If a Tenant Does Not Pay Rent

What a Landlord Can Do if a Tenant Does Not Pay Rent

If your tenant does not pay their rent:

1. You can give the tenant a notice asking them to pay the rent they owe or move out. If the tenant does not pay or move out, you can apply to the LTB for an order to evict the tenant and to collect the rent that the tenant owes; or
2. You can apply to the LTB for an order to collect the rent that the tenant owes, without asking the LTB to make an order to evict the tenant.

Give the Tenant Notice to Pay Rent or Move Out

If a tenant does not pay the full rent on the day it’s due, you can use the form Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent (N4) to tell the tenant that if they don’t either pay the rent or move out, you can apply to the LTB to evict them.

Rules about termination dates

The date by which you want the tenant to pay the rent is called the “termination date”.

If you give the tenant the N4 notice on or after September 21, 2026

• The termination date must be at least 7 days after you give the Form N4 to the tenant

If you gave the tenant the N4 notice before September 21, 2026

• If the rent must be paid daily or weekly, the termination date must be at least 7 days after you gave the Form N4 to the tenant.
• If the rent must be paid monthly or annually, the termination date must be at least 14 days after you gave the Form N4 to the tenant.
• If the rent must be paid monthly or annually, the termination date must be at least 14 days after you gave the Form N4 to the tenant.

Notice is void if tenant pays

If the tenant pays all the rent they owe before the landlord files an application to the LTB, the Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent is void and the tenant does not have to move out.

To void the notice the tenant must pay:

• The amount of arrears (overdue rent) in the N4 notice, plus
• Any additional rent payments that were due after they received the notice

Example: A tenant did not pay May’s rent and the landlord gave the tenant an N4 notice with a termination date of June 4th. If, on June 2nd, the tenant wants to pay the landlord everything they owe to void the notice, the tenant must pay the rent for May and June.

The Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent (N4) is available at tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/forms-filing-and-fees/.

Work out a payment plan

Another option is to try to resolve your L1 application by agreeing on a payment plan with your tenant. Use the Payment Agreement Form and ask the LTB to issue a consent order based on the agreement. If a consent order is issued, the hearing will be cancelled.

You can contact your tenant to see if they are willing to work out a payment plan. If you and the tenant agree, you must use the Payment Agreement Form. This form is mandatory.

If the tenant breaches the payment agreement, there are 2 possible paths:

1. You can apply to the LTB for an eviction order without a hearing using an Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant – Tenant Failed to Meet Conditions of a Settlement or Order (L4), but only if your tenant agreed to that term in the payment agreement.
2. You can ask the LTB to re-open the application. A hearing will be held to consider the request.

These requests must be made within 30 days of the tenant's failure to make a payment in full and on time.

Apply for Rent Owed and to Evict the Tenant

If the tenant hasn’t paid everything they owe or moved out by the termination date, you can apply to the LTB for an order that:

1. evicts the tenant; and
2. requires the tenant to pay all of the money they owe. The order will also give the tenant a chance to continue the tenancy by paying all of the rent and costs they owe by a deadline.

Use the Application to Evict a Tenant for Non-payment of Rent and to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes (L1). This application can be submitted by mail, courier or online using the Tribunals Ontario Portal. You can save time and money by filing your application through the Tribunals Ontario Portal.

The earliest day you can file this application is the day after the termination date in the N4 notice. You can only file the application if the tenant is still living in the unit.

Apply for Just the Rent Owed

If your tenant owes you rent but you don’t want to ask them to move out, you can apply to the LTB for an order that requires the tenant to pay you the money they owe. Apply using the Application to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes (L9) form. You can only file this application if the tenant is still living in the unit. You can file this application the day after the rent is due.

If Your Tenant Has Moved Out

If your former tenant owes you money for unpaid rent or compensation, you can ask the LTB to order your former tenant to pay you what they owe. “Unpaid rent” is money the tenant owes you for rent that they didn’t pay during the tenancy and “compensation” is money the former tenant owed you for time they lived in the rental unit after the tenancy ended. Use the Application to Collect Money the Former Tenant Owes (L10). You can only file this application if the tenant moved out of the rental unit on or after September 1, 2021. You cannot file this application more than one year after the date the tenant moved out.

Attend the Hearing

Once you file an application, you will receive a hearing date. You and the tenant will receive a copy of the application and the Notice of Hearing that says when and in what format the hearing will be held. It is important that you go to the hearing. You will have a chance to explain why the LTB should order your tenant to pay their rent and/or evict your tenant.

What a Tenant Can Do if Their Landlord Applies for an Eviction and/or Payment of Rent

If your landlord files an application with the LTB, you can pay what you owe, work out a payment plan, or go to the hearing and say why you shouldn’t pay and/or be evicted.

Pay everything you owe

If you agree with the amount that the landlord says you owe, you can pay everything you owe before the LTB issues an order. The amount you must pay includes:

• the amount the landlord is claiming in the application (this includes the landlord’s application fee), plus
• any new rent that came due after the application was filed.

If your landlord applied to evict you for non-payment of rent (Form L1), you can pay the money you owe to the landlord directly or to the LTB in trust at the CIBC. After the hearing, the member will decide who gets the money. To pay the money in trust, you can send a request for a deposit slip by email to LTBPayments@ontario.ca with your file number and “Request for Deposit Slip” in the subject line.

Note: to raise tenant issues at a hearing for non-payment of rent, you must pay half of the rent owing directly to the landlord and keep a receipt of payment. If you pay this amount in trust to the LTB, it will not be considered at the hearing.

If the landlord applied to collect the rent you owe (Form L9), you can pay the money you owe to the landlord directly. Make sure you get a receipt from your landlord. Then contact the LTB to see if the hearing has been cancelled. If it hasn’t, you will need to go to the hearing.

Work out a payment plan

Another option is to try to resolve an L1 application by agreeing on a payment plan with your landlord. If you and the landlord agree, you must use the Payment Agreement Form. This form is mandatory.

The LTB can issue a consent order based on the agreement. If a consent order is issued, the hearing will be cancelled. You can also try to work out a payment plan on the day of your hearing with the help of an LTB dispute resolution officer.

If you breach the payment agreement and fail to pay the landlord, the landlord may apply for an eviction order without a hearing using an Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant – Tenant Failed to Meet Conditions of a Settlement or Order (L4). The landlord can also ask the LTB to re-open the application, and a hearing will be held to consider the request.

These requests must be made within 30 days of the tenant's failure to make a payment in full and on time.

Attend the hearing

If a hearing is held, you will have a chance to explain why the landlord should not get what they asked for. For example, if you disagree with the amount of rent the landlord claims you owe or you need more time to pay the rent, you can raise these issues.

Raising Tenant Issues at the Hearing

You can also raise other issues at the hearing that you could normally bring to the LTB, such as maintenance and repair problems or issues involving tenant rights. If you plan to raise other issues, you must:

• Give the landlord and the LTB a written description of each issue at least seven days before the hearing. For help, refer to the “Issues a Tenant Intends to Raise at a Rent Arrears Hearing” Form.
• If the landlord filed the application on or after September 21, 2026, pay the landlord at least half of any rent arrears that are claimed in the landlord’s application at least seven days before the hearing. You cannot pay this amount to the LTB in trust. Be sure to get a receipt for any payments you make to the landlord.
• Give the landlord and the LTB a copy of all documents, pictures, and other evidence you plan to use at the hearing at least seven days before the hearing. Instructions about how to give your documents to the LTB can be found in the Notice of Hearing. For more information, read the Practice Direction on Evidence.

A member can delay or refuse eviction

An LTB member will listen to both sides and make a decision about the application and any other issues raised at the hearing. If the member orders that the tenant be evicted, they could also order that the tenant first be given more time to pay the amount owing or be given more time to move before they are evicted. The member could also allow the tenant to pay the amount they owe using a payment plan or refuse the eviction.

For More Information

For more information, read our brochures on these related topics:

• Issues a Tenant can Raise at a Hearing about a Landlord’s Application for Non-payment of Rent
• Collecting Money a Former Tenant Owes
• Maintenance and Repair
• Important Information about Your Hearing
• Mediation at the LTB

These brochures are available at tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/resources/ or by calling the LTB.

Contact the Landlord and Tenant Board