Evictions and tenants’ rights in Ontario

The eviction process in Ontario

In Ontario, tenants can request a hearing to contest an eviction notice. Hearings are administered by the Landlord and Tenant Board, or LTB.

When serving a tenant with an eviction notice in Ontario, the landlord must serve the notice in writing, using a specific form from the LTB. Even when a tenant has received an eviction notice, they don’t have to move out right away — the landlord must first apply for an eviction order from the LTB. Tenants have the right to present their case at a hearing before such an order is granted.

The process for evicting tenants is essentially the same regardless of the landlord’s reason for doing so:

1. The landlord serves the tenant the correct form, observing the required minimum notice period.
2. The landlord applies to the LTB for an eviction order.
3. The LTB schedules a hearing to determine if the landlord’s request is valid.
4. After hearing evidence from the landlord and the tenant, the LTB rules either for or against the eviction request, either evicting the tenant or allowing them to stay.

This process applies whether the landlord is evicting the tenant for cause, so they can renovate the unit, or any other reason. The part that differs is how much notice the landlord must give.

Eviction reasons and lengths of notice

In Ontario, the amount of notice that the landlord must give depends on their reason for the eviction.

Additionally, the tenant has the right to void certain eviction notices by correcting their behaviour. For example, when a tenant misses a rent payment, they can void the non-payment eviction notice by paying the rent before the landlord applies for a hearing with the LTB.

The LTB lists many reasons for eviction, each with its own notice period and conditions. For example:

Non-payment of rent

The landlord must give 7 days’ notice. The tenant can void the notice by paying all outstanding rent before the day the landlord applies to the LTB for a hearing.

Personal use by landlord

If they wish to move into the unit or have a family member move in, they must give the tenant 60 days’ notice. The termination date must be the final day of the lease term or rental period. The landlord must either pay the tenant one month’s rent or offer the tenant a new unit (and have the tenant accept that offer).

If the tenant moves out but believes the eviction was in bad faith, they can file a T5 form with the LTB — the landlord may owe them significant compensation in such a case. If the new resident doesn’t move in within 60 days of the date noted on the eviction form, it’s presumed that the eviction was in bad faith.

For notices served on or after September 21, 2026, the landlord doesn’t have to compensate the tenant if they give at least 120 days’ notice. This exception doesn’t apply when a new landlord purchases the property, though.

Repairs or renovations

To evict a tenant in order to renovate a unit, the landlord must give 120 days’ notice, and the termination date must be the last day of the rental period.

The tenant has the right to move back into the unit after repairs or renovations are complete, though they must notify the landlord in writing (before they move out) if they wish to do so. The landlord can’t refuse them, nor can they change the rent amount, except for increases that would have been allowed if the tenant never moved out.

If the tenant chooses to move back in, the landlord must give an estimated completion date in writing, update it if it changes, and give notice when the renovations are complete. This requirement only applies if the tenant’s written notice was provided on or after September 21, 2026.

In most cases, the landlord has to offer compensation to the tenant. That compensation may be another unit to live in, or up to three months’ rent. The requirements depend on the size of the building, with buildings of five or more units requiring greater compensation.

Even if the tenant chooses to move out entirely, they can still file a T5 form later if they believe the eviction was in bad faith — for example, if they believe the landlord never intended to renovate and just wanted a new tenant to charge higher rent.

Tenants in Ontario who receive an eviction notice should consult this brochure to confirm that their landlord has followed the correct procedure for the given reason — there are quite a few variations for each reason.

Home insurance considerations

While home insurance isn’t normally a major factor in evictions, there are a couple points that tenants should keep in mind.

First, while tenant insurance in Ontario is not required by law, landlords are allowed to require it in lease agreements. As long as the lease agreement clearly requires the tenant to maintain active tenant insurance, the tenant has to do so.

Something else to keep in mind: If a tenant has purchased legal protection insurance from Square One, they could use it to access a legal helpline. The helpline would be a source of guidance for a tenant in the process of disputing an eviction.

Commonly asked questions

Does an eviction affect your credit score in Ontario?

On its own, an eviction won’t affect a tenant’s credit score. However, unpaid rent that’s referred to a collection agency or that results in a court judgement could worsen someone’s credit score. That could have a negative impact if they ever need a credit check.

What happens if the tenant doesn’t leave following an eviction order?

In Ontario, only a Court Enforcement Officer (the Sheriff) can forcibly remove a tenant. Even with a valid order from the LTB, a landlord may not remove a tenant themselves — that includes changing the locks on the unit. Nor may they hire private security or call the police to do it.

Can you be evicted in the winter in Ontario?

It’s a common misconception in Ontario (and the rest of Canada) that evictions aren’t permitted during the winter months. In Ontario, this is not true — as long as they follow the correct procedure, landlords may evict tenants at any time of year.

What did Bill 60 change?

In late 2025, the Ontario government passed Bill 60, which brought numerous changes related to housing and construction. Among these changes were amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA).

The goal of these changes was to reduce backlogs at the LTB. However, critics argue that the changes erode important protections for tenants. Indeed, most of the changes favour landlords.

The key changes introduced by Bill 60 that came into effect on July 1, 2026 include:

• The period to request a review of an LTB order is reduced from 30 to 15 days.
• Changes to the circumstances in which parties may request review of a final LTB order.

Other changes came into effect on September 21, 2026. Many only apply to eviction notices issued on or after September 21.

• The notice period for avoiding eviction for non-payment of rent was reduced from 14 to 7 days.
• Tenants are no longer permitted to raise their own issues at a rental arrears hearing unless they pay at least 50% of the rent arrears claimed in the landlord’s application, at least seven days before the hearing.
• If a landlord gives a tenant at least 120 days’ notice for eviction for landlord’s use, they are no longer required to compensate the tenant one month’s rent or offer them another unit.
• “Persistent late payments” are now properly defined: if the landlord receives rent payments more than seven days after the due date at least three times within a six-month period, the tenant is considered to have been persistently late.
• Many forms related to the eviction process have been replaced.

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