What to Expect at a Landlord and Tenant Board Hearing in Ontario

The Landlord and Tenant Board is the tribunal responsible for resolving most residential tenancy disputes in Ontario, from eviction applications to disputes over rent, repairs, or the return of a deposit. Once an application is filed — whether by a landlord or a tenant — the Board generally schedules a hearing and sends both parties a Notice of Hearing setting out the date, time, and format.

In recent years, many LTB hearings have commonly been conducted remotely, by video conference or telephone, rather than requiring everyone to appear in person at a Board office. Whether a particular hearing is remote or in person generally depends on the type of application and current Board scheduling practices, so it’s worth reading the hearing notice carefully rather than assuming one format applies universally.

For background on what kinds of applications typically lead to a hearing in the first place, our eviction process overview and our N12 eviction guide cover two of the more common scenarios that end up before the Board.

Hearings aren’t limited to eviction applications — tenants can also bring their own applications to the Board, covering issues like a landlord’s failure to maintain the unit, an illegal rent increase or charge, or a dispute over the return of a deposit. The same general scheduling and hearing process applies regardless of which party filed the application, since the Board’s role is to weigh the evidence from both sides rather than favour whichever party happened to start the proceeding.

At the start of a hearing, an adjudicator generally confirms who is present, explains the process briefly, and may address any preliminary issues — such as a request to adjourn, or a question about whether proper notice was given — before moving into the substance of the dispute. Each party generally gets an opportunity to present their side, respond to the other party’s evidence, and answer questions the adjudicator may have.

Hearings are generally less formal than a courtroom trial, but they’re still a legal proceeding — the adjudicator is weighing evidence against the requirements of the Residential Tenancies Act to reach a decision, and the outcome generally has real legal effect once an order is issued. Staying focused on the specific issue in dispute, rather than unrelated grievances, generally helps make the strongest use of the time available.

Many hearings also include a settlement conversation, sometimes facilitated by Board staff before the formal hearing itself, where both sides can explore whether they’re able to resolve the dispute by agreement rather than through a contested decision. A settlement reached this way is generally put into writing and can be filed as a consent order, which carries the same enforceability as an order made after a full hearing.

Having clear, organized evidence generally matters more at an LTB hearing than presentation style. Useful evidence commonly includes the lease itself, records of rent payments, copies of any notices exchanged between the parties, written communications like emails or text messages relevant to the dispute, and photos or videos where the condition of the unit is at issue.

It’s generally worth organizing documents in a logical order — often chronological — and having a clear sense of which document supports which specific point, rather than bringing a large, unsorted pile of paperwork. Referring directly to a specific, dated document tends to carry more weight than a general description of events from memory alone.

It’s also generally a good idea to have copies ready to share in whatever format the hearing requires — for a remote hearing, that often means having documents available to upload or screen-share in advance, rather than scrambling to locate and digitize paperwork once the hearing is already underway. Checking the hearing information package for specific instructions on submitting evidence ahead of time generally avoids this kind of last-minute complication.

Our landlord entry rights guide and repairs and maintenance guide are useful background reading if either of those issues is connected to a hearing you’re preparing for, since understanding the general legal framework ahead of time can make it easier to identify which documents are actually relevant.

Many tenants and landlords represent themselves at LTB hearings, and doing so is generally permitted without any special qualification. Self-represented parties generally present their own evidence and arguments directly to the adjudicator, which can work well for straightforward disputes with a clear factual record.

Others choose to be represented by a licensed paralegal, lawyer, or another permitted representative, particularly for more complex matters involving multiple issues, significant amounts of money, or where the other side is represented and the stakes feel high. There’s no single right answer here — the better choice generally depends on the complexity of the dispute, the person’s comfort navigating a hearing, and the resources available for representation.

Missing a scheduled hearing without a valid reason can generally have significant consequences. The Board can generally proceed in a party’s absence, hearing from whoever did attend and issuing an order based on that evidence alone — meaning an absent party effectively loses the chance to present their side before a decision is made.

If a genuine emergency or unavoidable conflict prevents attendance, it’s generally worth contacting the Board as early as possible, since a request to reschedule — an adjournment — is handled far better before the hearing than after an order has already been issued in a party’s absence. Even then, an adjournment generally isn’t automatic and depends on the reason given and the impact on the other party.

If an order has already been issued following a missed hearing, there may still be a limited path to ask the Board to reopen the matter, depending on the specific circumstances and how much time has passed. This is generally a narrower and less certain route than simply attending the original hearing, which is part of why treating a Notice of Hearing as a firm commitment, rather than an optional invitation, tends to matter.

Once a hearing concludes, the adjudicator generally issues a written order setting out the decision, the reasoning behind it, and any specific requirements that follow — such as a payment amount, a repair deadline, or a termination date for a tenancy. This order is generally sent to both parties and becomes the enforceable record of what the Board decided.

The time between the hearing and the order being issued can vary, and in some cases an adjudicator may provide an oral decision at the end of the hearing itself, with the written order following afterward. In limited situations, a party may be able to request a review of the order or pursue a further appeal, each with its own deadlines worth confirming promptly once an order is received.

For a broader look at Ontario residential tenancy law, our leases hub brings together our full set of related guides, including our overview of the ways a lease agreement can end and our guide to the eviction process generally, both of which connect closely to what ultimately gets decided at a Board hearing. This article is general information about how LTB hearings typically work and isn’t legal advice for any specific application or hearing.