Glossary of Ontario Landlord & Tenant Terms

A

Above-Guideline Increase (AGI)

A rent increase larger than the annual provincial guideline, which a landlord may only apply after applying to and receiving approval from the LTB, generally based on specific grounds such as extraordinary capital expenditures or increased municipal costs. See our guide to rent increases in Ontario for how the standard guideline works.

Adjudicator

The decision-maker who presides over an LTB hearing, weighs the evidence and arguments from both sides, and issues a binding written order. See our walkthrough of what actually happens at an LTB hearing.

Application (LTB)

The formal request a landlord or tenant files with the Landlord and Tenant Board to start a case — for example, an application to evict, to recover money, or to address a maintenance or privacy issue. Most applications use a specific numbered form (such as L1, T2 or T6) matched to the issue being raised. See our LTB hearing guide for what happens after an application is filed.

Arrears

Rent that was due and has not been paid. Arrears are the basis for an N4 notice and, if unresolved, a related eviction application. See our guide to the N4 notice for unpaid rent.

G

Guideline (Rent Increase Guideline)

The maximum percentage most Ontario landlords can raise rent by each year without LTB approval, set annually by the provincial government. The same rate is generally also used to calculate the annual interest owed on a rent deposit. See rent increases in Ontario and how rent deposits actually work.

L

L1

The application form a landlord generally files with the LTB to end a tenancy and evict a tenant for non-payment of rent, after a valid N4 notice period has expired without the arrears being paid. See our guide to the N4 notice and our overview of evictions in Ontario.

L2

The application form a landlord generally files to end a tenancy for reasons other than unpaid rent — for example, following an N5, N6, N7, N12 or N13 notice. See our overview of evictions in Ontario for how these grounds fit together.

LTB (Landlord and Tenant Board)

The provincial tribunal that hears and decides most residential tenancy disputes in Ontario and issues binding orders under the Residential Tenancies Act. See our overviews of tenant rights and landlord rights in Ontario, and our LTB hearing guide.

M

Mediation

A voluntary process, run by an LTB mediator, where a landlord and tenant try to negotiate their own resolution to a dispute rather than have an adjudicator decide it. A resulting agreement can generally be filed as a binding order. See when mediation makes sense before an LTB hearing.

N

N4

Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent — served when rent is owed and unpaid, and generally void if the full amount owed is paid within the notice period. See the N4 notice explained and how it differs from an N5.

N5

Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Interfering with Others, Damage or Overcrowding — a conduct-based notice, generally voidable for a first occurrence within six months by correcting the behaviour within 7 days. See the N5 notice explained and how it differs from an N4.

N6

Notice to End a Tenancy for an Illegal Act — used where a tenant, an occupant, or a guest is alleged to have committed or permitted an illegal act, illegal trade, or serious misuse of the unit on the property.

N7

Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Causing Serious Problems in the Rental Unit or Residential Complex — used for the most serious conduct grounds, such as willful or serious damage or conduct that seriously impairs the safety of others.

N8

Notice to End a Tenancy at the End of the Term — used to end a tenancy at the end of a fixed term or period, generally on grounds such as persistent late payment of rent or the tenant no longer meeting occupancy qualifications for the unit.

N11

Agreement to End the Tenancy — a form both landlord and tenant sign to confirm they have mutually agreed on a specific date to end the tenancy, generally without either side needing to prove a legal ground for termination.

N12

Notice to End a Tenancy for Landlord's, Purchaser's or Caregiver's Use of the Unit — served when the landlord, a purchaser, or a specified family member states a genuine intention to move into the unit. See the N12 notice explained and understanding bad-faith evictions for what happens if that stated intention turns out not to be genuine.

N13

Notice to End a Tenancy Because the Landlord Wants to Demolish, Repair or Convert the Rental Unit — served where vacant possession is said to be needed for major renovation, demolition, or conversion to non-residential use. See understanding bad-faith evictions for how a former tenant can challenge a notice that wasn't genuine.

Notice of Hearing

The document the LTB sends to the parties once an application is scheduled, setting out the date, time and format of the hearing. See our LTB hearing guide for how to prepare once one arrives.

O

Order (LTB)

The Board's written decision on an application, setting out what was decided and any remedy required. An order is legally binding, though it generally still needs to be enforced through further steps. See LTB orders and enforcement.

R

Reasonable Enjoyment

A tenant's right to reasonable enjoyment of their unit and the residential complex, free from undue interference by the landlord or others the landlord is responsible for. See our overview of tenant rights in Ontario and our guide to landlord entry and tenant privacy.

Rent Deposit

A deposit, capped at one rental period's rent, that a landlord may collect at the start of a tenancy and must apply to the tenant's last rental period, generally with annual interest owed at the guideline rate. See how rent deposits actually work in Ontario.

RTA (Residential Tenancies Act, 2006)

The provincial legislation that sets out the rights and obligations of most residential landlords and tenants in Ontario and establishes the LTB's authority to enforce them. See our full overview of the Residential Tenancies Act and how it interacts with a signed lease.

S

Security of Tenure

The principle that a tenancy generally continues indefinitely, even after a fixed term ends, unless it is ended through a legally valid process — meaning a landlord generally cannot simply decline to renew a lease and require a tenant to leave. See our overview of tenant rights in Ontario.

Sheriff / Enforcement Office

The court office responsible for physically carrying out an eviction once the LTB has issued an eviction order and the required steps have been completed. A landlord is generally not permitted to remove a tenant or their belongings directly. See LTB orders and enforcement.

Sublet vs. Assignment

A sublet is a temporary arrangement where the original tenant plans to return and remains responsible for the tenancy; an assignment permanently transfers the tenancy to a new tenant, and the original tenant generally leaves the tenancy for good. Both generally require the landlord's consent, which cannot generally be withheld arbitrarily.

Superintendent

A person the landlord employs or authorizes to manage day-to-day matters at a residential complex, such as repairs or entry for maintenance. A superintendent's actions — including entry into a unit — are generally subject to the same notice rules that apply to the landlord. See landlord entry and tenant privacy.

T

T2

The application a tenant generally files with the LTB alleging the landlord has substantially interfered with their reasonable enjoyment, harassed them, or engaged in other prohibited conduct. See our overview of tenant rights in Ontario.

T5

The application a former tenant generally files after moving out because of an N12 or N13, alleging the landlord's stated reason for eviction was not genuine or was not carried out. See understanding bad-faith evictions in Ontario.

T6

The application a tenant generally files with the LTB when a landlord has not maintained the unit or complex in a good state of repair. See our guide to repairs and maintenance in Ontario.

Termination Date

The date specified in a notice of termination by which the tenancy is set to end if the underlying issue isn't resolved (where a cure is available) or as the earliest date a landlord could file an application to evict. It is generally not the date a tenant must be out by, since only an LTB order can actually end a tenancy and authorize eviction. See our overview of evictions in Ontario.

V

Vital Services

Services such as heat, electricity, fuel, gas and hot or cold water that a landlord is generally required to keep supplied to a rental unit throughout a tenancy; deliberately withholding them is treated as a serious violation of a tenant's rights. See our overview of tenant rights in Ontario.

Void (a Notice)

A notice of termination that no longer has legal effect because the underlying issue was resolved in the way the RTA allows — for example, an N4 becoming void once the full rent owed is paid, or a first N5 becoming void once the tenant corrects the conduct within the notice period. See the real difference between an N4 and an N5.