Ontario Landlord Guide › My tenant wants to move out. How much notice do they have to give in Ontario?

My tenant wants to move out. How much notice do they have to give in Ontario?

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

Short answer: For a monthly tenancy, at least 60 days, and the termination date must be the last day of a rental period. If the tenant has a fixed-term lease, the date can't be earlier than the last day of the term. Weekly or daily tenants give at least 28 days. The notice should be in writing, on the LTB's Form N9.

Official source: LTB: Form N9, Tenant's Notice to End the Tenancy (v. 01/04/2022) · Last checked Oct 2026

The notice periods on the N9

Monthly tenancy: at least 60 days, ending on the last day of a rental period. If rent is due on the 1st, that's the last day of a month.
Fixed-term lease (for example one year): at least 60 days, and the termination date can't be earlier than the last day of the term.
Daily or weekly tenancy: at least 28 days, ending on the last day of a rental period. Rent due each Monday means a Sunday end date.
The February rule: a tenant can give notice for the end of February as late as January 1, and for the end of March as late as February 1.

Shorter notice the N9 allows

After your N12 or N13: if you gave the tenant an N12 or N13, they can pick a termination date as little as 10 days away, and it doesn't have to be the end of a rental period.
You refused an assignment: if the tenant asked to assign the unit and you refused, they can give at least 30 days (28 for daily or weekly), on any date.
No standard lease: for a tenancy that began on or after April 30, 2018 where you had to use the standard lease and didn't, a tenant who asked for it in writing and didn't get it within 21 days can end a fixed term early, still on the last day of a rental period.
Violence or abuse: a separate notice under section 47.1 of the Residential Tenancies Act lets a tenant end a monthly, yearly or fixed-term tenancy with at least 28 days' notice when they or a child living with them is deemed to have experienced violence or abuse.

Worked examples

Rent is due on the 1st. The tenant gives you an N9 on Monday, October 26, 2026. The earliest termination date is Thursday, December 31, 2026, the first end of a month that's at least 60 days away.

If the same tenant waits until Monday, November 2, 2026, December 31 is only 59 days away, so the earliest date becomes Sunday, January 31, 2027. One week's delay costs the tenant a month, so tell a tenant who mentions moving that the timing matters.

For the end of February 2027 (Sunday, February 28), the February rule means notice given by Friday, January 1, 2027 is enough, even though that's only 58 days.

Where the toolkit helps: The toolkit's Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Form with a room-by-room photo log covers the move-out walk-through, and the LTB-Ready Evidence Pack's communication log keeps the N9 and your messages dated. See what is inside the $19 toolkit

A text or a phone call isn't an N9

Section 43 of the Act says a notice of termination must be in the form the LTB approves, identify the unit, state the termination date and be signed by the person giving it. If a tenant texts "we're leaving end of next month", reply in writing, send them the N9 link, and ask for a signed copy with the date. The LTB's guide says a landlord and tenant can also agree to end a tenancy early; for that, use an N11 agreement.

After you get the N9

Accepting rent doesn't cancel it. Under section 45, accepting rent after a tenant gives notice doesn't waive the notice or create a new tenancy unless you both agree otherwise.
Showing the unit. Under section 26, once notice is given you can enter without written notice to show the unit to prospective tenants between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., if you first tell the tenant or make a reasonable effort to.
If they might not leave, file an L3. You can file as soon as you get the N9, with a copy of it and a signed declaration. The LTB won't end the tenancy before the tenant's date, and you must apply no later than 30 days after that date or the LTB may dismiss it. Section 46 says a tenant's notice becomes void 30 days after its termination date unless the tenant has moved out or you've applied. The fee is $201, or $186 through the Tribunals Ontario Portal.
Belongings left behind. If the tenant moves out by the termination date but leaves things behind, the N9 says they no longer have rights to them and you can dispose of them.

If the tenant leaves without proper notice

Section 88 sets the rent owed when a tenant leaves early. If they gave notice that didn't follow the Act, rent is owed up to the earliest termination date a proper notice could have given. If they left with no notice, it's counted from the date you knew or should have known they'd left. Section 16 also says you have a duty to take reasonable steps to minimize your losses, which in practice means advertising the unit and keeping dated proof that you did.

Avoid these mistakes

Making the tenant sign an N9 with the lease. The N9 says you can't require it as a condition of renting, and a tenant doesn't have to move out based on one signed that way (student housing and some care homes are the exceptions).
Treating a wrong date as no notice. If the date is too early, the tenant still gave notice. Tell them the earliest valid date in writing and ask for a corrected N9.
Re-renting before you have it in writing. Don't sign a new lease for the unit until you have a signed N9 or N11.

The $19 toolkit includes an inspection form with a photo log and an LTB evidence pack for keeping the N9, your messages and your listing ads together. Renting a room in your own home? Read whether the Act applies to you first.

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.