What Happens After You Win — and What Happens After You Lose
What comes next for both outcomes, from compliance to next steps.
Insights · LTB Hearings & Process
On this page
- Getting and reading the written order
- If you won: what the order generally requires
- When the other party complies voluntarily
- What enforcement generally looks like if they don't
- If you lost: understanding what the order means
- Your options after an unfavourable order
- What happens to the tenancy itself in either outcome
- Moving forward after the case is resolved
Getting and reading the written order
After a hearing concludes, the LTB generally issues a written order, sometimes with accompanying reasons explaining how the adjudicator reached the decision. This order is generally mailed or otherwise delivered to both parties, and it's worth reading it carefully in full rather than skimming for the bottom-line result, since the specific terms, deadlines, and conditions set out in the order are what actually matters going forward — not just whether you "won" or "lost" in a general sense.
Orders can be more nuanced than a simple win or loss. An application might be granted in part and denied in part, or granted with specific conditions attached, so it's generally worth understanding exactly what was ordered rather than assuming the outcome maps neatly onto everything that was originally requested.
If you won: what the order generally requires
If an order was made in your favour, it generally specifies exactly what the other party is required to do — pay a specific amount by a certain date, complete a specific repair, vacate the unit by a certain date, or stop a particular behaviour, depending on the type of application. It's generally worth noting any deadlines built into the order itself, since those deadlines matter both for giving the other party a fair chance to comply and for determining when enforcement steps become available if they don't.
Keep a copy of the order somewhere easily accessible, since you'll generally need to refer back to its specific terms, and potentially provide a copy of it, at various points going forward — whether that's confirming compliance, pursuing enforcement, or explaining the situation to a third party like the Sheriff's office or a collection process.
Key point
Winning a case generally means the LTB has ordered a specific outcome — it doesn't, on its own, make that outcome happen automatically. Compliance or enforcement is generally a separate step that follows the order.
When the other party complies voluntarily
In many cases, the party against whom an order was made generally complies without further steps being necessary — paying the amount ordered, completing the repair, or vacating by the specified date. Where this happens, it's generally worth confirming compliance clearly and, where money is involved, getting some form of written confirmation or receipt, since a dispute about whether or when payment was actually made can otherwise resurface later.
Voluntary compliance tends to be the most straightforward and lowest-cost way for a case to conclude, and it's generally worth giving the other party a fair and reasonable opportunity to comply before assuming enforcement steps will be necessary, particularly where the order's own deadline hasn't yet passed.
What enforcement generally looks like if they don't
If the other party doesn't comply within the terms of the order, the path forward generally depends on what kind of order it is. An order requiring a tenant to move out, if not complied with voluntarily, generally needs to be filed with the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff) before it can actually be enforced, and the Sheriff's office — not the landlord personally — generally carries out the physical eviction if it comes to that. An order requiring payment of money, if not paid voluntarily, generally needs to be pursued through the court's enforcement mechanisms, similar to collecting on any other debt, which can involve additional steps like garnishment depending on the circumstances.
These enforcement processes generally involve their own separate forms, fees, and timelines beyond the original LTB application, so it's worth being realistic that winning an order is often not the final step in actually getting the specific outcome ordered, particularly where the other party is uncooperative.
Common misconception
Some assume that once the LTB issues an order, it's automatically carried out. In practice, a party generally needs to take further steps — sometimes through the courts or the Sheriff's office — if the other side doesn't comply voluntarily.
If you lost: understanding what the order means
If the order wasn't in your favour, it's generally worth reading the full decision carefully to understand exactly what was found and why, rather than reacting only to the bottom-line outcome. Sometimes an application is dismissed for a specific, narrow reason — a procedural issue, insufficient evidence on one particular point — that doesn't necessarily mean every underlying concern was rejected outright, especially where a decision addresses multiple issues raised in a single application.
Understanding the specific reasoning also matters because it affects what options, if any, might realistically be available next, whether that's complying with the order, considering a review or appeal where a genuine basis exists, or simply moving forward and addressing the underlying issue in some other way.
Your options after an unfavourable order
Depending on the circumstances, a party unhappy with an order generally has a few possible paths, each with its own tighter deadlines and narrower scope than many people expect. A request to review the order, as discussed in our companion article, is generally available where there's a specific recognized ground such as a procedural problem or genuinely new evidence. An appeal to the Divisional Court is generally available only on a genuine question of law, not simply disagreement with how the facts were decided. In many cases, simply complying with the order and moving forward realistically ends up being the most practical path, particularly where neither a review nor an appeal has a genuine basis to succeed.
Whichever path seems most realistic, it's generally worth acting quickly, since the deadlines for both a review and an appeal are comparatively short and don't pause while you decide what to do.
What happens to the tenancy itself in either outcome
It's worth remembering that an LTB order resolves the specific issue in front of the Board — it doesn't necessarily end the broader landlord-tenant relationship unless the order specifically terminates the tenancy. Where the tenancy continues after a hearing, whatever the outcome, both parties generally still have to continue living with or managing that relationship going forward, which can make it worth thinking about how to reset communication and expectations after a contested hearing, rather than assuming the dispute itself permanently defines the relationship from that point on.
Where an order does end the tenancy, there are generally practical next steps for both sides — a tenant arranging a move, a landlord preparing the unit for a new tenancy — that are worth planning for as soon as the outcome is known, rather than waiting until enforcement becomes necessary.
Moving forward after the case is resolved
Whatever the outcome, it's generally useful to keep a clear file of the order, any related correspondence, and a record of what happened afterward — compliance, enforcement steps taken, or a review or appeal filed — since this kind of documentation can matter again later, whether in a future dispute, a credit or reference context, or simply as a record of what was actually decided and why.
Our articles on LTB orders and enforcement and our companion piece on preparing for an LTB hearing cover the practical mechanics of each stage in more depth, from the moment an order is issued through to what happens if it needs to be enforced.
This article provides general information about Ontario landlord and tenant law.
It is not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, consult a licensed
paralegal or lawyer, or contact the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not automatically. Compliance or enforcement generally follows as a separate step if the other party doesn't comply voluntarily.
Generally, the order needs to be filed with the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff), which carries out the physical eviction rather than the landlord personally.
If payment isn't made voluntarily, it generally needs to be pursued through the court's enforcement mechanisms, similar to collecting on any other debt.
Not necessarily. An application can be dismissed for a specific, narrow reason, so it's worth reading the full decision to understand exactly what was found.
Depending on the circumstances, a review request or an appeal on a question of law may be available, each with its own narrow grounds and tight deadlines.
Generally no, unless the order specifically terminates the tenancy. Many orders resolve a specific issue without ending the tenancy itself.
The order itself generally sets out specific deadlines for compliance, which should be read carefully since they vary by case and type of order.
It's generally worth getting written confirmation or a receipt, particularly for payments, so there's no later dispute about whether or when compliance occurred.
Generally, enforcement steps become available once the order's own deadlines have passed without compliance, not before that point.
Generally, yes — keeping the order, related correspondence, and a record of what happened afterward can matter later in a future dispute or reference context.
Related reading
Reviewed by Ryan J. Manilla, BA, JD
Legal Reviewer · Landlord Tenant Ontario