How long does it take to evict a tenant in Ontario?

Realistically about five to nine months for a non-payment eviction in 2026. The N4 notice period is 7 days for monthly and yearly N4s served on or after September 21, 2026 under Bill 60 (14 days for earlier service, and always 7 for weekly or daily tenancies), then the L1 hearing is currently scheduled roughly 3–5 months after filing (it varies widely by region), and a granted eviction order takes effect 11 days after it is issued. Only the Sheriff can physically remove a tenant.

Can I evict a tenant without going to the Landlord and Tenant Board?

No. In Ontario a landlord cannot change locks, remove belongings, shut off utilities, or force a tenant out. The only lawful eviction is one ordered by the Landlord and Tenant Board and enforced by the Sheriff. A tenant may of course choose to move out voluntarily after receiving a notice, or the two sides can sign an N11 agreement to end the tenancy.

Which notice do I use to evict a tenant?

It depends entirely on the grounds. Unpaid rent uses the N4. Damage, interference with reasonable enjoyment, or overcrowding uses the N5. Illegal acts use the N6, serious impairment of safety the N7, persistent late payment the N8, the landlord's or a purchaser's own use the N12, and demolition or major renovation the N13. Serving the wrong form restarts the whole process.

What happens if the tenant pays after I serve the N4?

If the tenant pays every dollar listed on the N4 before the termination date, the notice is void and the tenancy continues as if it had never been served. If they fall behind again later, you serve a fresh N4 for the new arrears.

Do I need a paralegal to evict a tenant in Ontario?

You are entitled to prepare your own notices and represent yourself at the Landlord and Tenant Board. Many landlords retain a paralegal for the hearing itself while preparing the notice stage themselves. Notice defects, not advocacy, are the most common reason applications fail — so accuracy at the N4 stage matters more than representation.

Can I evict a tenant for no reason in Ontario?

No. Ontario tenancies renew automatically and a landlord must have one of the grounds set out in the Residential Tenancies Act. There is no 'no-fault, no-reason' eviction, and there is no automatic end of tenancy when a fixed term expires.

How to Evict a Tenant in Ontario: The Step-by-Step Process

Ontario evictions run on a fixed sequence: grounds, notice, waiting period, application, hearing, enforcement. Skip or rush a step and the Landlord and Tenant Board sends you back to the start. Here is the whole path, in order, with the form you need at each stage.

Only the Sheriff can remove a tenant

Changing locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities is an illegal eviction in Ontario and exposes you to fines and a tenant application against you. Every lawful eviction ends with an LTB order enforced by the Court Enforcement Office.

Step 1 — Confirm you have legal grounds

Ontario has no "no-reason" eviction. A tenancy does not end just because a one-year lease expired — it continues month to month automatically. You need one of the grounds set out in the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, and the ground decides which form you serve.

Step 2 — Serve the right notice

Each ground has exactly one matching notice and one notice period. Using the wrong form is fatal at the hearing.

Grounds	Notice	Notice period
Unpaid rent	N4	7 days for monthly/yearly N4s served on/after Sept 21, 2026 (Bill 60); 14 days before that; weekly/daily always 7 days
Damage, interference, overcrowding	N5	20 days, with a 7-day chance to correct on a first notice
Illegal act or misrepresented income	N6	10 or 20 days
Serious damage or impaired safety	N7	10 days
Persistent late payment	N8	60 days, ending at the end of a term
Landlord, family, or purchaser's own use	N12	60 days plus one month's rent compensation
Demolition, conversion, major repairs	N13	120 days plus compensation

Service method matters as much as the form. Mail adds 5 days to the termination date and courier adds 1; hand delivery, an adult in the unit, the mailbox at the unit, and under the door add none. Complete a Certificate of Service the moment you serve — you cannot reconstruct it credibly months later.

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Step 3 — Wait out the full notice period

The tenant has the entire notice period to comply — pay the arrears, correct the behaviour, or move out. If they do, the matter is over. Filing your application even one day before the termination date is grounds for dismissal on its own.

Step 4 — File the matching L application

Notices are served on tenants; applications are filed with the Board. Unpaid rent goes to the L1 application (a $186 filing fee online through the Tribunals Ontario Portal, or $201 by mail). Every other ground goes to the L2. Attach the served notice, the Certificate of Service, the lease, and a complete rent ledger.

Step 5 — Attend the hearing

L1 hearings are currently scheduled roughly 3–5 months after filing in 2026, though it varies widely by region. Bring originals of everything and a rent calculation updated to the hearing date. Most applications that fail do so because of a defect in the original notice, not because of what happened in the hearing room.

Termination date calculated wrong, including service-method days
Rent figures that do not reconcile to the ledger, down to the cent
An adult tenant on the lease left off the notice
No Certificate of Service, or one that contradicts the notice

Step 6 — Enforcement

A granted eviction order takes effect on the eleventh day after issuance. If the tenant has not left, you file the order with the Court Enforcement Office (Sheriff), who schedules and carries out the removal. You cannot do this yourself at any point.

Realistic timeline

Non-payment eviction, start to finish: the notice period (7 days for monthly/yearly N4s served on or after September 21, 2026 under Bill 60, 14 days before that, plus service days) + ~3–5 months to a hearing + 11 days to the order taking effect + Sheriff scheduling. Budget roughly five to nine months, and keep serving accurate notices in the meantime so nothing resets the clock. For a stage-by-stage breakdown, see how long eviction takes in Ontario.

Frequently asked questions

Start the process with a notice that holds up

EasyServe validates termination dates, rent math, tenant names and service buffers, and generates the Certificate of Service with your N4.

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EasyServe generates and documents notices. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.

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