Evicting a tenant in Ontario is a legal process with specific steps and timelines. Skipping a step — or making an error — can cost you weeks and force you to start over. This guide walks through the full process.
Step 1: Serve the Appropriate Notice
Every eviction starts with a written notice served on the tenant. The notice you use depends on the reason for eviction:
- Non-payment of rent: N4 Notice (14 days to pay or vacate)
- Persistent late payment: N8 Notice (end of term)
- Interference / damage: N5 Notice (20 days to remedy, or 14 days for second notice)
- Illegal act: N6 Notice (10 days)
- Personal use / family moving in: N12 Notice (60 days + one month's rent compensation)
- Demolition or major renovation: N13 Notice (120 days + 3 months' compensation)
The notice must be properly completed and served using an LTB-accepted method (hand delivery, mail, email with consent, or under the door). After serving, fill out a Certificate of Service immediately.
Step 2: Wait Out the Notice Period
The tenant has the right to remedy the situation within the notice period. For N4 (non-payment), that's 14 days to pay in full. For N5, it's 20 days to stop the behaviour.
If the tenant complies (pays, stops the behaviour), the notice is voided and eviction cannot proceed.
Step 3: File an Application with the LTB
If the tenant doesn't comply by the termination date, you file an application with the Landlord and Tenant Board:
- L1 — non-payment of rent (comes with rent arrears claim)
- L2 — eviction for breach (N5, N6, N7, N8, N12, N13)
- L9 — rent arrears only (when tenant has already moved out)
The LTB filing fee is $186. Applications are filed through the Tribunals Ontario Portal. LTB Ready generates the completed PDF forms — you enter the data from there into the portal.
Step 4: The LTB Schedules a Hearing
After filing, the LTB assigns a hearing date. Current wait times:
- Non-payment (L1): approximately 6–10 weeks from filing
- Other applications: 8–16 weeks or longer depending on complexity
You must serve the tenant with a copy of the application and the Notice of Hearing. This is another service step requiring a Certificate of Service.
Step 5: Prepare for the Hearing
Gather your documentation:
- Copy of the lease agreement
- Rent payment history / ledger
- Copies of all notices served
- Certificates of Service for each notice
- Any communication with the tenant (emails, texts)
- Photos if the claim involves damage
Hearings are held via videoconference (Zoom) in most cases. Be prepared to explain your evidence clearly and answer questions from the LTB member.
Step 6: The Hearing
At the hearing, both parties present their case. The LTB member may:
- Grant the eviction order and/or rent arrears judgment
- Give the tenant a "pay and stay" order (they must pay by a certain date or face eviction)
- Adjourn to gather more information
- Dismiss the application if evidence is insufficient
Step 7: Enforcement (If Tenant Doesn't Leave)
If the LTB grants an eviction order and the tenant still doesn't leave by the enforcement date, you contact the Court Enforcement Office (Sheriff). The Sheriff enforces the order — you cannot remove the tenant yourself.
Sheriff enforcement typically adds 1–4 weeks to the timeline.
Total Timeline for Non-Payment Evictions
- Serve N4: Day 0
- Tenant's deadline: Day 14
- File L1: Day 15+
- Hearing scheduled: 6–10 weeks after filing
- Order issued: day of hearing
- Enforcement date (if needed): 11 days after order
- Sheriff enforcement (if tenant doesn't leave): 1–4 weeks
Realistic minimum: 10–14 weeks from first unpaid rent to eviction.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
- Don't accept partial payment without understanding the implications — it can void your N4
- Don't try to evict informally — changing locks or removing belongings without an order is illegal harassment
- Don't miss deadlines — if you wait too long after the termination date, the LTB may require you to re-serve the notice
- Document everything — every payment, every conversation, every notice served