The Ontario eviction process, step by step

First, the rule that overrides everything

Only the Landlord and Tenant Board can end a tenancy, and only the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) can physically enforce an eviction. Changing the locks, removing belongings, or cutting services is illegal no matter how strong your case is, and can cost you dearly. Every legitimate eviction follows the steps below.

The five steps

1. Serve the right notice. The N-form matching your ground: N4 for non-payment (14-day termination date), N5 for behaviour or damage, N12 for own use, and so on. Most notices give the tenant a way to fix the problem, and if they do, the process ends there.
2. Apply to the LTB. If the notice period passes without a resolution, file the matching application: L1 for an unresolved N4, L2 for most other notices. For an N4 you can file the day after the termination date.
3. The hearing. The Board schedules a hearing, typically several months out depending on backlog and region. Your evidence is your rent ledger, the notice, proof of service, photos, and logs. Sloppy paperwork is the #1 reason cases get adjourned or dismissed, so bring a clean file.
4. The order. If you succeed, the Board issues an eviction order with a termination date. For arrears cases, tenants can still stop the eviction by paying everything owed before the order is enforced.
5. Enforcement. If the tenant still doesn't leave, you file the order with the Court Enforcement Office, and only the Sheriff carries out the eviction.

Realistic timeline

From first notice to an enforced eviction, a straightforward non-payment case commonly runs four to eight months, sometimes longer: 14 days of notice, weeks to months waiting for a hearing, time for the order, and the Sheriff's queue. The single best way to protect the timeline is to get every document right the first time: a wrong amount or a defective notice restarts the clock.

Protecting your case from day one

• Keep a real ledger. The L1 stands or falls on accurate arrears math, dated payments, charges, and NSF events.
• Serve correctly and keep proof. Use an approved service method and complete a Certificate of Service.
• Don't stop communicating. A payment plan that works is usually faster and cheaper than the full process.