Got an N4 Notice? The Full Path From Unpaid Rent to Eviction in Ontario
An N4 is not an eviction order. Pay all the arrears before the termination date and the notice is void.
What is an N4 notice, and does receiving one mean you’re being evicted?
An N4 is a landlord’s notice to end a tenancy early for non-payment of rent — it is not an eviction order. Only the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) can issue an eviction order. Since September 21, 2026, the termination date on an N4 only has to be 7 days after the notice is given — for monthly, weekly and daily tenancies alike (monthly tenancies used to get 14). Most importantly: if the tenant pays all the rent listed on the notice before the termination date, the N4 becomes void and the landlord cannot proceed on it.
Source: Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, s. 59(1), as amended effective September 21, 2026 (Ontario e-Laws); LTB N4 Instructions (Tribunals Ontario, updated September 21, 2026)
An N4 lands in the mailbox and the first reaction is often: am I about to be thrown out? Take a breath. An N4 is the start of a process, not the end — and it is not an eviction order. It gives you a clear window to fix the situation. This article walks the timeline: what an N4 is, what rights you have, the steps a landlord must take next, and which step actually decides whether you stay.
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Step 1: Understand the N4 — a notice, not a judgment
Step 2: Read the termination date — it can now be just 7 days away
ℹ️Check every detail on the N4. Amount, termination date, unit address, method of service — any error can get the landlord’s later LTB application dismissed. That’s a pitfall for landlords to avoid and a point for tenants to verify.
Step 3: Pay before the termination date and the N4 is void
Step 4: If unpaid, the landlord can file an L1 with the LTB
🚨An L1 is not an eviction, but do attend the hearing. Not responding or not showing up means giving up your chance to speak for yourself. Bring payment records and any relevant evidence.
Step 5: The LTB hearing decides
An eviction can only happen after an LTB hearing and an order from the Board; enforcing it requires the Sheriff. At the hearing, the tenant can attend, explain their circumstances, propose a repayment plan, or challenge the application. One catch since September 21, 2026: if you want to turn the hearing around and raise your own complaints — repairs the landlord never made, for example — you must tell the landlord in writing ahead of time, within the deadline set by the LTB’s Rules, and pay half of the arrears claimed in the L1 no later than 7 days before the hearing (RTA s. 82 and O. Reg. 516/06, s. 8.3; applications filed before that date follow the old rule). In other words, from the N4 to actually leaving there is a full process with several chances to fix things — taking part always beats ignoring it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does getting an N4 mean I’ve been evicted?
No. An N4 is only a landlord’s notice to end the tenancy for unpaid rent — not an eviction order. Only the LTB can issue an eviction order after due process. When you get an N4 you still have a clear window to fix things.
What happens if I pay all the arrears before the termination date?
The N4 is void. If you pay everything listed on the notice before the termination date, the notice no longer has effect and the landlord cannot use it to apply for eviction. Keep your proof of payment.
What’s the minimum termination date on an N4?
At least 7 days after the notice is given, not counting that day. Since September 21, 2026 the same minimum applies whether you pay rent monthly, weekly or daily. A mailed notice adds 5 days; a couriered one adds 1 business day. That period is your window to pay and void the notice.
When can a landlord actually make me leave?
Only after: the arrears go unpaid past the termination date, the landlord files an L1 starting the day after that date, the LTB schedules and holds a hearing, the LTB issues an eviction order, and the Sheriff enforces it. You have a chance to participate and cure at each step — a landlord cannot skip the process and evict you on their own.
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