Received an N4 Notice? What Ontario Tenants Should Know
An N4 notice can be frightening, especially when it includes a termination date. But receiving it does not mean you must leave immediately or that the landlord already has an eviction order. It is a notice alleging unpaid rent, and there is a legal process before the Board may make an order.
Review the notice and your records
Check the address, tenant names, periods of unpaid rent, amount claimed, termination date and how the notice was delivered. Compare the stated balance with rent receipts, bank transactions, e-transfer confirmations and your communications with the landlord. Keep copies of anything that supports a payment or dispute.
Understand the deadline
For N4 notices given on or after September 21, 2026, the minimum notice period is seven days, subject to service and date-calculation rules. Earlier notices followed different periods. The amount required to void an N4 may be paid within the applicable period; check the current LTB instructions for the consequences in your situation.
What if the landlord files L1?
An L1 is a separate Board application. Read all documents you receive and follow any notice of hearing or procedural directions. If you dispute the amount, have maintenance concerns or need legal advice, seek timely advice from an appropriately licensed professional or tenant legal clinic. Special rules for raising other issues at rent-arrears hearings changed in September 2026 and may apply depending on the filing date.
NEXT STEP
Find more plain-language information for Ontario tenants.
Explore Tenant InformationOFFICIAL SOURCES
- LTB: N4 notice instructions (opens in a new tab)
- LTB: Application and hearing process (opens in a new tab)
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and forms change; check the current official instructions before acting. Lease Case is independent of the Landlord and Tenant Board.