N4: Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-Payment of Rent
The most important form for Ontario landlords. Serve the N4 as soon as rent is unpaid — it starts the legal clock, creates a paper trail, and is the required first step before filing an L1 at the LTB.
How the N4 Works
- Serve as soon as rent is late — waiting only delays your remedy and grows the arrears.
- Termination date must be at least 7 days after service for any tenancy type (12 days if served by regular mail) — Bill 60, in force September 21, 2026. Use the LTB's 2026/09 version of the form.
- If the tenant pays the full arrears before the termination date, the notice is void and the tenancy continues.
- If the tenant does not pay, file the L1 application the day after the termination date.
- Incorrect dates, wrong rent math, or invalid service are the most common reasons N4s fail at hearing.
Flat-Fee Preparation & Service
OLH prepares and serves the N4 for a fixed fee — $250 – $350 (depending on length and complexity), plus taxes and disbursements. Legal Guarantee clients pay nothing: every notice, filing, and hearing is included at $199/month.
Approved Methods of Service
Invalid service is one of the most common reasons notices fail at the LTB. Approved methods:
| Method | Effective date of service |
|---|---|
| Handed to the tenant (or an adult in the unit) | Same day |
| Placed in the mailbox or mail slot | Same day |
| Slid under the door | Same day |
| Courier | First business day after sending |
| Regular mail | 5 days after mailing (add 5 days to notice period) |
| Day sent — only with written consent in the lease |
Not valid: taping to the door, leaving with a neighbour, posting in the building, text message, or voicemail. Always complete a Certificate of Service the day you serve.
Related Forms
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