Ontario landlords and tenants are now operating under several important new Landlord and Tenant Board rules that took effect during 2026.
Many of the Bill 60 changes announced in 2025 are no longer future proposals. Major amendments came into force on July 1 and September 21, 2026, affecting non-payment notices, personal-use evictions, late rent, renovation notices, LTB hearings, review deadlines, and commonly used forms.
Some of the 2026 updates also implement provisions from Bill 97, the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023.
For owners of income properties, understanding what is actually in effect is an important part of managing a rental responsibly. For tenants, these changes affect important deadlines, payments, notice periods, and procedural rights.
For Ontario property investors, understanding these Bill 60 changes is also becoming an increasingly important part of evaluating the responsibilities that come with rental-property ownership.
At Kiani & Co., our approach to real estate investing goes beyond helping clients purchase a property. Led by Sarah Kiani, Realtor, our team draws on personal and professional investment experience to help clients understand the responsibilities that come with becoming a landlord.
Here is what Ontario landlords, tenants, and real estate investors should know about the major LTB changes now in effect in 2026.
This article provides general real estate information and is not legal advice. Landlord and tenant disputes can be highly fact-specific. For advice about an N4, N12, N13, eviction, hearing, or another Residential Tenancies Act matter, consult the Landlord and Tenant Board and an Ontario lawyer or licensed paralegal.
Which Ontario LTB Changes Are Now in Effect?
Ontario implemented the recent Residential Tenancies Act amendments in stages.
A first group of changes became effective on July 1, 2026.
A second major group became effective on September 21, 2026.
Tribunals Ontario’s official September 21, 2026 LTB operational update confirms changes involving:
- N4 notices for non-payment of rent
- Persistent late payment
- Issues tenants can raise at rent-arrears hearings
- N12 notices for landlord’s own use
- N13 notices involving renovations and repairs
- Rights of first refusal after renovations
- Eviction-order delays
- Motions to set aside certain eviction orders
- Updated LTB forms and procedures
This means landlords should no longer rely on procedures, templates, or advice based solely on the rules that existed before September 2026.
1. The N4 Notice Period Has Been Shortened to Seven Days
One of the most significant changes involves the N4 Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent.
For N4 notices given on or after September 21, 2026, the applicable notice period was reduced from 14 days to seven days.
The updated rule allows a landlord to move toward an L1 application sooner if the rent remains unpaid and the tenant does not resolve the arrears within the applicable notice period.
However, receiving an N4 does not automatically mean the tenancy ends seven days later.
If the tenant pays all rent owing, including any additional rent that has become due, before the landlord files the L1 application, the N4 is void and cannot be used as the basis for that L1 application.
Landlords should still approach the process carefully.
Errors involving the rent amount, termination date, service of the notice, or form itself can affect a later LTB application.
The current Landlord and Tenant Board forms and filing information should always be checked before serving a notice.
For tenants, the shorter period means there is considerably less time between receiving an N4 and the termination date stated on the notice.
If you receive an N4 and believe the amount is incorrect, have made a payment that is not reflected, or need advice about your options, address the issue promptly.
2. Ontario Now Has a Defined Standard for Persistent Late Rent
Another important Bill 60 change affects persistent late payment of rent.
As of September 21, 2026, Ontario regulations establish a specific situation that constitutes persistent late payment.
A tenant is considered to have persistently failed to pay rent on time when rent is received more than seven days after the due date on at least three occasions within a six-month period, subject to the rules in the regulation.
There is an important qualification.
A payment is not counted as late under this standard when the delay is solely the result of the landlord applying a payment to another amount the tenant owed, including earlier rent arrears.
Ontario’s regulation also makes clear that other circumstances can potentially amount to persistent late payment. The three-times-within-six-months standard does not represent every situation that could potentially qualify.
The current rule can be reviewed directly in Ontario Regulation 241/26.
For landlords, detailed records are now especially important.
Keep accurate documentation showing:
- The contractual rent due date
- The amount due
- The date each payment was actually received
- The amount received
- Any outstanding balance
- How payments were applied
For tenants, it is equally important to maintain payment records, receipts, bank confirmations, or other documentation showing when rent was paid.
3. Tenants May Need to Pay 50% of Claimed Arrears Before Raising Other Issues
Another September 21 change affects certain non-payment hearings.
When a landlord files a rent-arrears application on or after September 21, 2026, a tenant who wants to raise certain other issues at that hearing, such as maintenance or tenant-rights concerns, must generally pay the landlord half of the rent arrears claimed in the landlord’s application at least seven days before the hearing.
Tribunals Ontario states that the payment must be made directly to the landlord. It cannot be paid to the LTB in trust.
The tenant should keep proof of payment.
The existing requirement to provide both the landlord and the LTB with a description of the issues the tenant intends to raise at least seven days before the hearing also continues to apply.
You can review current procedural information through the Landlord and Tenant Board application and hearing process.
This is an area where procedural details matter.
Landlords should not assume that a tenant has lost all ability to pursue a legitimate maintenance or tenant-rights concern simply because there is a rent-arrears dispute.
Tenants should likewise understand the specific requirements that apply when attempting to raise those issues within the landlord’s non-payment proceeding.
4. The N12 Landlord’s Own Use Compensation Rules Have Changed
The rules surrounding N12 notices also changed on September 21, 2026.
An N12 can be used in certain circumstances when a landlord, specified family member, or caregiver genuinely requires the rental unit for residential occupation.
For an N12 served for the landlord’s own use on or after September 21, 2026, the landlord does not need to provide the usual compensation or offer another acceptable rental unit when both of the following requirements are met:
- The termination date is at least 120 days after the notice is given
- The termination date is the last day of the rental period or, for a fixed-term tenancy, the last day of the fixed term
If those requirements are not met, the existing compensation rules continue to apply.
The current N12 instructions from the Landlord and Tenant Board explain the requirements in more detail.
There is also an important distinction between landlord use and purchaser use.
The 120-day compensation exception applies to qualifying notices for landlord’s own use. It does not apply to an N12 served because a purchaser requires the rental unit for their own use.
Landlords considering an N12 should determine exactly which type of personal-use situation applies before assuming that a longer notice period removes the compensation requirement.
5. Landlords Using an N12 Must Normally Occupy the Unit Within 60 Days
There is another significant N12 change involving what happens after the tenant leaves.
For applicable landlord’s-own-use cases, Ontario now uses a 60-day period when determining whether the intended person actually occupied the rental unit.
How that period is calculated depends on when the tenant leaves.
If the tenant vacates the unit on or before the termination date stated in the N12, the intended occupant must normally take occupancy within 60 days after the termination date.
If the tenant remains beyond the termination date and leaves later, the intended occupant must normally take occupancy within 60 days after the tenant actually vacates the unit.
If the intended person does not occupy the property within the applicable period, the N12 is presumed to have been given in bad faith if the former tenant files a T5 application.
The landlord has an opportunity at the hearing to rebut that presumption.
These rules are set out in Ontario Regulation 240/26.
This occupancy rule does not apply in the same way to an N12 served for a purchaser’s use of the property.
For rental-property owners, the practical lesson is important.
An N12 should be based on genuine intended occupancy, with documentation and timelines that reflect what will actually happen after the tenancy ends.
6. N13 Renovation Rules Now Require More Communication With Tenants
The September changes also introduced important requirements for landlords using an N13 because repairs or renovations require the tenant to leave the rental unit.
When a tenant has the right to return to the unit after the work and gives written notice that they intend to exercise that right, the landlord now has additional communication responsibilities.
For applicable situations, the landlord must provide:
- Written notice of the estimated completion date
- Written updates if that estimated completion date changes
- Written notice when the work is complete and the unit is ready to be occupied again
If the renovations are completed on or after September 21, 2026, the landlord must also provide the tenant with 60 days’ notice to reoccupy the unit.
When the tenant returns under the applicable right of first refusal, the rent generally cannot exceed what the landlord could have lawfully charged if the tenancy had not been interrupted.
These requirements make written documentation especially important when renovating a tenanted investment property.
7. Tenants Have a Longer Window for Certain T5 Applications After Renovations
Ontario also changed the filing deadline for certain T5 applications involving a tenant’s right to return after renovations.
Effective September 21, 2026, the deadline can extend to two years after the tenant moves out or six months after the renovations are finished, whichever date is later.
New presumptions may also apply when a landlord fails to provide required information about the unit becoming available or fails to provide the required period for the tenant to return.
For landlords planning extensive renovations, the practical lesson is straightforward: keep detailed records and follow the current N13 requirements carefully.
For tenants, keep copies of written notices indicating that you intend to exercise your right of first refusal and any later communications about construction and reoccupancy.
8. The Rules for Delaying an Eviction Order Have Changed
The LTB’s ability to delay enforcement of certain eviction orders is also now governed by more specific criteria.
Effective September 21, 2026, if a landlord does not agree to a delay in a typical eviction case, the LTB must generally be satisfied that:
- Delaying the eviction would not be unfair to the landlord or other tenants in the residential complex
- There are compelling reasons to delay enforcement
For N12 and N13 cases involving landlord or purchaser use, renovations, or repairs, a different test applies. In those cases, the LTB must be satisfied that delaying enforcement would not be unfair to the landlord or other tenants in the residential complex.
This does not mean eviction orders can never be delayed.
It means the Board applies the current statutory and regulatory criteria when deciding whether a delay is appropriate.
9. Rules for Setting Aside Certain Eviction Orders Are More Defined
The September changes also affect situations where an eviction order was issued without a hearing based on an agreement to terminate a tenancy or a notice given by the tenant.
The LTB may set aside, or cancel, such an order only if the applicable legal test is satisfied.
Tribunals Ontario also states that the Board cannot consider changes in the tenant’s circumstances that occurred after the termination agreement was made or after the tenant gave notice to end the tenancy when deciding this type of motion.
Landlords and tenants entering into an agreement to terminate a tenancy should therefore understand that the agreement can carry significant legal consequences.
10. Several LTB Forms Were Updated in September 2026
Landlords who keep old LTB forms saved on a computer should review them immediately.
The N4 form was updated to reflect the new seven-day non-payment notice period.
Tribunals Ontario also updated and replaced the following forms on September 21:
- N5
- N6
- N8
- N12
- N13
- L1
- L2
- L9
- L10
- T5
Previous versions of those listed forms will no longer be accepted beginning November 30, 2026.
The safest practice is to download the current version each time you need a form rather than relying on a copy saved months or years ago.
Current documents are available through the official LTB forms, filing and fees page.
11. The Deadline to Request Review of an LTB Order Is Now 15 Days
Not all of the 2026 changes began in September.
A group of amendments took effect on July 1, 2026.
One of the most important involves the deadline to request an internal review of an LTB order.
For an order or decision issued on or after July 1, 2026, the standard deadline to request a review is now 15 days after the order was issued, down from 30 days under the previous rule.
If a request is made after the deadline, the person seeking the review must also request an extension of time.
The LTB’s Request to Review an Order instructions explain the current deadline and process.
The change means landlords or tenants who believe an order should be reviewed need to act considerably faster than under the previous standard timeline.
12. Payment Agreements Now Require the LTB’s Mandatory Form
Another July 1 change affects certain repayment agreements.
When a landlord and tenant enter into a payment agreement under section 206 of the Residential Tenancies Act, use of the LTB’s official Payment Agreement Form is now mandatory.
The standardized form helps ensure the required information is included when the parties agree on how rent arrears will be repaid.
Landlords should make sure any repayment arrangement intended to operate under this process uses the current Board form rather than an informal document copied from an older tenancy file.
13. Ontario Updated Rules for Window and Portable Air Conditioners
The July amendments also addressed portable and window air conditioners in rental units.
Tribunals Ontario states that tenants may install a portable or window air conditioner when the applicable conditions are satisfied.
Where electricity is included in the tenant’s rent, landlords may also be able to charge a seasonal rent increase for air-conditioner use under the applicable rules.
Rental-property owners should review the current LTB guidance rather than creating their own blanket rule prohibiting every portable or window air conditioner.
Tenants should also confirm the applicable installation and notification requirements before installing a unit.
The LTB’s July 2026 operational update provides an official overview of these changes.
14. Maximum RTA Fines Increased Significantly
The maximum fines for certain offences under the Residential Tenancies Act also increased on July 1.
Maximum court fines can now reach:
- $100,000 for an individual
- $500,000 for a corporation
These are maximum fines for offences prosecuted under the Residential Tenancies Act.
They are separate from administrative fines, compensation, costs, or other amounts the Landlord and Tenant Board may order.
For landlords and tenants, the increase reinforces the importance of understanding statutory obligations and complying with current requirements.
What the 2026 LTB Changes Mean for Ontario Landlords
For landlords, the changes create new timelines and more defined procedural rules, but they also create more opportunities for mistakes when outdated processes are used.
These Bill 60 changes make accurate documentation and up-to-date procedures particularly important for anyone managing an Ontario rental property.
Rental-property owners should review their procedures now.
Important steps include:
- Replace outdated LTB forms
- Keep detailed rent-payment records
- Document important communications with tenants
- Review how N4 notices are calculated and served
- Understand when an N4 can be voided through payment
- Understand the difference between landlord-use and purchaser-use N12 notices
- Carefully track N13 renovation communications
- Keep repair and maintenance records
- Confirm current rules before starting an LTB proceeding
- Use the mandatory Payment Agreement Form where applicable
- Consult a qualified legal professional when a dispute becomes complex
Good rental-property management is not simply about collecting rent.
It requires accurate records, well-maintained properties, professional tenant communication, and an understanding of the regulatory environment.
What the Changes Mean for Ontario Tenants
Tenants should also update their understanding of LTB procedures.
Several deadlines are now shorter or involve new requirements.
In particular:
- The N4 notice period can now be seven days
- Paying the full amount owing before an L1 is filed can void an N4
- Raising certain additional issues at a non-payment hearing can require payment of 50% of the claimed arrears in advance
- Review requests generally need to be filed within 15 days
- Persistent late payment now has a defined regulatory benchmark
- N12 and N13 rules have changed
- Renovation-related right-of-return protections include new communication requirements
Tenants should keep copies of rent receipts, notices, emails, maintenance requests, photographs, and other records relating to the tenancy.
If you receive an eviction notice or have an active LTB proceeding, seek qualified advice promptly because the appropriate response can depend on the facts of the individual case.
What Real Estate Investors Should Take From the 2026 Changes
Ontario’s rental-property rules are an important part of evaluating an income property, but legislation should never be the only factor in an investment decision.
For buyers evaluating rental properties, these Bill 60 changes reinforce the importance of understanding both the financial opportunity and the responsibilities attached to becoming a landlord.
A rental investment also depends on fundamentals such as:
- Purchase price
- Financing
- Property taxes
- Insurance
- Maintenance costs
- Expected rent
- Vacancy risk
- Location
- Tenant demand
- Property condition
- Legal unit status
- Long-term resale potential
Kiani & Co.’s Smart Investing services are designed to help buyers evaluate income properties as complete investments rather than focusing only on an advertised rent number.
For a broader look at how property ownership can fit into a long-term financial strategy, read our guide to building wealth through real estate.
Our team has personal experience investing in real estate and direct experience navigating the responsibilities that come with rental-property ownership.
If you are considering adding a property to your portfolio, you can also search available homes and investment properties or explore our community guides for Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton, Mississauga, Ancaster, Grimsby, Toronto, and surrounding markets.
Stay Current Before Serving a Notice or Filing With the LTB
Perhaps the most important lesson from the Bill 60 changes is that Ontario’s tenancy rules have changed quickly.
Information that was accurate at the beginning of 2026 may already be outdated.
That is particularly important for landlords who keep old forms, templates, or procedural checklists on file.
Before serving a notice or filing an application:
- Confirm the rule is currently in effect.
- Download the latest form from Tribunals Ontario.
- Verify the required notice period.
- Keep accurate records.
- Obtain legal advice when necessary.
The same principle applies to tenants responding to an LTB notice or application.
The official Landlord and Tenant Board website should be the starting point for current forms, rules, and procedural information.
Investing With Kiani & Co.
Owning an income property can play an important role in a long-term real estate investment strategy, but successful investing requires more than choosing a property and finding a tenant.
The quality of the property, neighbourhood, financing strategy, tenant demand, operating costs, and management approach all matter.
Kiani & Co. helps investors evaluate those fundamentals before committing to a purchase.
Our goal is to help clients enter rental-property ownership with a realistic understanding of both the opportunities and responsibilities involved.
If you are considering purchasing an income property in Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton, Mississauga, Ancaster, Grimsby, Toronto, or the surrounding GTHA, contact the Kiani & Co. team to discuss your investment goals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ontario LTB Changes in 2026
When did the new Ontario LTB rules take effect?
Major groups of changes took effect on July 1 and September 21, 2026. Different provisions have different effective dates, so landlords and tenants should verify the specific rule that applies to their situation.
How long is an N4 notice in Ontario now?
For N4 notices given on or after September 21, 2026, the applicable non-payment notice period was shortened from 14 days to seven days.
Can a tenant cancel an N4 by paying the rent?
An N4 becomes void if the tenant pays all rent in arrears, plus any additional rent that has become due, before the landlord files an L1 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board.
What counts as persistent late payment in Ontario in 2026?
Ontario regulations now provide that persistent late payment includes situations where rent is received more than seven days after the due date on at least three occasions within a six-month period, subject to specified exceptions. Other circumstances may also potentially qualify.
Do tenants have to pay half their rent arrears before an LTB hearing?
For landlord rent-arrears applications filed on or after September 21, 2026, a tenant who wants to raise certain other issues at that non-payment hearing must generally pay the landlord half of the arrears claimed at least seven days before the hearing.
Does an N12 still require compensation?
It depends on the type and timing of the notice. For a landlord’s-own-use N12 served on or after September 21, 2026, compensation or another acceptable unit is not required when the termination date is at least 120 days after the notice is given and falls on the last day of the rental period or fixed term. This exception does not apply to an N12 served for a purchaser’s own use.
How quickly does the intended occupant need to move in after an N12?
For applicable landlord’s-own-use cases, if the tenant leaves on or before the N12 termination date, the intended person must normally occupy the unit within 60 days after that termination date. If the tenant leaves after the termination date, the 60-day period runs from the day the tenant actually vacates.
What happens after an N13 renovation is completed?
Where a tenant has properly exercised a right to return after qualifying renovations or repairs, the landlord has communication obligations and must provide the required notice when the unit is ready for reoccupancy.
How long do I have to request a review of an LTB order?
For an order or decision issued on or after July 1, 2026, the standard deadline is 15 days after the order was issued. A late request also requires a request to extend the deadline.
Can landlords still use LTB forms downloaded before September 2026?
Landlords should use current forms from Tribunals Ontario. The N5, N6, N8, N12, N13, L1, L2, L9, L10, and T5 forms were replaced in September, and previous versions of those forms will no longer be accepted beginning November 30, 2026.
Where should landlords and tenants check for current Ontario rental rules?
The official Landlord and Tenant Board website and Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act and regulations should be the primary sources. For advice on a specific dispute, notice, or application, consult a qualified Ontario lawyer or licensed paralegal.
