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Ontario LTB guide

Filing an L1 or L2 application with the LTB

Updated August 10, 2026

A notice like the N4 or N5 doesn't end a tenancy by itself. If the tenant doesn't pay, fix the problem, or move out, the next step is an application to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB): the L1 for non-payment of rent, or the L2 for most other notices. Here's which one to file, when you're allowed to file it, what it costs, and what happens after.

The short version

In Ontario, the L1 follows an N4: you can file it the day after the N4's termination date if the rent still isn't paid in full, and there's no deadline after that. The L2 follows most other notices (N5, N6, N7, N8, N12, N13) and must be filed within 30 days of the notice's termination date. Filing costs $186 online through the Tribunals Ontario Portal ($201 on paper), the Board schedules a hearing, and only an LTB order. Enforced by the Sheriff. Can actually end the tenancy.

On this page

What the L1 and L2 are

Notices tell the tenant what's wrong and give them a chance to fix it. Applications ask the Board to actually do something about it. The L1, "Application to Evict a Tenant for Non-payment of Rent and to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes", does two jobs at once: it asks for an eviction order and a money order for the arrears. The L2, "Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant or Collect Money", covers the other grounds. Damage, interference, persistent late payment, landlord's own use, and demolition or major repair.

Which application follows which notice

  • N4 (non-payment of rent) → L1.
  • N5 (interference, damage, overcrowding), N6 (illegal act), N7 (serious impairment of safety), N8 (persistent late payment) → L2.
  • N12 (landlord's or purchaser's own use), N13 (demolition, conversion, major repair) → L2.
  • A signed N11 agreement the tenant doesn't honour, or the tenant's own notice → L3 (a different application, often decided without a hearing).
  • Tenant already moved out owing money → L10, the application against a former tenant.

When you're allowed to file

  • L1: the day after the N4's termination date, if the full amount hasn't been paid. There's no maximum deadline. The N4 doesn't go stale, but every week you wait is a week of growing arrears, and hearings are scheduled in the order applications come in.
  • L2 after an N5: only once the tenant's 7-day chance to correct the problem has run out without being used, and no later than 30 days after the termination date.
  • L2 after an N12 or N13: any time from the day the notice is served. You don't have to wait for the termination date, and filing early usually means an earlier hearing.
  • The 30-day rule: every L2 based on a notice must be filed within 30 days of that notice's termination date. Miss it and the notice is dead. You serve a fresh one and restart the clock. The N4/L1 is the one exception.

How to file, and what it costs

The fastest route is the Tribunals Ontario Portal, where the fee is $186. Filing by mail, courier, or in person at a ServiceOntario centre costs $201. If you succeed, the Board normally adds the filing fee to what the tenant owes you. Current fees and forms are on the LTB's forms and fees page.

Have three things ready before you file:

  • A copy of the notice you served (the N4 for an L1).
  • A Certificate of Service saying how and when you served it. The Board will ask.
  • An up-to-date rent ledger. On an L1, the amounts must line up with the N4 and with your books; a mismatch is the classic way these applications fall apart.

The Board's money jurisdiction currently tops out at $35,000 (the Small Claims Court limit). Arrears beyond that mean deciding between capping the claim and going to court.

Between filing and the hearing

The Board issues a Notice of Hearing with the date and joining details. Most LTB hearings are held by video. Keep the ledger current: on an L1 you can bring the arrears up to date as of the hearing day, including rent that came due after you filed. And a tenant can end an L1 at any point before the order is issued by paying everything: the arrears, any new rent, and your filing fee. That isn't a loss. It's the application doing its job.

The hearing and the order

You'll present the notice, the Certificate of Service, the lease, and the ledger, and answer the adjudicator's questions. The tenant can raise issues of their own, including maintenance complaints. The Board may order eviction, payment, both, or a conditional order (for example, a payment plan the tenant must keep to). If the tenant doesn't comply or doesn't leave, the order is enforced by the Court Enforcement Office (Sheriff), never by the landlord. The full sequence, with realistic timelines, is in our eviction process guide.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Filing the L1 before the N4's termination date has passed. The Board will reject it.
  • Amounts on the L1 that don't match the N4 or the ledger.
  • Missing the 30-day window on an L2, and having to re-serve the notice.
  • No Certificate of Service, or serving the notice in a way the rules don't allow.
  • Rolling late fees, utilities, or damage costs into an arrears claim. Those aren't rent.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to file an L1 or L2 in Ontario?

The filing fee is $186 online through the Tribunals Ontario Portal, or $201 by mail, courier, or in person at a ServiceOntario centre. If your application succeeds, the Board normally adds the fee to what the tenant owes you.

How soon after an N4 can I file the L1?

The day after the termination date on the N4, if the tenant still hasn't paid in full. There is no maximum deadline for an L1, but waiting just grows the arrears and pushes your hearing date further out, since applications are scheduled in the order received.

Can the tenant stop an L1 eviction by paying?

Yes. If the tenant pays everything owing. The arrears, any new rent that has since come due, and your filing fee. Before the eviction order is issued, the L1 is void and the tenancy continues. Partial payment does not stop it, though it must be reflected in the amounts at the hearing.

What is the difference between an L1 and an L2?

The L1 is the application to evict for non-payment of rent and collect the arrears, and it always follows an N4. The L2 is used after most other notices. The N5, N6, N7, N8, N12 and N13, where the reason is conduct, persistent late payment, or the landlord needing the unit.

Is there a deadline to file an L2 in Ontario?

Yes. An L2 based on a notice must be filed no more than 30 days after the notice's termination date, or the notice goes stale and you must serve a new one. The N4/L1 is the exception with no deadline. For an N12 or N13 you don't have to wait. You can file as soon as the notice has been served.

Do I need a lawyer or paralegal to file an L1 or L2?

No. The forms and the Tribunals Ontario Portal are designed for landlords to file themselves, and many do. For a contested hearing, a licensed paralegal or lawyer can be worth it, especially where the notice or amounts might be challenged.

Prepare your L1 with Keystead

Keystead generates the L1 from the same rent ledger as your N4, so the periods and amounts always match your records and the notice, checks the termination-date math, and produces the Certificate of Service alongside. The paperwork the adjudicator compares is paperwork that was built from one source.

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This guide is general information, not legal advice, and rules and fees can change. Confirm the current requirements with the Landlord and Tenant Board or a licensed paralegal or lawyer before you file.

Keep reading

All guides →

How to fill out an N4

Ending a tenancy for non-payment of rent: the amount, the termination date, serving it, and what happens next.

The eviction process

Notice, application, hearing, order, Sheriff: the five legal steps and a realistic timeline.

How to end a tenancy

Which LTB notice to use (N4, N5, N8, N11, N12, N13), applying to the Board, and why self-help evictions are illegal.