13 form.
1. Confirm the work genuinely requires vacant possession and the necessary permits. 2. Provide the required compensation (generally the amount set by the RTA, e.g. months of rent, or an offer of another unit — depends on building size). 3. Serve an N13 with the required notice period. 4. If the tenant does not move out, file an L2 with the LTB and pay the filing fee. 5. For major repairs/renovations, the tenant may have a first right of refusal to move back in at a similar rent — honour it if applicable.
Required — the amount depends on the residential complex size and the reason (e.g. one or more months' rent, or an offer of another unit).
"Renovictions" are heavily scrutinised. The repairs must be genuine and require the unit to be empty; bad-faith N13s expose you to a T5 application.
No. Only the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) can enforce an eviction order. Changing the locks or removing a tenant yourself is an illegal lockout and can expose you to a tenant T2 application.
Tenant
File the T6 (Tenant Application about Maintenance) with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
File within one year of the problem. There is no notice form — but writing to the landlord first strengthens your application. Verify current filing options on the LTB site.
1. Tell the landlord about the problem in writing and give them a reasonable chance to fix it. Keep a copy. 2. Document everything: dated photos/video, the written requests, and any health/by-law inspection reports. 3. File a T6 with the LTB and pay the filing fee (you can ask for a fee waiver if eligible). 4. At the hearing, present your evidence of the disrepair and the landlord's failure to act. 5. The LTB can order repairs, a rent abatement (refund), and other remedies.
Do not stop paying rent because of repairs — that can lead to your own N4/L1. Keep paying and pursue the T6.
Tenant
File the T2 (Application about Tenant Rights) with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Generally file within one year of the conduct. Verify current filing options on the LTB site.
1. Record each incident: dates, times, what happened, and any witnesses or messages. 2. File a T2 with the LTB and pay the filing fee (fee waiver available if eligible). 3. At the hearing, present your timeline and evidence. 4. The LTB can order the conduct to stop, a rent abatement, and other remedies (including allowing you to end the tenancy early in some cases).
A lockout or a shut-off of a vital service is urgent — you can ask the LTB for an expedited hearing, and municipal by-law/police may also help.
Tenant
File the T5 (Landlord Gave a Notice of Termination in Bad Faith) with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
File within one year of moving out because of the notice. Verify current filing options on the LTB site.
1. Gather proof the unit was not used as the notice claimed (e.g. a new listing, a new tenant, or that it sat empty/relisted shortly after). 2. File a T5 with the LTB and pay the filing fee (fee waiver available if eligible). 3. At the hearing, show the notice you were given and the evidence of bad faith. 4. The LTB can order the landlord to pay a rent differential, moving/storage costs, a general abatement, and even a fine.
Evidence that the stated reason was false is the heart of a T5 — listings, new-tenant records, and timing matter most.
General information, not legal advice — it doesn't create a paralegal–client relationship. Confirm exact deadlines on the official LTB form and rely on a licensed paralegal or lawyer for representation.