Our collection of printable resources provide basic information about Ontario housing law, human rights in rental housing, and renters’ rights when facing eviction.
We recommend printing a copy of each to keep on hand for quick reference, or to easily share this information with other renters or people in your community.
Printing tip: Each of these resources are 2-page PDFs. If you would like to use only one sheet of paper, follow these instructions to set up your printing preferences.
This printable resource provides information on how Ontario Laws like the Residential Tenancies Act and the Human Rights Code establish certain rights for most renters. This resource is available in several languages.
This printable resource provides information on Human rights in housing based on the Ontario Human Rights Code.
This printable resource provides information on what renters rights are when faced with an eviction and the steps that landlords must follow.
This printable resource provides information on responsibilities of the landlord and tenant when it comes repairs and maintenance. It outlines the types of repair and maintenance work landlords are responsible for, timeframes for entering a unit and completing work, and where to get help with unresolved repair and maintenance issues.
This printable resource provides tips on how tenants can keep a record of interactions they have had with their landlord, in case they need to provide the Landlord and Tenant Board with evidence of their version of events.
In almost all the situations described below, it is a good idea to get legal advice or information.
The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) – formerly known as CERA – may be able to assist you depending on the kind of eviction you are experiencing. CCHR can provide legal advice and representation in most cases of no-fault eviction and can provide legal information about other reasons for eviction.
You can also reach out to your local legal clinic to receive legal support and representation.
If you have a Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) hearing you may be able to get assistance for the hearing from Tenant Duty Counsel.
Another program that may be able to assist is Pro Bono Ontario.
If you need to move because you or your child is experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse, there is a special process available to you. This process will make it possible for you to end your tenancy early, whether or not you have a term rental lease (for example a one-year lease) or a month-to-month rental lease. With this process, you will be able to end your tenancy after giving 28 days’ notice.
This process is available to you if you or your child:
These acts must have been committed by your spouse, former spouse or someone who you lived with who is like a spouse, someone you are dating, or used to date, or someone you or your child is related to that you live with.
This process is also available to you if you or your child have been a victim of sexual violence, which can include psychological violence or threats of violence as well as harassment, stalking or exploitation.
In order to use this process to break your lease you must provide your landlord with:
On the N15 form, you should provide a date that is at least 28 days away, which will be the date you will terminate your tenancy.
Your landlord must keep this information confidential to protect you and your child’s safety. They cannot show the unit or even advertise it while you are living there, to avoid someone identifying that it is your unit being offered.
If other tenants are living with you and they do not sign the N15 form, they can continue to live in the unit or they can give a notice to end their tenancy as well.
The first question to ask is: what kind of rental lease are you currently in?
If you have a month-to-month lease, you must provide your landlord with 60 days’ notice that you will end your tenancy. The last day of the notice you give to your landlord must be the last day of the rental period. If you pay rent once per month on the 1st of the month, the last day of your notice must be the last day of the month. You can provide notice by using the Landlord and Tenant Board’s (LTB) N9 form “Tenant’s Notice to End the Tenancy.”
It is more complicated if you are in the middle of a term lease (for instance a one-year lease). If this is the case, you have a few options:
If you and your landlord agree to end your tenancy, you should both sign the LTB’s N11 form, “Agreement to End the Tenancy.”
You could also assign your tenancy to another tenant. In this case, another person takes over the rental agreement you have with your landlord. The terms of the lease stay the same, including the amount of rent charged. In order to do this, you will have to ask your landlord for permission, which you should do in writing. Your landlord must answer your request within 7 days. If they do not give you permission or if they do not answer within 7 days, you can then give your landlord a 30-day notice to end your tenancy using the LTB’s N9 form “Tenant’s Notice to End the Tenancy.”
Be aware that assigning your tenancy is different than subletting. If subletting, you will continue to remain on your lease. If you sublet your unit, you are still ultimately responsible for your unit and anything that could go wrong with it. For example, if your sub-tenant does not pay the rent, you will be responsible to pay the rent to your landlord.
Finally, there are some situations where you can apply to the LTB and ask them to let you out of your lease. For example:
Your landlord cannot make you move out simply because they are selling the unit you are renting. When a rental unit sells, the purchaser takes over the rental agreement, which means that the new purchaser cannot raise your rent any more than your unit’s previous owner would be allowed to by law. That said, if the purchaser of your unit or their close family member or caregiver is going to move into your unit, they may serve you with an N12 notice.
The N12 notice will be given to you at least 60 days before you are expected to move out. Your landlord must either offer you another acceptable unit to move into or pay you at least one month’s rent before the end of the 60-day period provided in the N12 notice.
If you receive an N12 notice, you can move out at any time by giving as little as 10 days’ written notice. If you do not move out, your landlord will have to bring an application to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) to have you evicted. You can check this list to see if your landlord has made any errors in the N12 notice they gave you. Also, your landlord will have to file a declaration with the LTB from the purchaser declaring that they intend to live in your unit for one year. If there is an error in your N12 notice, or in your landlord’s declaration, you should tell the LTB at your hearing. You should also tell the LTB if you think your landlord is not being truthful about what the purchaser intends to do with your unit. Telling the LTB this may result in the LTB not allowing the eviction to occur.
If your landlord says that you have to move out because they, their family member, or their caretaker is going to move into your unit, first they must provide you with a Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) form called an N12 notice. This notice will be given to you at least 60 days before you are expected to move out. Your landlord must either offer you another acceptable unit to move into or pay you at least one month’s rent before the end of the 60-day period provided in the N12 notice.
If you receive an N12 notice, you can move out at any time by providing your landlord with as little as 10 days’ written notice. If you do not move out, your landlord will have to bring an application to the LTB to have you evicted. You can check this list to see if your landlord has made any errors in the N12 notice they gave you. Also, your landlord will have to file a declaration with the LTB about why they need you to move out. If there is an error in your N12 notice, or in your landlord’s declaration, you should tell the LTB at your hearing. You should also tell the LTB if you think your landlord is not being truthful about what they intend to do with your unit. Telling the LTB this may result in the LTB not allowing the eviction to occur.
If your landlord plans to repair or renovate your unit, and if the repairs requires that your landlord obtain a building permit and for the unit to be vacant, your landlord will have to give you a Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) form called an N13 notice. This notice must be given to you at least 120 days before you are expected to move out and the end date of the tenancy must be the last day of a term or payment period. If you receive an N13 notice you can move out at any time by giving as little as 10 days’ written notice.
You have the right to move back in once the work is completed. This is known as the right of first refusal. If you would like to move back in, you should inform your landlord in writing before you move out. If you do this your landlord has to offer the unit back to you when the work is complete at the same rent that they could have charged if you had stayed in your apartment. If your landlord does not let you move back in, you can bring a T5 application to the LTB.
If the work was not ordered to be done by a government body, you are entitled to receive compensation or to be offered another unit. The amount your landlord must pay you depends on how big the building is, how long the renovations take and whether or not you have told your landlord you want to move back in. If your landlord does not pay you the compensation you are owed, you can refuse to move out, or bring a T1 application to the LTB.
You can decline to move out until an LTB hearing is held if:
Most Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) hearings are now happening virtually, meaning that the LTB will use an online platform like Zoom to hold your hearing.
Hearings take different amounts of time, based on things like the number of witnesses, the issues at hand, and the evidence presented. Several hearings are scheduled for the same day so you should be prepared to wait for your case to be called, which may take the whole day. If you will be unable to attend the hearing yourself, you may send a representative if you provide written authorization to that person. The representative may then argue your case, or request to change the date of the hearing to another time when you will be available.
Before your hearing, you will have the opportunity to request a mediator and Tenant Duty Counsel. Mediators attempt to help landlords and tenants to come up with compromises that are acceptable to each party. Mediation is voluntary and confidential. Tenant Duty Counsel are legal professionals who help tenants for free on the day of their hearing. While you do not need an appointment to speak to either a mediator or Tenant Duty Counsel, you should arrive promptly at the start of your hearing to ensure that you have a chance to consult them before your file is called.
If you are representing yourself and you do not understand something that is being said, ask the LTB member to explain. While the LTB member cannot give you legal advice or tell you how best to present your case, they may slow down the proceedings or explain the process in more detail.
If you think that an online LTB hearing will be difficult for you to attend, you can file a Request for Accommodation to ask the LTB to give you an in-person hearing. The LTB might consider granting your request for an in-person hearing if you have a disability that would make an online hearing challenging for you, or if the hearing would be unfair because you do not have reliable internet or phone access. Additionally, in Toronto, Hamilton, London or Ottawa you may be able to use a hearing centre to connect to your LTB hearing. Both the Request for Accommodation and a request to use the hearing centres must be made in advance of your hearing, and are approved by the LTB on a case-by-case basis.
If you require language interpretation, or a disability accommodation, contact the LTB in writing to make those arrangements. Keep a copy of any letters you send to the LTB. It is prudent to arrange your own interpreter as well, and to speak to Tenant Duty Counsel before your hearing if you are not represented.
Once your case is called, the process will be as follows:
At the end of the hearing, the LTB member will either give their decision right away or “reserve their decision.” Reserving their decision means that they will take time to consider the evidence and arguments. In both cases, you will receive the decision in writing.
If you do not attend your hearing, the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) will probably make an order to evict you. It is very important that you get immediate legal advice. Please see the section above called “Where can I get legal advice about eviction” to find out where you can get help.
If you have missed your hearing and you would like to challenge the eviction, you must act very quickly. Here are a few different steps that you can follow:
You can also talk to your landlord and see if they will agree to let you stay. If they agree, be sure to get proof of this agreement in writing.
If you are locked out of your unit by the Sheriff, you will have 72 hours to arrange with your landlord to move your belongings out of your unit.
The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) provides free, individualized services to renters in Ontario who are facing challenges in their housing.
This page was produced as part of the project entitled “Implementing the Right to Housing in the Supportive Housing Sector” which receives funding from the National Housing Strategy under the NHS Demonstrations Initiative. The views expressed are the personal views of the author and CMHC accepts no responsibility for them.
Your landlord may want you to move out for any number of reasons, but only some reasons are legally allowed under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA). Your landlord cannot evict you for reasons outside of the RTA and must apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) for a formal eviction.
Before applying to have you evicted, your landlord must provide you with a Notice to End your Tenancy, by using one of the forms found on the Landlord and Tenant Board Website. The most common reasons for eviction include:
You have until midnight on the day that rent is due to pay your landlord. However, if you are even one day late, your landlord can give you a Form N4, or a Notice to End your Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent. If you receive a Form N4, you normally have 14 days to pay what you owe to cancel the notice and avoid the eviction process.
If you are often late with rent, your landlord might give you a Form N8, also called a Notice to End your Tenancy at the End of the Term. This type of notice cannot be automatically cancelled after you have paid what you owe, but you may be able to avoid an eviction hearing at the LTB by making an agreement directly with your landlord to pay your rent on time going forward.
Your landlord may evict you if they think you did something illegal or allowed someone to do something illegal – such as selling drugs or assaulting someone – in your rental unit or building. In this case, your landlord might give you a Form N6, or a Notice to End your Tenancy for Illegal Acts or Misrepresenting Income in a Rent-Geared-to-Income Rental Unit.
You could be served a Form N5, or Notice to End your Tenancy for Interfering with Others, Damage or Overcrowding, if your landlord says you have engaged in bad conduct of some kind. For example, if your landlord says you have damaged your rental unit or building, or that you bothered other tenants or the landlord’s staff, they might serve you with an N5. If you have only received one N5 within a 6-month time period, you have 7 days to cancel the notice by doing what is requested on the form. If you have received more than one N5 notices in 6-months, then you likely cannot cancel the notice, and should seek legal support.
Another reason why you may receive an N5 is overcrowding, where too many people are living in the unit exceeding the occupancy standards required by municipal bylaws. If this is your first N5, you can void the notice by removing the extra person(s) within 7 days of receiving the notice. If this is your second N5, you may not be able to void the notice, and the landlord may be able to apply to the LTB for an eviction.
If your landlord lives in the building as well and it has few units, or says you damaged your place on purpose, or have caused (or might cause) “serious” damage by using your space for something that isn’t compatible with residential uses, they can serve you with a Form N7, or Notice to End your Tenancy For Causing Serious Problems in the Rental Unit or Residential Complex. This type of notice is one that you cannot void.
Sometimes, a building requires work that cannot be done with people living inside it. If your landlord says you have to move out for necessary repairs or renovations, they are required to give you at least 120 days notice in writing. Such notice should be on a Form N13, or Notice to End your Tenancy Because the Landlord Wants to Demolish the Rental Unit, Repair it or Convert it to Another Use, from the LTB. This notice can also be used if the landlord is demolishing your home, or converting it to a non-residential use.
If you are being evicted for this reason, the landlord will either have to provide you with an acceptable alternative unit or compensate you, as long as they haven’t been ordered to do the work by a government or safety authority. If you are being evicted because your landlord is renovating, the landlord must first give you the option to re-occupy the freshly renovated unit before they are allowed to offer the unit to another person.
Your landlord may try to evict you because they or their family wants to move in themselves. If your place is being sold, your landlord is also allowed to evict you on behalf of the buyer if the buyer or the buyer’s family intends to move in. You may also be evicted if a caregiver for your landlord, purchaser, or their family members will be moving into your unit. This can only be legally done if your landlord is an individual and not a business – a corporation cannot claim to use the unit for its “own use”.
In such cases, the landlord must give you written notice in the form of a Form N12, or Notice to End your Tenancy Because the Landlord, a Purchaser or a Family Member Requires the Rental Unit. If you agree to move out of your unit, your landlord must either offer you another acceptable unit to move to or pay you at least one month’s rent by the termination date on the Notice. If you decide to challenge your landlord’s notice, you do not need to move, but your landlord must still pay you one month’s rent by the termination date on the notice. You may need to return that money if the LTB does not order you to move.
If you are being evicted and are unsure of your rights, CCHR may be able to assist you.
CCHR is only able to provide legal information, and cannot provide legal advice or representation. If you require additional legal supports, please contact your local legal clinic.
The date that your landlord wants you to move out by should be listed on a Notice to End your Tenancy. Different notices require the landlord to provide you with a different number of days of notice. Some of the most common reasons and their minimum notice periods are:
There are other, less common, reasons why you might be evicted.
If you are being evicted, CCHR may be able to assist you with legal information and referrals.
You might decide to move out after your landlord gives you a Notice to End your Tenancy. However, you do not have to move out just because you received a Notice to End your Tenancy. Whatever you do, you should keep a copy of your Notice.
At this stage, you might still be able to stop the eviction process. Depending on your landlord’s reasons, you could try:
If you do not want to move out and cannot resolve things with your landlord, they can apply to the LTB for an eviction order. If they do so, the LTB will send you a Notice of Hearing and an Application. The Notice of Hearing will give you details of how your hearing will take place. It should include a time, date and location of hearing, which will probably be an online meeting space.
You can take some steps to prepare for your hearing, including:
It is important that you go to the hearing. If you do not attend or arrive late, it is likely that the LTB will make an eviction order against you.
Your Notice of Hearing should say how your hearing will be held. Hearings are held in one of four different formats:
Hearings take different amounts of time, based on things like the number of witnesses, the issues at hand, and the evidence presented. For oral and video hearings, several hearings are booked on the same day. Be prepared to wait for your case to be called, and plan to be at your hearing for the entire day just in case your hearing is called later in the day. If you will be unable to attend the hearing yourself, you may send a representative if you provide written authorization to that person. They may then argue your case, or request to change the date of the hearing.
Before your hearing, you will have the opportunity to request a Mediator and Tenant Duty Counsel. Mediators attempt to help landlords and tenants to come up with compromises that each party can live with. It is voluntary and confidential. Tenant Duty Counsel are legal professionals who help tenants for free on the day of their hearing. While you do not need an appointment to speak to either a mediator or Tenant Duty Counsel, you should arrive promptly at the start of your hearing to ensure that you have a chance to consult them before your file is called.
If you are representing yourself and don’t understand something that is being said, ask the LTB members or other participants to explain. While the LTB member cannot give you legal advice or tell you how best to present your case, they may slow down the proceedings or explain the process in more detail.
If you require language interpretation, or a disability accommodation, contact the LTB in writing to make those arrangements. Keep a copy of any letters you send to the LTB. It is prudent to arrange your own back-up interpreter as well, and to speak to Tenant Duty Counsel before your hearing if you are not represented.
The hearing process on the day of your hearing will be as follows:
At the end of the hearing, the LTB member will either give their decision right away, or “reserve their decision.” This means that they will take time to consider the evidence and submissions. In both cases, you will receive the decision in writing.
If you are being evicted and are unsure of your rights, CCHR may be able to assist you with legal information and referrals.
CCHR is only able to provide legal information, and cannot provide legal advice or representation. If you require additional legal supports, please contact your local legal clinic.
The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) provides free, individualized services to renters in Ontario who are facing challenges in their housing.
Renters who are facing eviction have several resources at their disposal to help them take the necessary steps to protect their right to housing. This pamphlet includes a list of resources for each province and territory in Canada to inform renters about the provincial and territorial laws that protect their tenancy, the bodies that make decisions about their tenancy, where they can receive legal help and all other protections available beyond provincial legislation.
This pamphlet was produced by the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) – formerly known as CERA – and the National Right to Housing Network (NRHN).
Generally, landlords are permitted to enter a tenant’s unit with a minimum of 24 hours notice if they provide a valid reason. The current Emergency Order does not contain any rules or restrictions for landlords preventing them from entering a tenant’s unit. During the current lockdown, the provincial government has asked that landlords and tenants act with patience and understanding and follow public health guidelines. The Ontario provincial government has encouraged landlords to limit their notices to enter, but the current Emergency Order does not contain any legal changes to the law surrounding landlords entering a unit. Landlords are still able to issue notices of entry and they will expect to be able to enter the unit.
More information is available on the Ontario government’s COVID-19 page:
We recommend that you contact your landlord and ask about the health and safety precautions that will be taken when they enter your unit.
If your landlord refuses to take any health or safety precautions in line with public health guidelines, you may file a complaint with the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit.
How to file a complaint with the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit:
Your local community health centre may have more information and resources about how to approach the situation.
Many tenants have underlying health conditions or disabilities that make them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. These tenants have often taken extra precautions to avoid contact with others and may be deeply frightened or concerned by a landlord’s request to enter their unit.
If you find yourself in this situation, you can ask that your landlord makes accommodation for you under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Under the Code, your landlord is obligated to accommodate you, up to the point of “undue hardship”. If your concern about your landlord entering your unit is connected to a disability, you can request that your landlord accommodate your disability. This could include requesting that your landlord takes extra measures to maintain physical distance, uses specific personal protective equipment, or provides you with longer than the regular 24 hours prior notice before entering your unit, so that you have enough time to make arrangements to vacate the unit.
CCHR has a self-advocacy toolkit that walks tenants through the process of requesting accommodation from their landlord. If you have made a request, and you believe that you have not been properly accommodated by your landlord, you can file an application with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
For more information about how to pursue an application at the Tribunal, reach out to the Human Rights Legal Support Centre:
Many people have been confused about eviction processes during the pandemic as a result of the various shutdowns, stay-at-home orders and state of emergency orders in Ontario.
On June 2, 2021, the stay-at-home order was lifted and the enforcement of evictions in Ontario resumed.
The Landlord and Tenant Board is currently open and issuing eviction orders.
If you have received a notice of eviction hearing, you should attend the eviction hearing as scheduled to defend yourself against an eviction order.
Please contact CCHR if you need help navigating the eviction process, and our case workers can provide legal information supports and referrals.
If an eviction is ordered by the Landlord and Tenant Board at a hearing, it must then be enforced by the Court Enforcement (or Sheriff’s) Office.
Falling behind on rent can be frightening and confusing, and the pandemic has created unique financial challenges that have caused many tenants to struggle to pay their rent.
If you have fallen behind on your rent, you should try to pay back the amount you owe (called “arrears”) as soon as possible. If you can pay back everything you owe, you may be able to avoid an eviction notice.
Visit our COVID-19 resource page for information about income support, financial aid, food services, and mental health services that may be available to you.
If you have received an eviction notice or notice of a hearing for unpaid rent, you should first make an effort to pay off the arrears that you owe before attending your hearing at the Landlord and Tenant Board.
There are several resources to support tenants through the eviction process, and to help them remain housed:
There are also rent relief or other financial resources that may be able to help you. Many of them are specific to your region or municipality. For information about rent relief and other financial resources in your area:
If you are in need of mental health support or counselling related to the pandemic or your housing, we encourage you to contact a crisis hotline or counselling service in your local area.
Contact:
Older adults may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of the pandemic lockdowns. If you are a senior and have concerns about your mental health, contact your local Seniors Active Living Centre for programs and supports.
The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) provides free, individualized services to renters in Ontario who are facing challenges in their housing.
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