N4 Notice

Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent

Ontario's N4 is the notice a landlord gives when rent is unpaid. For notices given from September 21, 2026, it allows 7 days.

The N4 is the Ontario form a landlord uses when a tenant has not paid rent. Its full name is the Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent. It sets out the rent owing and a termination date. It is the first formal step before the landlord can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).

The minimum notice period changed in 2026. For an N4 given on or after September 21, 2026, the termination date must be at least 7 days after the notice is given. Before that date, the period was 7 days for daily or weekly tenancies and 14 days for monthly or yearly tenancies. An updated N4 form is available from Tribunals Ontario.

The tenant can cancel the notice by paying. Suppose the tenant pays all the arrears on the N4, plus any rent that has come due since. If that happens before the landlord files an application, the notice is void. The tenancy then continues as normal.

If the arrears are not paid, the landlord can file an L1 application, starting the day after the termination date. There is no deadline to file, but the tenant must still live in the unit. Even after the L1 is filed, the tenant can usually stop the eviction by paying everything owed. That includes the filing fee, and it must be paid before the LTB issues its order.

New rules apply to L1 applications filed on or after September 21, 2026. A tenant who wants to raise other issues at the hearing, such as maintenance, must first pay the landlord half the arrears claimed. That payment must reach the landlord at least seven days before the hearing. The N4 does not end a tenancy by itself. Only an LTB order can, and only the Sheriff can enforce an eviction.

General information only, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules change and vary by province; confirm the current details with the relevant authority before you rely on them.