Instructions: Form L1 Application to Evict a Tenant for Non-Payment of Rent and to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes

(Disponible en français)


Section A: When to use this application

You can use this application if the tenant owes you rent and you want to:

If the tenant made a payment by cheque that was returned to you because of non-sufficient funds (NSF) and the tenant has not paid you back for the charges related to that NSF cheque, you can also include these amounts in your application.

You cannot file this application if the tenant has moved out of the rental unit.

If the tenant moved out of the rental unit on or after September 1, 2021, you may file an Application to Collect Rent a Former Tenant Owes (Form L10) with the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) if you want to collect rent the former tenant owes. A L10 Application cannot be filed more than one year after the date the former tenant moved out.

If you do not want to evict your tenant, but you want to get an order from the LTB so that you can collect the rent the tenant owes you, you can complete the Application to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes (Form L9) and file it with the LTB. However, you cannot file the L9 Application if the tenant has moved out of the rental unit. You should also be aware that if the LTB issues an order on an L9 Application and the tenant still does not pay, you cannot use that order to evict the tenant.

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Section B: Steps you must take before filing the application

Before you file this application, you must give the tenant an N4 Notice to End your Tenancy for Non-payment of Rent.

You must wait until the day after the termination date you put on the N4 notice to file this application. Also, you cannot file this application if, before you file, the tenant pays the amount required to void the N4 notice.

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Section C: How to complete this application

Read these instructions before completing the application form. You are responsible for ensuring that your application is correct and complete. Follow the instructions carefully when you complete the application form.

It is important to follow the instructions below:

Language preference

The LTB offers services in both English and French. If you, your representative, or one of your witnesses would like to receive French Language Services, please select French.

Request for accommodation

The LTB is committed to treating all persons with dignity and respect and in a manner that promotes independence. The LTB is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible environment in which all persons have equitable access to our services.

Accommodations are arrangements to allow everyone, regardless of their abilities, to participate fully in the LTB's process.

Complete the Accommodation Request Form if you require accommodation under the Ontario Human Rights Code or for a procedural fairness need. Provide as much detail as you can about your request for accommodation for your upcoming hearing. Email your completed form to LTB@ontario.ca, or send the form by mail to the LTB. For a list of all LTB office addresses, visit our website.

For more information about accommodations, visit the Request an Accommodation webpage.

The LTB will not include a copy of this form when we give the other parties a copy of the application form.

Part 1: Address of the rental unit covered by this application

Enter the full address of the rental unit, including the unit, apartment, or suite number and the postal code. If the street name includes a direction (ex: Mayfield Road North), you should include it. However, if there is no street direction, you do not need to add one.

Example:

If the address is: #208 at 1120 Mayfield Road North, London, this is how you should complete Part 1 of the application:

Part 1: General Information Example
Part 1: General Information
Address of the Rental Unit Covered by This Application
Street Number: Street Name: Unit/Apt./Suite:
1120 Mayfield Road North 208
Municipality (City, Town, etc.): Province: Postal Code:
London ON N6J 2M1

Part 2: Total amount the tenant owes

Part 2 includes a space for you to fill in the amount you believe the tenant owes you as of the date you file the application with the LTB.

Do not fill in the amount you believe the tenant owes you until you have completed Part 5 and Part 6 of the application. Once you have completed Parts 5 and 6, you will copy the amount you filled in under Total in Part 6 to the space provided in Part 2. This is the total amount the tenant owes you on the date you file your application with the LTB.

In the space for the date, you must fill in the date you are filing the application with the LTB.

Part 3: General Information

Landlord's Name and Address

In the Landlord's Name and Address section, fill in the landlord's name and address. If the landlord is a company, fill in the name of the company under "Company Name". Include the telephone number and e-mail address, if you have them.

If there is more than one landlord, fill in information about one of the landlords in this section of Part 3. Provide the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the additional landlords on the Schedule of Parties Form.

Tenant Names and Address

In the Tenant Names and Address section, fill in the tenant's name. If two tenants live in the rental unit, fill in both their names. If more than two tenants live in the rental unit, fill in information about two tenants in this section of Part 3. Provide the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any additional tenants on the Schedule of Parties Form.

Mailing Address

Fill in the tenant's mailing address only if it is different from the address of the rental unit. Provide the tenant's telephone number. Also provide the tenant's e-mail address if you know it.

Part 4: Reasons for your application

Check the appropriate box or boxes to indicate what you are applying for.

Check either the Yes or No box to answer whether or not the tenant is still living in the rental unit on the date you file this application. The tenant must be living in the rental unit when you file this application.

Check the appropriate box to indicate whether the tenant pays rent by the month, week or other. If you choose "other", fill in the frequency of rent payments (for example, bi-weekly) in the space provided.

Information about the rent deposit

The LTB will subtract any rent deposit and interest you owe the tenant from the amount of rent the tenant owes you.

If you did not collect a rent deposit, leave these boxes blank. If you collected a rent deposit from the tenant:

Part 5: Details of the landlord's claim

Section 1: Rent Owing: Complete the Rent Owing table to show how you calculated the amount of rent the tenant owes you.

"Rent" includes the basic rent for the rental unit, plus any amount the tenant pays you separately for services (such as parking).

Rent may include a seasonal charge for an air conditioner if the tenant installs and uses one, and electricity is included in the rent. The seasonal charge must not exceed the actual cost of the electricity used to operate the air conditioner. If the actual cost cannot be determined, the charge may be based on a reasonable estimate using information provided by the tenant about the unit’s energy efficiency and expected use. A seasonal charge is not allowed if the tenancy agreement permits an air conditioner at no extra cost.

If the tenant is responsible for paying all or a portion of a utility bill (such as hydro) directly to the utility company or indirectly through the landlord, this is not considered rent. However, if the tenant is required to pay a flat rate to the landlord each month for a utility, this would meet the definition of rent.

If the tenant owes more rent than when you served the N4 Notice of Termination for Non-payment of Rent, include all the rent owing up to the date you file the application.

If the tenant owes you rent for more than three rental periods, you can combine two or more rental periods in the first or second row of the table. However, in the last row of the table that you complete, you must show the rent charged, rent paid and rent owing for the last rent period for which the tenant owes rent.

Example: The tenancy agreement between Bruce Campanolo, the landlord, and Sophia Maxwell, the tenant, requires Sophia to pay $1000 on the first of each month.

On November 1, 2025 Sophia paid only $900 and on December 1st, she only paid $700. On January 1, 2026 Sophia gave Bruce a cheque for $1000 which was returned NSF.

On January 14th, Bruce gave Sophia an N4 Notice to End your Tenancy for Non-payment of Rent. The notice set out that she owed $1400 and that she had until January 28th to pay or move out.

Sophia did not pay or move out by January 28th, so on January 29th Bruce filed this application with the LTB. This is how he filled out the rent owing table:

Part 5: Rent Owing Table Example
Rent Period
From: (dd/mm/yyyy)
Rent Period
To: (dd/mm/yyyy)
Rent Charged
$
Rent Paid
$
Rent Owing
$
01/11/2025 30/11/2025 1,000.00 900.00 100.00
01/12/2025 31/12/2025 1,000.00 700.00 300.00
01/01/2026 31/01/2026 1,000.00 1,000.00
Total Rent Owing: $1,400.00

Section 2: NSF Cheque Charges: If the tenant made a payment by cheque that was returned to you because of non-sufficient funds, and the tenant has not paid you back for the charges related to the NSF cheque, you can include these amounts in your application. If the tenant does not owe you anything related to NSF charges, leave this section blank.

Complete the table to show how you calculated the amount the tenant owes you. Fill in one row of the table for each NSF cheque the tenant gave you. Include the following information:

Example: Sophia Maxwell, the tenant, gave Bruce Campanolo, the landlord, a cheque for $1000.00, dated January 1st for January's rent, but the cheque was returned NSF.

As a result, the bank charged Bruce an NSF fee of $5; the fee appeared on his bank statement on January 14th. Bruce also had costs related to the handling of the NSF cheque.

Bruce gave Sophia an N4 Notice to End your Tenancy for Non-payment of Rent. Sophia did not pay the rent by the termination date in the notice so Bruce applied to terminate the tenancy.

Bruce filled out the table as shown below to show how he calculated the amount owing for the NSF related charges:

Part 5: NSF-Related Charges Table Example
Cheque Amount
$
Date of Cheque
(dd/mm/yyyy)
Date NSF Charge Incurred
(dd/mm/yyyy)
Bank Charge for NSF Cheque
$
Landlord's Administration Charge
$
Total Charge
$
1,000.00 01/01/2026 14/01/2026 5.00 20.00 25.00
 
 
Total NSF Related Charges Owing: $25.00

Part 6: Total Amount Owing

Transfer the Total Rent Owing amount from Section 1 of Part 5 to the Total Rent Owing field in Part 6.

Transfer the Total NSF Related Charges Owing amount from Section 2 of Part 5 to the Total NSF Cheque Related Charges Owing field in Part 6.

Under Application Fee, fill in the application fee. For a list of the LTB's fees visit our Forms, filing and Fees webpage.

Calculate the amount under Total Amount Owing by adding the Total Rent Owing amount, the Total NSF Cheque Related Charges Owing amount and the application fee. Then, transfer this amount to the box in Part 2. The date you fill in Part 2 is the date you are filing the application with the LTB.

Example: When landlord Bruce Campanolo files this application, tenant Sophia Maxwell owes him $1400 in rent, $25 in NSF charges and $201 for the application fee. This is how Bruce filled out Part 6 of the form:

Part 6: Total Amount Owing Table Example
Part 6: Total Amount Owing
Total rent owing: (from Part 5, Section 1) $ 1,400.00
Total NSF cheque related charges owing: (from Part 5, Section 2) $ 25.00
Application fee: $ 201.00
Total: $ 1,626.00

Note: the most the LTB can order based on your claim is $50,000. If you believe the tenant owes you more than $50,000, and you want to collect the full amount, you should apply to court and not to the LTB. Once the LTB issues an order based on your application, you no longer have any claim to amounts greater than $50,000 from your tenant.

Part 7: Signature

If you are the landlord, check the box marked "Landlord". Then, sign the application form and fill in the date.

If you are the landlord's representative, check the box marked "Representative". Then, sign the application form and fill in the date.

Payment Method

Check the appropriate box to show whether you are paying by money order, certified cheque, or credit card (Visa or Mastercard).

If you are filing by mail or courier, you can pay by credit card by completing the Credit Card Payment Form and submitting it with your application. You cannot pay by cash or debit card if you are filing your application by mail or courier.

You can also complete and pay for your application online using the Tribunals Ontario Portal. Do not upload credit card information on documents if you are using the Tribunals Ontario Portal.

Your application will not be accepted if you do not pay the application fee at the time you file the application. If you owe money to the LTB as a result of failing to pay a fee or any fine or costs set out in an order, your application may be refused or discontinued.

You may request a fee waiver if you meet the financial eligibility requirements set out by the LTB. You will need to complete the Fee Waiver Request Form. For more information about fee waivers and the eligibility criteria, see our Practice Direction on Fee Waiver.

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Section D: What to include when you file your application

To file this application, you must include the following:

Your application will be refused if any of the items listed above are missing.

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Section E: How to file your application

You can file your application in one of the following ways:

  1. Tribunals Ontario Portal

    Complete and pay your L1 Application online using Tribunals Ontario Portal.

    If you use the Tribunals Ontario Portal, you must pay by credit card or debit card through the portal and don't need to complete a separate credit card payment form.

    Accepted payment methods include Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard and Debit Mastercard.

  2. By Mail or Courier

    Mail or courier your L1 Application to the nearest LTB office. To find a list of LTB office locations visit the LTB website. You can also call the LTB at 416-645-8080 or 1-888-332-3234 (toll-free).

    If you mail or courier your application, you can pay the application fee by certified cheque, money order, Visa or MasterCard. Certified cheques and money orders must be made payable to the Minister of Finance. If you are filing by mail or courier and paying by Visa or Mastercard, you must complete the Credit Card Payment Form and submit it with your application.

  3. ServiceOntario Centre

    Some ServiceOntario Centres accept all LTB applications in-person. If you are filing at a ServiceOntario Centre, you must complete the PDF application and pay the filing fee by Credit or debit card (backed by Visa or Mastercard) using the Credit Card Payment Form, by including a Certified Cheque or Money Order (payable to the Minister of Finance), or by cash.

    Please visit ServiceOntario Centres for a list of locations that accept applications and documents on behalf of the LTB.

    Due to Payment Card Industry (PCI) security compliance requirements, the LTB cannot accept credit card payment via fax. Applications with credit card information will be automatically deleted and not processed. Please contact the LTB at 1-888-332-3234 for information on how to submit payment information.

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Section F: What to do if you have questions

You can visit the LTB website at: tribunalsontario.ca/ltb.

You can call the LTB at 416-645-8080 from within the Toronto calling area, or toll- free at 1-888-332-3234 from outside Toronto, and speak to one of our Contact Centre Representatives.

Contact Centre Representatives are available Monday to Friday, except holidays, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They can provide you with information about the Residential Tenancies Act and the LTB's processes; they cannot provide you with legal advice. You can also access our automated information menu at the same numbers listed above 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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