How long does it take to evict a tenant?

It is a formal, multi-step process, and the landlord cannot skip any step. The landlord serves the correct notice, gets an order of possession from the Residential Tenancy Branch, takes it to the BC Supreme Court for a writ of possession and uses a court bailiff. Changing the locks, removing belongings or calling the police to evict is not allowed. See the BC eviction process.

There is no single figure. The notice step can take 7 to 20 days for unpaid rent depending on the province, the hearing depends on how soon one is scheduled, and enforcement depends on the sheriff or bailiff. The table on this page shows what each province publishes. See how to evict a tenant.

For unpaid rent, in most provinces paying within the allowed window cancels the notice, so the tenancy continues: for example 5 days in British Columbia, 7 days in New Brunswick and 10 days in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In Newfoundland and Labrador it works only twice in 12 months. We found no rule on a landlord withdrawing a notice for other reasons, so ask your tenancy office.

None of the provinces covered here publish a bailiff or sheriff wait time. Some publish deadlines around enforcement: a Saskatchewan writ expires 30 days after it is ordered, Manitoba requires filing the order within 90 days (non-payment) or 30 days, and an Ontario order expires if not filed with the Sheriff within 6 months. Ask the sheriff or enforcement office for current timing.

Published decision times are: within 2 working days generally in Manitoba, within 30 days in British Columbia, within 30 days at the latest in Alberta, most orders within 30 days of the hearing in Ontario, within 14 days of the hearing in Nova Scotia and within 90 days of the application in Prince Edward Island. We found no published decision time for Saskatchewan, New Brunswick or Newfoundland and Labrador.

Read the notice, check whether it is on the right form and gives enough days, and if it is for unpaid rent, paying everything owing before the termination date voids it. If the landlord applies, attend the telephone hearing and bring your evidence. After an order you can ask to set it aside within 20 days, or appeal on a question of law within 30 days. See can a landlord evict you immediately.

We found no seasonal restriction in the sources reviewed for the provinces covered here. Alberta's handbook says the Act does not restrict ending a tenancy in the winter months, and Prince Edward Island's Rental Office says the rules are the same year-round. Ontario's Board can delay an eviction in an individual case.

No. In the provinces covered here the removal is done by a sheriff, bailiff or enforcement agency acting on an order, and the research shows changing the locks or removing belongings to force a tenant out is prohibited or restricted (British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador say so directly). Penalties include up to $5,000 in British Columbia and up to $100,000 for an individual in Ontario. See can a landlord change the locks.

Filing fees in the provinces covered here include $75 or $150 in Alberta, $100 in British Columbia, $60 in Manitoba, $50 in Saskatchewan, $31.15 in Nova Scotia and $20 in Newfoundland and Labrador. We found no confirmed fee for New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island. Sheriff and bailiff fees are extra.

The notice for unpaid rent runs first, and its length depends on the province: 14 clear days in Alberta, 10 days in British Columbia, at least 15 days in New Brunswick, not earlier than 20 days after receipt in Prince Edward Island, and 7 days in Ontario for notices given on or after September 21, 2026. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have their own periods, shown in the table above. Those are notice periods, not a total: a tenant who neither pays nor leaves can stay until the landlord gets an order and a sheriff or bailiff enforces it, which adds the hearing wait and the enforcement step. In most provinces covered here the tenant can also end the notice by paying what is owed in time.

A notice sets the earliest date the tenancy can end, but it does not remove the tenant by itself. If the tenant stays, the landlord has to apply to the tribunal, office or court, get an order, and then have a sheriff, bailiff or enforcement agency carry it out. After an order, Manitoba's usually gives a move date 7 days later and a Newfoundland and Labrador order usually says to move immediately, but an appeal can add time: in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island a valid appeal or application stays the order (in Saskatchewan, a tenant appealing a rent eviction must first deposit one month's rent with the director). SQRFT advice (not law): do not ignore a notice or a hearing date, because Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador each let a hearing go ahead without a party who was properly served.

In most provinces covered here, paying what is owed in time cancels a notice for unpaid rent. The windows are before the termination date in Alberta, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador (in Newfoundland and Labrador only twice in 12 months), 5 days in British Columbia, 7 days in New Brunswick (not on a final notice), 10 days in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and in Ontario before the landlord files an application.

The material we reviewed did not confirm a pay-to-cancel window for Saskatchewan, and the Saskatchewan Act says a landlord who accepts arrears after giving a notice has not cancelled it unless both sides agree otherwise in writing (s.60.1(1)), so check with the Office of Residential Tenancies before relying on one. SQRFT advice (not law): pay in a way that leaves a record, and ask your tenancy office if you are unsure whether the notice is cancelled.

Only after serving the right written notice and allowing the full notice period, because a notice on the wrong form or with the wrong date can cost the landlord time (in Saskatchewan, a wrong effective date is deemed changed to the earliest valid date rather than voiding the notice). For unpaid rent, that means the notice has run out and the tenant has neither left nor paid where paying cancels it: in Ontario the tenant can still void an N4 by paying all arrears before the landlord files, and in British Columbia a tenant who neither pays nor disputes within 5 days lets the landlord ask for an order of possession without a further hearing. The application then goes to the province's tribunal, office or court, such as the Landlord and Tenant Board in Ontario or the Residential Tenancies Branch in Manitoba. SQRFT advice (not law): keep proof of when and how the notice was served, because you may need to show it.

Alberta follows a fixed process, but we found no published wait time for a hearing date. For unpaid rent the landlord serves at least 14 clear days' notice, and the tenant voids it by paying all rent owing on or before the termination date. If the tenant stays, the landlord applies to the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service or the Alberta Court of Justice and serves the other party at least 3 clear days before the telephone hearing, and the decision comes on the day or within 30 days. The order is then filed with the Court of King's Bench and served before a civil enforcement agency can remove the tenant, and the landlord may not change the locks or remove belongings. See Alberta RTDRS vs court.