How eviction works in Ontario.
Quick Answer
Eviction in Ontario follows a fixed sequence: the landlord serves a written notice, waits out the notice period, files an application with the Landlord and Tenant Board, attends a hearing, and — only if the Board grants an order — has the sheriff carry out the eviction. The process from notice to sheriff enforcement commonly takes three to five months.
- 01
The notice
Every eviction begins with a written notice on the correct LTB form. The form depends on the reason: N4 for unpaid rent, N5 for damage or interference, N12 for the landlord's or a buyer's own use, N13 for demolition or major renovation. The notice must state the specific grounds and a valid termination date.
Wrong form or vague grounds = invalid notice.
- 02
The notice period
The tenant gets a set window before the termination date — 14 days for non-payment, longer for most other grounds. For some notices, the tenant can void it by paying the arrears or correcting the conduct in time. If they do, the tenancy simply continues.
Pay or cure within the window voids many notices.
- 03
The application
If the notice period passes without resolution, the landlord files an application with the Landlord and Tenant Board — an L1 for non-payment, an L2 for cause or own use — pays the fee, and serves the tenant. Filing without a valid underlying notice is the most common reason applications fail.
The notice must be valid for the application to stand.
- 04
The hearing
The Board schedules a hearing, now almost always held by video. Both sides present evidence: the landlord proves the grounds, the tenant raises any defences or their own issues, such as outstanding repairs. Many files resolve here through a payment plan or settlement the Board can make into an order.
A paralegal can attend on your behalf.
- 05
The order
After the hearing the Board issues a written order. It may evict, dismiss the application, or — very often — order the tenant to pay or comply by a date, with eviction only if they don't. The order sets the exact terms and any amounts owing.
Eviction is frequently conditional, not automatic.
- 06
Enforcement
Even with an eviction order, a landlord cannot change the locks or remove belongings. Only the Court Enforcement Office (the sheriff) can enforce an eviction. The order is filed with the sheriff, who schedules and carries out the eviction if the tenant still hasn't left.
Self-help eviction is illegal in Ontario.
The same process. Two very different jobs.
Your work is front-loaded into the notice and the filing. Get those right and the Board moves; get them wrong and you lose months. We make the application bulletproof and see it through to enforcement.
For landlordsA notice is not an eviction. Many are defective or premature, and you have the right to be heard — and often a claim of your own. We check the notice first, then build your defence or your case.
For tenantsHow long does an eviction take in Ontario?
- From serving the notice to the sheriff enforcing an eviction, the process commonly runs three to five months for non-payment of rent and longer for cause-based or own-use cases, mostly because of Landlord and Tenant Board hearing wait times. A defective notice or improper service restarts the clock.
Can a landlord evict a tenant without a hearing?
- Only in limited situations — for example, where the tenant signed an agreement to end the tenancy or didn't dispute certain applications — can the Board issue an order without a hearing. In the ordinary case, a hearing is required before any eviction order can be made.
Can a landlord change the locks to evict a tenant?
- No. Changing the locks, removing a tenant's belongings, or shutting off services to force a tenant out is an illegal 'self-help' eviction in Ontario. Only the sheriff can carry out an eviction, and only after the Board has issued an order. Illegal lockouts expose the landlord to a tenant application and penalties.
What happens at an LTB hearing?
- Most hearings are held by video. The member hears from both sides, reviews the documents filed in advance, and either decides on the spot or reserves a written decision. Landlords prove the grounds for eviction; tenants raise defences or their own claims. Coming prepared with organized evidence is what makes the difference.
This guide is general information about the Ontario eviction process, not legal advice, and it does not create a paralegal-client relationship. Timelines, forms, and procedures change — confirm the details of your own matter with us before relying on them.
One missed step restarts the clock.
Whether you’re serving a notice or holding one, the next deadline is the one that counts. Talk it through before it passes — the first call is free, confidential, and without obligation.