What to expect at an LTB hearing.
Quick Answer
A Landlord and Tenant Board hearing in Ontario is now almost always held by video on Zoom. A Board member hears from both sides, reviews the documents filed in advance, and either decides on the spot or issues a written order afterward. A paralegal can appear on your behalf at the hearing so you don't need to attend personally.
- Format
- Video · Zoom
- Heard by
- A Board Member
- Evidence
- Filed & served in advance
Preparing the file
- Gather and organize your evidence — the rent ledger, notices, photos, messages, receipts — and number the pages.
- File your evidence with the Board and serve it on the other party by the deadline in your notice of hearing. Late evidence may not be accepted.
- Line up any witnesses and confirm they can attend the video call.
- Test your device, camera, and connection, and find a quiet place where you can speak privately.
How the hearing runs
- Join the video call early using the link in your notice of hearing, and wait in the virtual room until your matter is called.
- Many hearing blocks begin with a chance to speak to a Tenant Duty Counsel or to try mediation with a Board dispute resolution officer.
- If it proceeds, the applicant presents first, then the responding party. The member can ask questions of either side.
- Evidence is given under oath or affirmation, so answer honestly and stick to what is relevant to the application.
The decision and the order
- The member may give a decision orally at the end, or reserve it and send a written order in the days or weeks that follow.
- The order sets out exactly what each party must do — pay, repair, vacate, or comply — and by when.
- An eviction order still has to be filed with the sheriff to be enforced; a money order can be filed with the court for collection.
- If something went seriously wrong with the process, there are limited routes to request a review — strict deadlines apply.
Hearings are won before they start.
The Board decides on the evidence in front of it, presented in the order it expects. A landlord who can show a clean ledger and proof of service, or a tenant who can show a dated record of disrepair and the requests that went unanswered, is in a far stronger position than one relying on memory. By the time your case is called, the outcome is largely set by the preparation. That is the part we do.
Are LTB hearings on Zoom?
- Yes — the Landlord and Tenant Board holds most hearings by video on Zoom, with telephone access available for those who can't join online. You receive a notice of hearing with the date, time, and joining link. In-person and hybrid hearings happen in limited circumstances.
What should I bring to an LTB hearing?
- Bring your organized, numbered evidence — leases, notices, the rent ledger, photos, messages, receipts — exactly as you filed and served it, plus any witnesses and a way to share your screen. Have a pen, paper, and your reference number ready, and join from a quiet, private space.
How long does an LTB hearing take?
- Your matter is usually booked into a block with several others, so you may wait an hour or more before being called, even though the hearing itself often runs 20 to 60 minutes. Set aside the whole block of time and stay in the virtual room until your case is heard.
Do I need a paralegal at the LTB, or can I represent myself?
- You can represent yourself, but a licensed paralegal can attend on your behalf, present the evidence in the order the Board expects, handle the cross-examination, and make the legal arguments — which often makes the difference in a contested matter. The first consultation at Point Duty is free.
This page is general information about Landlord and Tenant Board hearings, not legal advice, and it does not create a paralegal-client relationship. Board procedures change — confirm the details of your own hearing against your notice of hearing and with us before relying on them.
Walk in ready.
Bring us the notice of hearing and your documents, and we’ll build the case the Board needs to see — and appear with you, or for you, on the day. The first call is free, confidential, and without obligation.