Ontario Rental Law Changes: 3 Rules Tenants Need to Know

Ontario’s rental rules changed on September 21, 2026. The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) confirmed the changes in its official operational update, following amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act through Bills 60 and 97. This article focuses on three changes affecting rent payments and hearings; the update covers additional changes too.

For newcomers learning Ontario’s rental system, the practical lesson is to keep track of dates and payment records. A notice, an application and an eviction order are different steps.

1. The N4 notice period is now seven days

An N4 is a landlord’s notice concerning unpaid rent. For notices given on or after September 21, 2026, the termination date must be at least seven days after the notice is given. Previously, monthly and yearly tenancies had a 14-day minimum; daily and weekly tenancies already had seven days. Earlier notices follow the earlier deadlines. See the LTB’s non-payment of rent guide.

An N4 is not an eviction order. If the tenant remains and the notice has not been voided, the landlord can file an L1 eviction application no earlier than the day after the termination date. The shorter notice period lets that application start sooner; it does not guarantee a hearing or eviction in seven days.

Paying all overdue rent, plus any additional rent that has become due, before the landlord files the L1 voids the N4. These steps are explained in the LTB’s Rent Arrears guideline.

2. Three payments more than seven days late can count as persistent lateness

The updated test includes rent received more than seven days after it was due, at least three times within any six-month period. It is not simply three payments that were a day late.

There is an important exception: an occasion does not count under this test if it appears late solely because the landlord applied a payment to another amount owed, such as older arrears. The LTB can also find persistent late payment in other circumstances. Its N8 instructions explain the test and exception.

This does not create a seven-day grace period. Rent is still late when it is not paid in full by its due date, as the LTB explains in its application and hearing guide. Keep receipts and a record of when the landlord received each payment.

3. Raising other issues at an arrears hearing requires a 50% payment

If the landlord filed the rent-arrears application on or after September 21, 2026, a tenant who wants to raise maintenance or other tenant-rights issues at that hearing must pay the landlord at least 50% of the rent arrears claimed in the application, at least seven days before the hearing.

The payment must go directly to the landlord, not into the LTB’s trust account. Keep proof of payment. The LTB’s Rent Arrears guideline says the requirement applies even if the tenant disputes the amount claimed; applications filed before September 21 are exempt from this payment condition.

Example: if the application claims $4,000 in rent arrears, half is $2,000. That illustrates the payment threshold for raising other issues, not a ruling that the landlord’s claim is correct.

Payment alone is not enough. Tenants must also give the landlord and the LTB a written description of the issues and the evidence they intend to use at least seven days before the hearing, unless the LTB orders otherwise for evidence. Use the official Issues a Tenant Intends to Raise at a Rent Arrears Hearing form (PDF) and follow the hearing instructions.

The 50% condition concerns raising additional tenant issues in the arrears case. It should not be confused with a fee to attend or to dispute the landlord’s rent calculation. The LTB’s hearing guidance explains that tenants can challenge the amount claimed.

What Ontario renters can do now

• Organize your records. Keep your lease, payment confirmations, notices and repair requests together.
• Mark the relevant dates. Note when an N4 was given, when the landlord filed the application and when the hearing is scheduled.
• Prepare early. Gather dated photographs, messages and receipts if you plan to raise tenant issues.
• Get help promptly. A community legal clinic can help you understand which rules apply to your situation. You may qualify for free help through Legal Aid Ontario’s tenant services.

For tenants without representation, the Tenant Duty Counsel Program offers advice, assistance and referrals on or before an LTB hearing. Contact support early, particularly if you cannot meet a payment or document deadline.

More help with finding a home in Ontario

Continue with our guides to rent deposits in Ontario, choosing a basement as your first rental and suburbs around Toronto. You can also browse all our Housing in Canada articles.

Sources checked September 23, 2026. Official LTB guidance is linked throughout so you can check the rules and forms relevant to your case.