Eviction is an order, not a padlock
A notice on the door is a warning. It is not the end of the tenancy.
In covered units a landlord must use the correct LTB notice, then apply to the Board, then win an order, then — only then — involve the Sheriff. Changing the locks, stacking your things in the hall, or shutting off heat to force you out is an illegal eviction.
2026 process changes. Ontario amended parts of the Residential Tenancies Act in 2026 (including Bill 60 implementation). Some N4 payment windows are shorter, “persistent late payment” has a tighter definition, and N12 compensation rules depend on how much notice is given. Read the form in your hand. Confirm current LTB instructions before you count days.
The only lawful sequence
- Proper written notice on an LTB form, with a reason the Act recognizes
- Time on that notice to pay, stop the conduct, or prepare
- Landlord application (L1, L2, and related forms)
- You receive the application package and a hearing date
- Hearing or mediated agreement
- An eviction order, if the Board issues one
- Sheriff enforcement — not the superintendent’s drill
Common notices
| Form | What it claims | First move |
|---|---|---|
| N4 | Unpaid rent | Pay if you can; keep receipts; get advice before the termination date |
| N5 | Conduct, damage, overcrowding | Document the facts; children’s ordinary noise is not a Code-free zone |
| N8 | Persistent late rent | Ask whether the new 2026 definition is actually met |
| N12 | Landlord or purchaser own-use | Good faith is required; bad-faith N12s are challengeable |
| N13 | Demolition, conversion, big repair | Compensation and right of return may apply |
You have the right to attend the hearing and tell the Board why you should stay. Bring a paper file: lease, payments, photos, messages, accommodation requests.
Decode my notice LTB applications If I already lost the unit