Plain-English guides for small Ontario landlords
For people renting out a room, a basement or a single unit in Ontario. Every guide is written in plain English, updated for the September 21, 2026 LTB changes, and linked to the official source so you can check it yourself.
- Sept 21, 2026 LTB Changes: What Ontario Landlords Must Do Now
The Sept 21, 2026 LTB changes for Ontario landlords: 7-day N4, half-arrears rule, persistent late payment, N12 120-day option, N13 duties, new forms by Nov 30. With official links.
- How to Serve an N4 in Ontario (2026 7-Day Rule)
Step-by-step guide to the Ontario N4 notice after Sept 21, 2026: the 7-day termination date, how to count days, mail and courier rules, and when you can file the L1.
- Ontario Rent Increase Guideline 2027: 1.9%
Ontario's 2027 rent increase guideline is 1.9% (2026 was 2.1%). How to calculate it, the 12-month and 90-day notice rules, exempt post-2018 units, and deposit interest.
- Ontario Rent Receipt Rules + Free Rent Receipt Template
Do Ontario landlords have to give rent receipts? Yes, free, on request, including for former tenants within 12 months. What to include, plus a free printable template.
- Renting Rooms in Your Home in Ontario: When Does the RTA Apply?
Ontario's RTA exemption for shared kitchens and bathrooms applies only when the renter shares with the owner or close family living there. Scenarios and pitfalls.
- How to Screen Tenants from Kijiji & Facebook Messages (Ontario)
How a small Ontario landlord screens Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace rental inquiries: first-message signals, fair questions, scams and Human Rights Code limits.
- Ontario Move-In Inspection Checklist for Landlords (2026)
Ontario doesn't require a move-in inspection report, but it's your best evidence at move-out. A room-by-room checklist, photo tips and safety items to test.
- N12 Notice Ontario: Landlord's Own Use Guide (2026 120-Day Rule)
How an Ontario landlord gives an N12 to move in themselves or a family member: who qualifies, 60 vs 120 days' notice, compensation, worked dates, the L2 and bad-faith risks.
- Last Month's Rent Deposit in Ontario: Rules + Interest (2026/2027)
Ontario landlords can collect only a last month's rent deposit, not a damage deposit. Limits, yearly interest (2.1% in 2026, 1.9% in 2027), top-ups and an example.
- Ontario Standard Lease (Form 2229E): A Small Landlord's Guide
When Ontario landlords must use the standard lease, how to fill it in for a basement unit, which extra terms are void, the 21-day rule, and shared rooms.
Quick answers and tools
- Free N4 Date Calculator Ontario 2026 (7-Day Rule)
Free Ontario N4 termination date calculator: pick hand, courier or mail and a date to get the earliest termination date and L1 filing date under the LTB's 7-day rule.
- How Many Days Is an N4 in Ontario in 2026? (7 Days, Plus Delivery)
An N4 given on or after Sept 21, 2026 needs a termination date at least 7 days out, plus 5 days for mail or 1 business day for courier. Worked dates and the LTB rule.
- Which LTB Forms Change on November 30, 2026? (The 10 Old Forms)
Ten LTB forms were replaced on Sept 21, 2026 and the old versions are not accepted as of Nov 30, 2026: N5, N6, N8, N12, N13, L1, L2, L9, L10 and T5. What to do now.
- N12 Compensation in Ontario (2026): Do I Pay? The 120-Day Rule
Since Sept 21, 2026, an N12 for your own use needs no compensation if the termination date is at least 120 days out. Otherwise you owe one month's rent. Worked dates.
- How Do I Serve an N4 by Mail in Ontario? (Add 5 Days)
Yes, you can mail an N4 in Ontario. Add 5 days for delivery, then count 7. Mailed Mon Nov 2, 2026 means a termination date of Sat Nov 14 at the earliest. The steps.
- How Much Can I Raise Rent in Ontario in 2027? (1.9% Guideline)
Ontario's 2027 rent increase guideline is 1.9% (down from 2.1% in 2026). Dollar examples, the 12-month and 90-day rules, which units are exempt, and the forms.
- Persistent Late Rent Ontario 2026: 3-in-6-Months Rule and N8
Since Sept 21, 2026, rent received more than 7 days late at least 3 times in 6 months counts as persistent late payment. What counts, a worked example, and the N8 notice dates.
- Half-Arrears Rule at LTB Rent Hearings (Ontario 2026)
For L1 or L9 applications filed on or after Sept 21, 2026, a tenant must pay the landlord at least half the arrears 7 days before the hearing to raise repairs or other issues.
- N13 Move-Back Rights in Ontario (2026): What Landlords Must Do
Since Sept 21, 2026, if an N13 tenant says in writing they'll move back in, you must give the estimated finish date in writing, say when the unit is ready and allow 60 days.
- N11 Agreement to End Tenancy in Ontario (2026): Rules and the L3
An N11 lets you and your tenant agree on a move-out date. Since Sept 21, 2026, an L3 eviction order based on it is harder to cancel. Who can sign, the L3 filing window and fee.
- N9 Tenant Notice in Ontario: 60 Days, Dates and the L3
Ontario tenants give an N9: at least 60 days for a monthly tenancy, ending on the last day of a rental period. Worked dates, the February rule, the L3 and texted notices.
- Landlord Entry in Ontario: 24 Hours' Written Notice
Ontario landlords can enter for repairs or inspections with 24 hours' written notice giving the reason, day and a time from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Worked times and how to serve it.
- Can an Ontario Landlord Say No Pets? The No-Pet Clause
A no-pet clause in an Ontario lease is void under RTA section 14, but condo rules can still ban pets, and a pet causing damage or allergies can lead to an N5. Dates worked out.
- Tenant Subletting Without Permission in Ontario (A2, 60 Days)
Ontario tenants need your consent to sublet or assign. If someone moves in without it, you have 60 days to file an A2 or they may be treated as your tenant. Rules, fee, dates.
- Tenant Left Belongings or Abandoned the Unit? Ontario Rules
Ontario rules for belongings left behind or an abandoned unit: when you can dispose of them, the 30-day notice, the L2 abandonment order and rent owed.
- Tenant Damaged Your Rental in Ontario? N5, N7 and L2 Steps
Ontario tenant caused damage? How the N5 notice and 7-day repair window work, when an N7 applies, filing an L2 for repair costs, deadlines and fees.
- Noisy or Disruptive Tenant in Ontario? N5 and L2 Steps
Ontario landlord with a noisy or disruptive tenant? How an N5 for substantial interference works, the 7-day fix, when an N7 applies, and filing an L2.
- Tenant Won't Leave After an N9 in Ontario? The L3 Steps
Tenant gave an N9 or signed an N11 but won't leave? The Ontario L3 steps, the 30-day filing deadline, the 10-day set-aside motion, the sheriff and compensation.
- Tenant Didn't Pay After the N4? Filing an L1 in Ontario
Tenant didn't pay by the N4 date? When to file the Ontario L1, what to include, the $201 fee, when paying stops the eviction, and a worked example with dates.
Not legal advice. This site is general information written by a small Ontario landlord, based on official Ontario and Tribunals Ontario sources as of October 23, 2026. Laws and LTB forms change; check the linked official source before you act, and talk to a lawyer or licensed paralegal (or call the LTB at 1-888-332-3234) about your situation. Not affiliated with the Government of Ontario, Tribunals Ontario or the Landlord and Tenant Board. Full disclaimer.