N8 Form Ontario: Ending a Tenancy at the End of the Term or for Persistent Late Payment
A plain-English guide to the Ontario N8 form: who serves it, the 60-day notice rule, the persistent-late-payment ground and its new definition (since September 21, 2026), why it isn't voided by a make-up payment, and how it leads to an L2 application.
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.
The N8 is the notice a landlord uses to end a tenancy at the end of the term in certain situations, most commonly when a tenant has been persistently late with the rent. It is easy to confuse with the N4, but they are quite different: the N4 is about money currently owed, while the N8 is about a pattern of lateness, and unlike the N4 it cannot be undone by catching up. Here is how it works.
What the N8 is
The N8 is the official Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) form for ending a tenancy at the end of the term on specific grounds. Its full official title is the "Notice to End your Tenancy at the End of the Term." Its most common use is persistent late payment of rent: a documented habit of paying late, rather than a single missed payment. It can also apply in other end-of-term situations the Residential Tenancies Act allows, such as certain cases involving how the unit is used.
Who serves it, and against whom
The landlord serves the N8 on the tenant. For the persistent-late-payment ground, the landlord needs a record showing a genuine pattern, not one or two isolated late payments.
What counts as persistent late payment (since September 21, 2026)
Until recently, "persistent" was left to the Board to judge case by case. As of September 21, 2026, a regulation under the Residential Tenancies Act (a new section 8.1 of O. Reg. 516/06, made alongside Bill 60) gives it a clear threshold:
- Rent is late for this test only if it is not paid within seven days after the day it is due, whether it arrives later or is still unpaid.
- A tenant has persistently paid late if that happens at least three times within six consecutive months.
- A payment does not count as late if it only appears late because the landlord applied an on-time payment to another amount the tenant owed, such as older arrears. A payment the tenant actually made more than seven days late still counts, however the landlord applied it.
The threshold is not the only route: the Board can still find persistent late payment in other circumstances. But a record that meets it is the clearest case, which makes a dated rent ledger showing each due date and the date each payment actually arrived more important than ever.
The notice period
An N8 requires at least 60 days' notice, and the termination date must be the end of the term (or, for a periodic tenancy, the last day of a rental period). So it is a longer-horizon notice than the N4's 7 days, aimed at ending the tenancy at its natural cycle rather than mid-stream.
Why the N8 is not voided by paying
This is the crucial difference from the N4. An N4 for non-payment is voided if the tenant pays everything owed before the landlord files an L1. An N8 for persistent late payment is not voidable that way: paying the current rent does not erase the pattern that grounds the notice. The N8 addresses a history of lateness, and a make-up payment does not change that history. A landlord relying on the N8 has to be able to show the pattern at a hearing.
What happens next: the N8 leads to an L2
The N8 is a notice, not an eviction. If the tenant has not moved out by the termination date, the landlord must apply to the Board using the L2: Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant or Collect Money. At the hearing, the persistent-late-payment record is the evidence, so a clean, dated ledger matters. Only after an order, and then enforcement by the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff), can the tenant be removed. See how eviction works in Ontario for the full sequence.
Using the form well
- Use the current official N8 from the Landlord and Tenant Board, not a third-party copy.
- Keep a dated record of every late payment. For persistent late payment, that record is the case. Check it against the threshold: more than seven days late, at least three times in six consecutive months.
- Set the termination date correctly: at least 60 days out and at the end of the term or rental period; our notice date calculator helps.
- Keep proof of how and when you served it. A clean rent ledger, rent tracking in Habyn, and our rent receipt generator make the pattern easy to show.
For how the N8 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 N8 form
The N8 is published free by the Landlord and Tenant Board on its forms, filing and fees page. Always use the current official version. The Board updated its forms for the September 21, 2026 changes and has said it will stop accepting previous versions after November 30, 2026, so download a fresh copy rather than reusing a saved one. Habyn does not host or reproduce LTB forms; our Ontario LTB forms directory lists every form and links to the official source.
Frequently asked questions
What is an N8 form in Ontario?
It is the Notice to End your Tenancy at the End of the Term, most commonly used by a landlord for a tenant's persistent late payment of rent, ending the tenancy at the end of the term.
How much notice does an N8 require?
At least 60 days, with the termination date at the end of the term or the last day of a rental period.
What counts as persistent late payment in Ontario?
Since September 21, 2026, rent is late if it is not paid within seven days after it is due (including rent that is still unpaid), and a tenant has persistently paid late if that happens at least three times within six consecutive months. A payment that only appears late because the landlord applied an on-time payment to older arrears does not count; one actually made more than seven days late still does. The Board can still find persistent late payment in other circumstances.
Can a tenant void an N8 by paying the rent?
No. Unlike the N4, an N8 for persistent late payment is not voided by catching up: paying the current rent does not erase the pattern of lateness the notice is based on.
What is the difference between an N4 and an N8?
An N4 is for rent currently owed and is voided if the tenant pays in full before the landlord files an L1. An N8 is for a pattern of persistent late payment, requires 60 days, ends at the term, and is not voided by a make-up payment.
Where do I get the official N8 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.
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