N4 Form Ontario: Notice to End a Tenancy for Non-Payment of Rent

This article is general information, not legal advice. Use the current official form from the Landlord and Tenant Board, and confirm the rules for your situation with the Board or a qualified legal professional.

When rent goes unpaid in Ontario, the process starts with one form: the N4 — Notice to End your Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent. It is the most common notice a landlord serves, and also one of the most commonly filled out wrong. An N4 is a first step, not an eviction, and it is easy for a tenant to undo simply by paying. Here is exactly what it is and how it works.

What the N4 is

The N4 is the official Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) form a landlord serves on a tenant who owes rent. Its full official title is the "Notice to End your Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent." It tells the tenant how much they owe and gives them a deadline to pay it in full or move out. It does not, by itself, end the tenancy or evict anyone — only the Board can do that, and only after a further step.

Who serves it, and against whom

The landlord serves the N4 on the tenant who has fallen behind on rent. It can only be served after rent is actually missed — a landlord cannot serve it on the day rent is due, only on the day after a payment was missed.

The notice period

The deadline on an N4 depends on how rent is paid:

• Rent paid monthly or yearly — 14 days. The termination date must be at least 14 days after the notice is served.
• Rent paid daily or weekly — 7 days.

When counting, do not include the day the notice is given. If a landlord hands the notice to the tenant on March 3, the first day of the period is March 4, and the earliest termination date is March 17. Our notice date calculator works this out from any service date.

The dollar amount on the form has to be exactly right. An N4 that overstates or miscalculates the arrears can be found defective, and the landlord has to start over.

The N4's defining feature: it is voided by paying

This is the single most important thing about an N4. If the tenant pays the full amount owed — the arrears listed on the notice plus any new rent that has come due — on or before the termination date, the N4 is automatically void. The tenancy continues as if the notice had never been served. There is nothing the landlord has to sign; payment in full within the period cancels it by operation of law.

That is why the N4 is genuinely a first step. Many are resolved by the tenant simply catching up.

What happens next: the N4 leads to an L1

If the notice period passes and the tenant has neither paid in full nor moved out, the landlord's next step is not to remove the tenant — it is to apply to the Board. For non-payment, that application is the L1 — Application to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent and to collect rent the tenant owes. Only after a hearing and an eviction order, and then enforcement by the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff), can a tenant actually be removed.

Even at the L1 stage, paying everything owed before the order is enforced can often stop the eviction — timing and specifics matter, but the door to paying does not slam shut the moment the N4 period ends. For the full sequence, see how eviction works in Ontario.

Using the form well

• Use the current official N4 from the Landlord and Tenant Board, not a third-party copy.
• Get the amount exactly right. The arrears figure is the most common point of failure; the rent ledger is your evidence.
• Serve it correctly and keep proof of how and when you served it — service is part of what the Board examines.
• Keep a clean, dated rent ledger. For non-payment cases, the ledger is the evidence. Reconstructing it after the fact is where landlords lose. A clear rent ledger, rent tracking in Habyn, and our rent receipt generator keep that record airtight.

For how the N4 fits with every other Board form, see our index of Ontario LTB forms, and for the body behind them, what the LTB is.

Where to get the official N4 form

The N4 is published free by the Landlord and Tenant Board on the Tribunals Ontario website: the official N4 form (PDF) and the LTB's forms, filing and fees page. Always use the current official version. Habyn does not host or reproduce LTB forms.

Frequently asked questions

What is an N4 form in Ontario?

It is the Notice to End your Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent — the Landlord and Tenant Board form a landlord serves on a tenant who owes rent, giving them a deadline to pay in full or move out.

How many days' notice does an N4 give?

14 days if rent is paid monthly or yearly, and 7 days if rent is paid daily or weekly. The day the notice is served is not counted.

Can a tenant stop an N4 by paying?

Yes. If the tenant pays the full amount owed on or before the termination date, the N4 is automatically void and the tenancy continues. Paying everything owed even after an application is filed can often stop the eviction too.

What is the difference between an N4 and an L1?

The N4 is the notice served on the tenant for non-payment. The L1 is the application the landlord files with the Board, after the N4 period passes without payment, to actually seek an eviction order and judgment for the rent owed.

Where do I get the official N4 form?

From the Landlord and Tenant Board on the Tribunals Ontario website, which publishes it for free. Always use the current official version rather than a third-party copy.