Ontario LTB guide
How to fill out an N4 in Ontario
By Steve Stavros Liadakis, Ontario landlord for 30+ years · Updated September 25, 2026
Rule change · in force since September 21, 2026
The N4 waiting period is now 7 days, down from 14.
For notices served on or after September 21, 2026, the termination date can be as few as 7 days after the tenant is served, whatever the tenancy type. A notice served before that date needed the old minimum, and a 7-day notice served early is void. See what changes and what doesn't.
The N4, "Notice to End your Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent", is the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) form you use when a tenant hasn't paid rent. Here's how it works and how to complete it correctly, because a small error in the amount, the date, or how you serve it can get a later application dismissed.
The short version
In Ontario, a landlord can serve Form N4 the day after rent goes unpaid. The notice must give a termination date at least 7 days after the tenant is served, for every tenancy type. That is the rule for notices served from September 21, 2026; before then it was 14 days for monthly and yearly tenancies. It can claim unpaid rent only. If the tenant pays everything owing by the termination date, the N4 is void; if not, the landlord can file an L1 application with the LTB the next day. The N4 itself does not evict anyone. Only the LTB can order that.
On this page
What is an N4?
An N4 is a formal notice telling your tenant they owe rent and that the tenancy will end on a set date unless they pay in full. It's the first step in the non-payment process. On its own it does not evict anyone, only the LTB can order an eviction, and only after you file a separate application.
When can you give an N4?
You can serve an N4 as soon as the rent is late, the day after it was due. Ontario does not require a grace period first.
What goes on the form
- The tenant(s) and the rental unit address.
- The rent owing, broken down by rental period (from/to dates, rent charged, rent paid, and the amount still owing).
- The termination date (see below).
- Your name, signature, and the date.
What a filled-in N4 looks like
Here is the same information on the form itself. The names and amounts are made up, but the arithmetic is the part that matters: each rental period is listed on its own line, and the amounts owing add up to the total.
for Non-payment of Rent
- To (tenant name)
- Marc Tremblay
- From (landlord name)
- Maplewood Properties Inc.
- Address of the rental unit
- 124 Birchmount Ave, Basement suite, Toronto, ON M1N 3T2
- Termination date (yyyy/mm/dd)
- 2026/08/22
| Rent period from | To | Rent charged | Rent paid | Amount owing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/07/01 | 2026/07/31 | $1,625.00 | $0.00 | $1,625.00 |
| 2026/08/01 | 2026/08/31 | $1,625.00 | $0.00 | $1,625.00 |
| Total owing | $3,250.00 | |||
Two things trip people up here. The termination date above is counted from the day the tenant is served, not the day the form was filled in (7 days for a notice served now; 14 for a monthly or yearly tenancy on a notice served before September 21, 2026). And only rent belongs in the table: late fees, utilities billed separately, NSF charges and damages are not rent, and adding them is a common reason an N4 fails at the hearing.
The termination date
This is the day the tenancy would end if the tenant doesn't pay. For an N4 served on or after September 21, 2026, it must be at least 7 days after the tenant is given the notice, for every tenancy type.
An N4 served before September 21, 2026 had to allow at least:
- 14 days, for monthly or yearly tenancies, or
- 7 days, for daily or weekly tenancies.
Either way, count from the day the tenant is considered served, not the day you filled out the form.
The September 21, 2026 change
Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, received Royal Assent on November 27, 2025, and its second wave of Residential Tenancies Act amendments took effect on September 21, 2026. For the N4 it comes down to one number:
Served up to September 20
14 days
minimum before the termination date (7 for daily or weekly tenancies)
Served September 21 onward
7 days
minimum before the termination date, for every tenancy type
The trap to avoid: the shorter period only applies to notices served on or after September 21. An N4 served before then with a 7-day termination date is void, so if you have one on file, serve a fresh notice rather than rely on it.
What is not changing:
- Only unpaid rent can be claimed on the notice.
- The tenant still voids the N4 by paying everything owing on or before the termination date.
- Mail service still adds 5 days before the tenant counts as served.
- The N4 still evicts no one on its own. You still file the L1 application the day after the termination date, and only the LTB can order an eviction.
The same date brought other Bill 60 changes: no compensation on an N12 given with at least 120 days’ notice for the landlord’s own use, new duties after renovations, and, on arrears applications filed from that date, a tenant who wants to raise other issues at the hearing must first pay half the arrears claimed. See how to end a tenancy for where each notice fits. The LTB has published an updated N4 form for the new period, so download the current version before you serve.
How to serve it
Give the N4 to the tenant in an approved way, for example in person, in the mailbox, or by mail. If you mail it, the tenant is considered served on the fifth day after mailing, so add those days when you set the termination date. Keep a record of how and when you served it (a Certificate of Service).
What happens next
- If the tenant pays everything they owe (plus any new rent that has since come due) on or before the termination date, the N4 is void and the tenancy continues.
- If they don't pay, you can apply to the LTB using Form L1 the day after the termination date. The Board schedules a hearing and, if it agrees, issues an eviction order. Only the Court Enforcement Office (Sheriff) can enforce it, never the landlord directly.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Claiming the wrong amount, only unpaid rent belongs on an N4, not late fees, separately billed utilities, or NSF charges.
- Setting the termination date too soon, forgetting the 7-day waiting period or the mail-service days.
- Relying on a 7-day notice served before September 21, 2026. The shorter period only applies from that date; an earlier one is void.
- Serving it improperly, or not keeping proof of service.
Frequently asked questions
How soon can I give a tenant an N4 in Ontario?
The day after rent was due. Ontario has no required grace period. An N4 can be served as soon as the rent is late.
How much notice does an N4 give the tenant?
At least 7 days after the tenant is served, for every tenancy type, on notices served on or after September 21, 2026. Notices served before that date needed 14 days for monthly or yearly tenancies, or 7 for daily or weekly ones. If you serve by mail, add 5 days: the tenant counts as served on the fifth day after mailing.
Is the N4 waiting period really 7 days now?
Yes. Under Bill 60, N4 notices served on or after September 21, 2026 can use a termination date as few as 7 days after service, down from 14. The change is not retroactive: a 7-day notice served before that date is void. Everything else about the N4, including the rent-only rule and the tenant's right to void it by paying in full, stays the same.
Can a tenant cancel an N4 by paying the rent?
Yes. If the tenant pays everything owing, plus any new rent that has come due, on or before the termination date, the N4 is void and the tenancy continues.
Does an N4 evict the tenant on the termination date?
No. An N4 is only a notice. If the rent still isn't paid, you apply to the LTB with Form L1 the day after the termination date; only the LTB can order an eviction, and only the Court Enforcement Office (Sheriff) can enforce it.
What amounts can go on an N4?
Only unpaid rent. Late fees, separately billed utilities, NSF charges and damage costs are not rent, and including them is a common reason an N4 fails at a hearing.
Do I file the N4 notice with the LTB?
No. The N4 is served on the tenant, not filed with the LTB. Give it to the tenant, keep a copy, and complete a Certificate of Service. Filing only happens if the tenant hasn't paid by the termination date: then you file an L1 application with the LTB ($186 online), and the N4 goes in as evidence.
Prepare your N4 with Keystead
Keystead fills out the N4 straight from your rent ledger, so the amounts and periods match your records, calculates the correct termination date for you, and generates the matching L1 application and Certificate of Service when you need them. And if the tenant pays up, recording the payment voids the N4 automatically, the same way the law does.
Start a free trialThis guide is general information, not legal advice, and rules can change. Confirm the current requirements with the Landlord and Tenant Board or a licensed paralegal or lawyer before you serve or file anything.
Keep reading
All guides →Filing the L1 & L2
After the notice: which application to file, the timing rules and fees, the hearing, and the order.
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.
The N5 (interference & damage)
The three grounds, the 7-day voiding window, second-notice rules, and why vague N5s fail.