LTB Guide for Tenants

Tenant guide

Ontario tenants have significant protections under the Residential Tenancies Act. The LTB is there to enforce your rights—you don’t necessarily need a lawyer.

Official links:

• LTB Forms
• File online
• Fee info

Landlord won’t fix things

They’re legally required to maintain the unit. If they don’t:

What to do:

1. Document the issues — Photos, videos, written complaints
2. Notify landlord in writing — Keep copies
3. Give reasonable time to make repairs
4. File a T6 Application if nothing happens
5. You may get a rent reduction for the time you dealt with it

Forms: T6

See a maintenance case example →

You got an eviction notice

Don’t panic. You have options.

First steps:

1. Read it carefully — Is it valid?
2. Check the termination date — Is it correct?
3. Know your options — Pay, negotiate, or dispute
4. Don’t ignore it — Show up to the hearing

Common problems with notices:

• Wrong termination date (makes the notice invalid)
• Improper service (landlord didn’t deliver it correctly)
• Bad faith (landlord doesn’t actually need the unit)
• Wrong arrears amount

Landlord harassment

Your landlord cannot:

• Enter without 24-hour written notice
• Cut off utilities or change locks
• Harass or threaten you
• Interfere with your reasonable enjoyment

What to do:

1. Document everything — Dates, times, what happened
2. Send written complaint to landlord
3. File a T2 Application
4. You may get compensation

Forms: T2

Bad faith eviction

If your landlord evicted you for “personal use” but didn’t actually move in:

What to do:

1. Monitor the unit — Is someone else living there?
2. Gather evidence — New listings, observations
3. File a T5 Application (within one year)
4. You may get significant compensation — Up to 12 months rent

Forms: T5

Common tenant forms

All forms at tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/forms

Your rights

You can’t be evicted without an order

No matter what your landlord says:

• They can’t lock you out
• They can’t change the locks
• They can’t shut off utilities
• Only the Sheriff can enforce an eviction

If they do any of this: call police and file an urgent T2 application.

You can void most eviction orders for rent arrears

Being evicted for unpaid rent? You have 11 days after the order to pay everything owed. If you pay in full, the eviction is cancelled.

“Everything owed” means rent, arrears, costs, and any NSF fees.

You deserve notice before entry

24-hour written notice, except for emergencies or if you agreed otherwise.

Rent increases are capped

In Ontario (for most units):

• Maximum increase is set yearly by the province (2.5% for 2025)
• Landlord must give 90 days notice
• Anything above the guideline requires LTB approval

At the hearing

1. Show up — If you don’t, you’ll probably lose
2. Explain your side — Clearly and factually
3. Bring evidence — Rent receipts, photos, communications
4. Ask for what you need — Payment plan, more time to move
5. Point out problems — Wrong dates, improper service, bad faith

Free legal help

• Legal Aid Ontario — legalaid.on.ca
• Community Legal Clinics — Free legal help in most cities
• Tenant Duty Counsel — Free lawyer at LTB hearings
• Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations — torontotenants.org

Disclaimer

This is an educational guide, not legal advice. We’re not affiliated with the LTB or the government.

For official info: tribunalsontario.ca/ltb

For legal advice: talk to a licensed lawyer or paralegal.

Need help with the paperwork?

We built a tool that handles LTB forms for you. Tell it what’s going on, and it figures out which forms you need, fills them in, and explains all the confusing legal terms.

Create Documents → — Free to start.

Sourced from Landlord and Tenant Board - Tribunals Ontario • Last updated: August 22, 2025