Ontario Cuts N4 Rent-Arrears Notice Period to Seven Days as New Tenancy Rules Take Effect

New rental rules took effect across Ontario on September 21, 2026, changing how landlords and tenants deal with unpaid rent, repeated late payments, personal-use evictions and renovation-related notices before the Landlord and Tenant Board.

One of the most significant changes affects the N4 notice, which landlords may issue when rent has not been paid in full. For N4 notices served on or after September 21, the notice period has been reduced from 14 days to seven days before a landlord can take the next step in seeking an eviction order for non-payment.

The seven-day deadline does not mean a tenant can automatically be removed from the unit after one week. The N4 remains an initial notice in the legal process. If the arrears are not resolved, the landlord may then file an application with the Landlord and Tenant Board, which determines whether an eviction order should be issued.

Ontario has also introduced a more specific benchmark for persistent late payment. A tenant may now be considered to have persistently paid rent late when the landlord receives the payment more than seven days after it was due on at least three occasions within a six-month period. The LTB notes that other patterns of repeated late payment may still be considered depending on the circumstances.

Another change affects what tenants can raise during hearings involving rent arrears. For applications filed on or after September 21, a tenant who wants the board to consider other issues, such as maintenance problems or alleged violations of tenant rights, must generally pay the landlord half of the arrears claimed at least seven days before the hearing. The tenant must also continue to provide advance notice of the issues and supporting information they intend to raise.

Rules governing N12 notices, used when a landlord or certain family members intend to occupy a rental unit, have changed as well. If an N12 served on or after September 21 provides at least 120 days' notice, a landlord seeking the unit for personal use is no longer required to pay one month's compensation or offer another acceptable rental unit. Existing compensation requirements continue to apply when less than 120 days' notice is provided. The exemption does not apply to N12 notices issued for a purchaser's own use.

The new framework also sets expectations around when the landlord or other person named in a personal-use N12 should actually occupy the property. They would normally be expected to take possession within 60 days of the relevant date. If that does not happen and the former tenant brings a T5 bad-faith application, the circumstances may create a presumption of bad faith that the landlord can attempt to rebut before the board.

Changes have also been introduced for N13 notices, which may be used when a landlord needs a tenant to leave for major repairs or renovations. A tenant who gives written notice that they want to return after the work is completed must now receive information about the expected completion date, any changes to that timeline and when the unit is ready for occupancy. When applicable, the landlord must also give the tenant 60 days to reoccupy the unit once the work is finished.

The September 21 changes form part of amendments to Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 introduced through Bill 60 and Bill 97. The Landlord and Tenant Board has updated several forms, procedural rules, interpretation guidelines and information materials to reflect the new requirements.