Facing Eviction in Ontario: A Tenant's Guide to the Landlord and Tenant Board
Finding a notice taped to your door is stressful — but it is important to understand one thing right away: in Ontario, a notice from your landlord is not an eviction. Only the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) can order you out, and only the Court Enforcement Office (the sheriff) can physically remove you. Until then, you have rights, deadlines, and chances to respond.
Residential tenancies in Ontario are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, and disputes are decided by the LTB.
A Notice Is Only the First Step
A landlord who wants to end a tenancy must serve the tenant with the correct Board form. Different situations use different notices. The most common is the N4 — Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent, used when rent has not been paid in full.
The N4 sets a termination date, but that date is not when you must leave. For a monthly or longer tenancy, the termination date must be at least 14 days after the notice is given; for a daily or weekly tenancy, at least 7 days. The notice simply warns that, if you do not pay or move out, the landlord may apply to the LTB.
You Can Often Stop a Non-payment Eviction by Paying
This is one of the most important rights tenants have, and many do not know it. If you pay everything you owe before the landlord files their application with the LTB, the N4 becomes void — the notice is cancelled and the tenancy continues. To void the notice you must pay the rent listed in it plus any rent that came due after you received it.
Even after an application is filed, tenants generally retain the ability to pay the full amount owing up to a late stage in the process and stop the eviction. Acting quickly preserves these options.
Other Common Notices
Not every notice is about rent. Landlords also use:
- N5 — for interference, damage, or overcrowding
- N12 — where the landlord, a purchaser, or a close family member intends to move into the unit in good faith
Each notice type has strict content and timing rules. A notice with the wrong dates, the wrong form, or missing details is defective — and a defective notice is one of the most common reasons applications fail at the LTB.
What Happens at the Hearing
If the landlord files an application, the LTB schedules a hearing — now held primarily by video. This is your opportunity to respond: to show the notice was defective, that the rent was paid, that there are maintenance issues offsetting what is owed, or to ask the Board to consider your circumstances. The LTB does not have to grant an eviction automatically; it weighs both sides.
Only after the Board issues an eviction order, and only if you do not leave by the deadline in that order, can the landlord ask the sheriff to enforce it. A landlord who changes the locks or removes your belongings without an order is acting illegally.
Do Not Wait
Eviction cases move on deadlines. Missing a hearing, or failing to respond to an application, can result in an order being made without your side being heard. The earlier you get advice, the more options you have — including paying to void a notice, raising a valid defence, or negotiating more time.
This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts.
Landlord and Tenant Representation at WP Legal Professional
If you are facing eviction, you do not have to navigate the Landlord and Tenant Board alone. At WP Legal Professional, our licensed paralegals represent tenants and landlords at the LTB across the Greater Toronto Area, and we serve clients in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Korean.
Act before the deadline. Contact us for a confidential consultation, or learn more about our landlord and tenant service.