N9 Form Ontario: The Tenant's Notice to End the Tenancy

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 a tenant in Ontario wants to move out, the right way to give notice is the N9 — Tenant's Notice to End the Tenancy. It is the one form a tenant fills out and serves on the landlord to end the tenancy properly. Get the date and the notice period right and the move-out is clean; get them wrong and the notice may not be valid, which can leave a tenant on the hook for more rent. Here is what the N9 is and how to use it.

What the N9 is

The N9 is the official Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) form a tenant uses to tell their landlord, in writing, that they intend to end the tenancy and move out. Its full official title is the "Tenant's Notice to End the Tenancy." It is the tenant's counterpart to the landlord's N-series notices: where a landlord serves an N4 or N12, a tenant ends things on their own initiative with an N9.

It is worth being clear about what the N9 is not. It is not an agreement that needs the landlord's signature, the way an N11 is. A tenant who gives proper notice does not need the landlord's permission to leave.

Who files it, and against whom

The tenant completes and signs the N9 and serves it on the landlord. If there is more than one tenant on the lease, the notice generally ends the tenancy for everyone on it, so co-tenants should be on the same page before one of them serves it.

When and why it is used

A tenant uses the N9 whenever they want to end the tenancy and move out — whether the lease is a fixed term coming to an end, a month-to-month arrangement, or a weekly or daily tenancy. The reason does not have to be stated; a tenant does not owe the landlord an explanation for choosing to move.

The notice periods — the part that has to be right

The required notice depends on how the tenancy is set up, and the termination date has to line up with the rental period or the end of the term:

• Monthly (and most month-to-month) tenancies — at least 60 days. The termination date must be the last day of a rental period. If rent is due on the first, the move-out date is the last day of a month.
• Fixed-term lease (for example, a one-year lease) — at least 60 days, and the termination date cannot be earlier than the last day of the fixed term. A tenant cannot use the N9 to break a lease early; to end mid-term, both sides would have to agree, typically on an N11.
• Daily or weekly tenancies — at least 28 days.

When counting, do not include the day the notice is served. Our notice date calculator finds the earliest lawful termination date from the day a notice is given.

What happens next

Once a valid N9 is served, the tenancy ends on the termination date and the tenant moves out. There is no LTB application or hearing involved — that machinery is for disputes, and a tenant choosing to leave is not a dispute. The main things that go wrong are a date that does not line up with the rental period or a notice period that is too short, either of which can make the notice invalid.

A couple of points worth keeping straight:

• A tenant cannot be forced to sign an N9 (or an N11) as a condition of renting. A notice or agreement signed only because it was required to get the unit in the first place is not valid.
• Giving notice is separate from the deposit. In Ontario the last month's rent deposit is applied to the final month; it is not a damage deposit, and it does not change the notice rules.

Using the form well

• Use the current official N9 from the Landlord and Tenant Board, not a third-party copy.
• Set the termination date carefully — last day of a rental period for monthly tenancies, not before the end of the term for a fixed lease.
• Keep proof of how and when you served it. Service is part of what makes a notice effective.
• Keep your rent record clean through the final month so there is no confusion about what was paid. A clear rent ledger and our rent receipt generator make the move-out tidy for both sides.

For the bigger picture of how the N9 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 N9 form

The N9 is published free by the Landlord and Tenant Board on the Tribunals Ontario website: the official N9 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 N9 form in Ontario?

It is the Tenant's Notice to End the Tenancy — the official Landlord and Tenant Board form a tenant uses to give their landlord proper written notice that they are moving out.

How much notice does a tenant have to give on an N9?

For a monthly or fixed-term tenancy, at least 60 days, with the termination date on the last day of a rental period (and not before the end of a fixed term). For a daily or weekly tenancy, at least 28 days.

Can I use an N9 to break my lease early?

No. The N9's termination date cannot be earlier than the last day of a fixed term. To end a fixed-term lease early, the landlord and tenant would have to agree, usually on an N11 (Agreement to End the Tenancy).

Does a landlord have to sign the N9?

No. Unlike the N11, the N9 is the tenant's own notice and does not require the landlord's signature. The landlord cannot stop a tenant from giving proper notice.

Where do I get the official N9 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.