The Eviction Process in Ontario: What Tenants and Landlords Should Know

Eviction in Ontario isn’t something a landlord can carry out on their own, no matter what a lease says or how clearly a tenant appears to be in breach of it. Residential tenancies are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, and disputes — including eviction — are handled by the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), a tribunal that hears applications from both landlords and tenants. The process is built around a sequence of defined steps: a written notice, an application to the LTB, often a hearing, and finally an order. Only after an order is issued, and only through a specific enforcement mechanism, can a tenant actually be required to leave.

This structure exists precisely because eviction has serious consequences, and the law generally wants a neutral decision-maker — not either party acting unilaterally — to confirm that a legal ground actually exists before anyone loses their housing. Our leases hub covers the broader residential tenancy landscape this process sits within, and our guide to ending a lease agreement in Ontario covers how tenancies end more generally, including situations that don’t involve eviction at all.

Almost every eviction begins with a written notice of termination, delivered to the tenant on a specific LTB form that corresponds to the landlord’s stated reason. The notice generally has to identify the reason for termination, the date the landlord is asking the tenant to move out, and comply with specific delivery and timing rules — a notice that’s improperly completed or served can itself become grounds for the LTB to dismiss the later application.

Importantly, a notice of termination is not itself an eviction, and it doesn’t end the tenancy automatically. It functions more like a formal warning that starts a clock: the tenant generally has some period of time to either address the issue (where that’s possible, such as paying rent that’s owed) or to simply wait and see whether the landlord proceeds to the next step. Many tenancies that receive a notice never actually end up at the LTB, because the underlying issue gets resolved during this window.

The LTB uses different notice forms depending on the landlord’s reason for seeking to end the tenancy. A few of the most common include:

N4 — Non-payment of rent. Used when a tenant owes rent. It gives the tenant a notice period to pay the full amount owing, and paying in full within that window generally stops the notice from leading anywhere further.

N5 — Interference or damage. Generally used where a landlord alleges the tenant, a member of the tenant’s household, or a guest has substantially interfered with the landlord’s or other tenants’ reasonable enjoyment of the property, or caused damage. An N5 often gives the tenant a chance to correct the behaviour within a set period before the landlord can apply.

N12 — Landlord’s own use. Used when the landlord, purchaser, or a qualifying family member intends to move into the unit themselves. This type of notice comes with specific good-faith requirements and, in many cases, an obligation to compensate the tenant.

N13 — Demolition, conversion, or extensive renovation. Used when the landlord intends to demolish the building, convert it to non-residential use, or carry out repairs or renovations so extensive that the unit needs to be vacant. Tenants given an N13 may have rights related to compensation or the right to move back in once work is done, depending on the circumstances.

Each notice type has its own required notice period and its own legal requirements, and mixing them up — or using the wrong one for the actual circumstances — is a common reason applications run into trouble at the LTB.

If the issue in the notice isn’t resolved within the applicable period, the landlord’s next step is to file an application with the LTB — commonly an L1 (for applications based largely on non-payment of rent) or an L2 (for most other grounds for termination, including N5, N12, and N13 notices). The application sets out the landlord’s claim, often attaches a copy of the notice that was served, and, once filed and scheduled, moves the matter toward a hearing.

A tenant who receives notice that an application has been filed generally has an opportunity to respond, and may be able to raise their own issues — such as a landlord’s alleged failure to maintain the unit — as part of the same proceeding, depending on the circumstances. Filing an application is a formal step that generally can’t be skipped, so a landlord cannot move straight from issuing a notice to removing a tenant.

Once an application is filed and scheduled, both the landlord and tenant are generally given notice of a hearing date. Hearings may be conducted in writing, by video or phone, or in person, depending on the type of case and current LTB practice. At the hearing, each side generally has an opportunity to present evidence, explain their position, and respond to questions from the adjudicator deciding the case.

The adjudicator considers whether the legal requirements for the type of notice used have actually been met — not simply whether the landlord believes a ground for eviction exists. For non-payment cases, this often focuses on the amount owing and whether it was paid within applicable timelines. For notices like N12 or N13, the adjudicator may scrutinize the landlord’s stated intentions more closely, since these grounds depend heavily on good faith.

After the hearing, the LTB issues a written order. An order may grant the eviction, deny it, grant it with conditions, or address other remedies raised during the proceeding — such as compensation owed to the tenant, or a repayment plan for arrears. The order itself sets out any deadlines, including when a tenant would be required to move out if the eviction is granted.

Even with a valid order in hand, a landlord still cannot personally remove a tenant, change the locks, or remove belongings. If the tenant doesn’t move out by the date set out in the order, the landlord’s only lawful route is to file the order with the Court Enforcement Office, commonly known as the Sheriff. Only the Sheriff’s office has the legal authority to physically enforce an eviction, and it generally provides its own separate notice before doing so.

Depending on the type of order and the specific facts, a tenant may still have options after an order is issued — including, in some non-payment situations, paying arrears in full before enforcement takes place, applying for a review of the order if there was a serious error or the tenant didn’t get a fair chance to participate, or raising other relief recognized under the Act. These options tend to be narrow and time-sensitive, so understanding what actually applies to a specific order matters more than general assumptions about “extensions.”

For anyone trying to understand where they currently stand in this process — whether as a landlord who has issued a notice or a tenant who has received one — our tools section and our contact page can help point toward the right next step. This article explains how the process generally works in Ontario; it isn’t legal advice for any specific notice, application, or order, and the details of individual cases can change the analysis significantly.