How to Evict a Tenant in Ontario

In Ontario a landlord cannot evict a tenant alone. A tenancy can end only in the ways the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 allows. Getting a tenant out against their will takes three things: a valid notice on the right form, an eviction order from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), and enforcement of that order by the Court Enforcement Office, also called the Sheriff.

A notice on its own does not end the tenancy if the tenant stays. The tenant does not have to leave, and they have the right to go to a hearing, explain why they should not be evicted or ask for more time. The LTB does not enforce its own orders. Only the Sheriff does, and the Sheriff charges the landlord a fee.

The Act covers most rentals. It does not apply, for example, to a room where the occupant must share a bathroom or kitchen with the owner, or the owner's spouse, child or parent, who lives in the building. For that kind of arrangement the LTB steps below do not apply. If you want the tenant's side of the same process, read the Ontario eviction process guide.

You need a reason, and the reason decides the form and the minimum notice. The main ones are below. For the full detail on each, see the landlord notice guide for Ontario.

Reason	Form	Minimum notice
Unpaid rent	N4	7 days, for notices given on or after September 21, 2026
Interfering with others, undue damage, overcrowding	N5	20 days for a first notice. The tenant can void it by fixing the problem within 7 days.
Same kind of problem again, more than 7 days but less than 6 months after the first notice	N5	14 days
Illegal act, or misrepresented income in a rent-geared-to-income unit	N6	10 days for producing or trafficking illegal drugs, 20 days otherwise
Wilful damage, serious safety impairment, or substantial interference where you live in a building of 3 or fewer units	N7	10 days, and the tenant cannot void it
Persistent late rent	N8	60 days (28 days for daily or weekly tenancies)
Your own use, or use by family or a caregiver	N12	60 days
Demolition, conversion, repairs or renovations	N13	120 days

Fixed term versus month-to-month. The no-fault reasons (own use, a buyer who will live there, renovations) must end on the last day of a rental period or, in a fixed term, on the last day of the term. You cannot end a fixed term early for those reasons. During a fixed term you can use only the cause-based notices (N4, N5, N6, N7). When a fixed term ends and nothing new is signed, the tenancy rolls into month-to-month, or week-to-week if rent is paid weekly. The tenant does not have to sign a renewal to stay.

A landlord cannot require a tenant to sign an N11 agreement to end the tenancy. If both sides choose to sign one, that ends the tenancy by agreement.

1. Pick the ground and the form. Match the reason to the table above. The LTB has updated the N5, N6, N8, N12 and N13 notices and the L1, L2, L9, L10 and T5 applications. Older versions are not accepted after November 30, 2026, so download the current ones from the LTB forms page.
2. Serve the notice. Every notice must tell the tenant that they can dispute any application you later bring. Keep a copy and a record of how and when you gave it.
3. Wait out the notice period. An N4 is void if the tenant pays all the rent owing before you file with the LTB. An N5 for interference, damage or overcrowding is void if the tenant fixes the problem within 7 days.
4. Apply to the LTB if the tenant stays. Use the L1 for unpaid rent and the L2 for other reasons. Most applications must be filed within 30 days after the termination date in the notice. Applications for unpaid rent have no filing deadline. LTB fees are not refundable.
5. Go to the hearing. You must prove that the tenant should be evicted. The tenant can explain why they should stay or ask for more time.
6. Receive the order. If the LTB orders an eviction, only the Sheriff can carry it out. The order expires if it is not filed with the Sheriff within six months after it takes effect.
7. Deal with belongings correctly. The rules for property left behind are covered below.

For a faster look at how long each stage can take, see the Ontario eviction timeline and how long it takes to evict a tenant.

Waiting time. The LTB application and hearing page gave averages of about 3 months to schedule L1 and L9 applications, 5 to 7 months for most other applications, and 5 to 6 weeks for urgent matters, with orders usually issued within 30 days after a hearing. Those figures were framed as of 2024, so treat them as a rough guide and check the page for current numbers.

Relief from eviction. At every hearing the LTB must consider whether to refuse the eviction or delay it. It must refuse in some cases, for example where the landlord is in serious breach of their duties or the application is retaliation. Since September 21, 2026, a delay is allowed only if you consent, or if it would not be unfair to you or other tenants and, for most applications, there are compelling grounds.

Tenant's own issues at a rent hearing. For applications filed on or after September 21, 2026, a tenant who wants to raise other issues at an L1 hearing, such as repairs, must pay half of the claimed arrears directly to the landlord, at least seven days before the hearing.

After the order. Either side can ask the LTB to review an order within 15 days of an order made on or after July 1, 2026. The review fee is $58. A tenant who got an order without a hearing can ask to set it aside within 10 days, and filing on time puts the order on hold. An appeal to the Divisional Court must be filed within 30 days, on a question of law only, and it also stays the order automatically. Build these windows into your timeline before you plan a move-in date for a new tenant.

• Do not change the locks without giving the tenant a key. It is illegal during a tenancy. The exceptions are an eviction carried out by the Sheriff, or a unit you are sure has been abandoned. The LTB landlord brochure says so directly.
• Do not cut vital services. You may not withhold or interfere with water, fuel, electricity, gas, or heat from September 1 to June 15, even when rent is overdue or the unit is damaged. Where you supply heat it must reach at least 20 degrees Celsius.
• Do not harass, threaten or coerce the tenant. Harassing a tenant so that they move out is an offence.
• Do not enter without proper notice. The usual rule is 24 hours' written notice with the reason, the day, and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
• Do not remove belongings early. After a Sheriff eviction you must wait 72 hours before you sell, keep or dispose of what is left, and you must make it available between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. For a unit you believe is abandoned, you need an LTB order or you must give notice to the tenant and the LTB first, and then wait 30 days for items that are not unsafe or unhygienic.
• Do not treat the rent deposit as a damage deposit. Ontario allows a rent deposit, which can only be applied to the last rent period, and a refundable key deposit.

Fines for offences under the Act are up to $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation. The sources checked for this guide did not show a general winter ban on evictions, but the heat rule above still applies through winter. For the list of offences, see the Ontario rental housing offences page.

The tenant stays after the notice date. That is normal. You apply to the LTB and wait for the hearing and order. See what to do when a tenant won't leave after notice and what to do if a tenant refuses to move out.

The tenant owes rent. You can ask the LTB to order the arrears with the eviction on the L1. See the guide on a tenant not paying rent in Ontario.

The tenant damaged the unit. You can apply to the LTB for the reasonable cost of repair or replacement of undue damage. Use the L2 while the tenant is still there, or the L10 within one year after they move out. Normal wear and tear cannot be claimed.

Someone else is living there. If a tenant hands the unit to another person without a proper assignment or sublet, you have 60 days after you discover it to apply to the LTB to end the tenancy and evict both. If you do not apply in time, the occupant becomes a tenant.

You gave an N12 and later changed your mind. You must normally move in within 60 days of the date in the N12. If not, bad faith is presumed, and a former tenant can apply on a T5.

This guide explains the rules in general terms; for a specific case, ask the tribunal or a licensed legal professional.