Ontario Landlord Guide › How does an N11 agreement to end the tenancy work in Ontario in 2026?

How does an N11 agreement to end the tenancy work in Ontario in 2026?

Last updated October 23, 2026 · Written for small Ontario landlords

Short answer: An N11 is a written agreement, signed by you and the tenant, that the tenancy ends on a date you both choose. Once it's signed, you can file an L3 right away, and no later than 30 days after that date. Since September 21, 2026, the LTB can cancel an eviction order issued without a hearing on an N11 only if that would not be unfair, and it can't consider changes in the tenant's circumstances after they signed.

Official source: Tribunals Ontario: Legislative changes at the LTB effective September 21, 2026 · Last checked Oct 2026

When an N11 makes sense

An N11 is for when you and the tenant both want the tenancy to end, for example because the tenant is buying a house, or because you've talked it through and agreed on a date. You don't serve it like a notice. You both sign it. The LTB's guide to the Act says a tenant and landlord can agree to end a tenancy early, and that no notice of termination is needed when there is an agreement. It also says an oral agreement is possible but a written one is best, and the N11 is the LTB's form for that.

The rules printed on the N11 itself

One termination date. The tenant must move out, and take all their belongings, on or before that date.
Belongings left behind. If the tenant moves out by the termination date but leaves things behind, the tenant no longer has any rights to them and you can dispose of them.
Never at the start of a tenancy. You can't require a tenant to sign an N11 as a condition of renting the unit. If you did, the tenant doesn't have to move out based on it. The only exceptions are certain student housing tied to a post-secondary school and certain care homes.
Keep a copy. Both of you should keep a signed copy.

What changed on September 21, 2026

An L3 based on an N11 can lead to an eviction order issued without a hearing. Tenants can file a motion asking the LTB to set that order aside. Since September 21, 2026, the LTB may grant that motion only if it is satisfied that doing so would not be unfair, and it cannot consider changes in the tenant's circumstances that happened after the agreement was made. In plain terms, a tenant who signed freely and later changed their mind has a harder time undoing it. That makes a clean, properly signed N11 more reliable for you than it was before.

Filing the L3: dates, papers and fee

When. You can file as soon as the N11 is signed. The LTB won't end the tenancy before the agreed date, and you must file no later than 30 days after it, or the LTB may dismiss the application.
What to include. The L3 form, a copy of the N11, and a signed declaration or sworn affidavit confirming it. The L3 instructions say the declaration should give the date you entered into the tenancy agreement, the termination date, the date the tenant signed and who signed, and should state that the agreement wasn't signed when the tenancy agreement was made and wasn't later changed or replaced. Missing items get the application refused.
Fee. $201, or $186 if you file through the Tribunals Ontario Portal.
Form version. The N11 and L3 aren't among the ten forms replaced on September 21, 2026, but download them fresh from the LTB anyway. Those ten forms are not accepted in their old versions as of November 30, 2026.

Worked example

You and your tenant sign an N11 on Monday, November 2, 2026 with a termination date of Thursday, December 31, 2026. You can file the L3 the same week. The earliest eviction date the LTB can order is December 31, and the last day to file is Saturday, January 30, 2027, 30 days after the termination date.

Where the toolkit helps: The toolkit's LTB-Ready Evidence Pack includes a communication log and a hearing bundle checklist, so your copy of the signed N11 and the messages around it stay in one dated record. See what is inside the $19 toolkit

Avoid these mistakes

Signing it with the lease. An N11 signed as a condition of renting doesn't bind the tenant, and the L3 declaration asks you to confirm it wasn't.
Pressure. The new set-aside test asks whether cancelling the order would be unfair, so how the agreement was signed matters. Give the tenant time to read it, and keep your messages calm and in writing.
A side deal with no paper. The N11 has no space for any payment. If you agreed to pay the tenant to move, write the amount and when you'll pay it in a separate note you both sign, and keep proof of payment.
Missing the 30 days. Put the last filing date in your calendar the day you sign.

The $19 toolkit includes an LTB evidence pack for keeping the signed agreement, the declaration and your dated messages together, and the free September 2026 changes checklist lists the new set-aside rule next to the other September changes.

Official sources

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.