N5 Form Ontario: Ending a Tenancy for Damage, Interference, or Overcrowding

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 the problem with a tenancy is not unpaid rent but behaviour — damage to the unit, disturbing other people, or too many people living in the unit — the landlord's notice is the N5. It is a "fix-it-or-leave" notice with a twist most people miss: a first N5 gives the tenant a chance to correct the problem and void it. Understanding that void period is the key to using or responding to an N5.

What the N5 is

The N5 is the official Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) form a landlord serves when a tenant (or their guest) has caused one of three kinds of problem. Its full official title is the "Notice to End your Tenancy for Interfering with Others, Damage or Overcrowding." It covers:

• Damage to the rental unit or the residential complex.
• Interference with the reasonable enjoyment or lawful rights of the landlord or other tenants — noise, harassment, and similar conduct.
• Overcrowding — more people in the unit than health, safety, or housing standards allow.

Who serves it, and against whom

The landlord serves the N5 on the tenant. The tenant is responsible for the conduct of the people they allow into the unit, so a guest's damage or disturbance can ground an N5 against the tenant.

The 7-day void period on a first N5

This is the defining feature. A first N5 does not end the tenancy outright — it gives the tenant 7 days to correct the problem. If the tenant fixes the issue within those 7 days — repairs or pays for the damage, stops the interfering behaviour, or resolves the overcrowding — the N5 is voided and the tenancy continues. The termination date on a first N5 is set roughly 20 days out, but the 7-day window is what actually decides whether the notice survives.

In other words, a first N5 is a genuine warning with a built-in second chance.

When a second N5 is different

The void period applies to a first N5. If a landlord serves a second N5 within six months of a first one, the second notice is not voidable — the tenant does not get another correction window, and it carries a shorter timeline. The logic is that the first notice already gave the chance to fix things; a repeat within six months removes it.

What happens next: the N5 leads to an L2

The N5 is a notice, not an eviction. If a first N5 is not voided within the 7 days, or a non-voidable second N5's timeline passes, and the tenant has not moved out, the landlord's next step is to apply to the Board using the L2 — Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant or Collect Money. Only after a hearing and an order, and then enforcement by the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff), can the tenant be removed. For the full sequence, see how eviction works in Ontario.

Using the form well

• Use the current official N5 from the Landlord and Tenant Board, not a third-party copy.
• Describe the problem specifically — dates, what happened, what the tenant must do to correct it. Vague allegations are hard to support at a hearing.
• Document everything — dated photos of damage, written records of disturbances, complaints from other tenants.
• Track the dates carefully. The 7-day void window and the ~20-day termination date both matter; our notice date calculator helps with the timing.
• Keep clean tenancy records so the history is clear if it reaches the Board. Lease management and rent tracking in Habyn keep them in one place.

For how the N5 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 N5 form

The N5 is published free by the Landlord and Tenant Board on the Tribunals Ontario website: the official N5 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 N5 form in Ontario?

It is the Notice to End your Tenancy for Interfering with Others, Damage or Overcrowding — the Landlord and Tenant Board form a landlord serves when a tenant has caused damage, disturbed others, or overcrowded the unit.

Can a tenant void an N5?

Yes, a first N5. The tenant has 7 days to correct the problem; if they do, the notice is voided and the tenancy continues. A second N5 served within six months of the first is not voidable.

How much notice does an N5 give?

A first N5 sets a termination date roughly 20 days out, but the critical window is the 7 days the tenant has to correct the problem and void the notice.

What happens if the tenant doesn't fix the problem?

The landlord cannot remove the tenant directly. They must file an L2 application with the Board, and only after a hearing, an order, and enforcement by the Sheriff can the tenant be evicted.

Where do I get the official N5 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.