L1 application guide for Ontario landlords

What an L1 actually is

An L1 is the LTB form to ask the Board to terminate the tenancy and evict the tenant for non-payment of rent, plus order them to pay what's owed. It's the most common application at the LTB.

Step 1 — Serve an N4 notice

Before you can file an L1, the tenant must receive an N4 (Notice to End your Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent). The N4 gives them 14 days (or 7 for weekly tenancies) to pay the arrears or move out.

If they pay in full within the void period, the N4 is dead and you can't file an L1 on it. If they don't pay, you move on.

How to serve the N4

• Hand it to the tenant
• Slide it under the door / through the mail slot
• Mail it (add 5 days for service)
• Email — only if they've agreed in writing to email service

Document it. Date, time, method, who served. This is the #1 reason L1s get dismissed.

Step 2 — Wait out the N4 period

14 days from service (plus 5 if mailed). Don't file early — the application will be dismissed and you start over.

Step 3 — File the L1

File through the Tribunals Ontario Portal. The fee is $201 as of 2026 (was $186 — check the current fee).

You'll need:

• The N4 you served (with service details)
• A complete rent ledger
• The lease
• The tenant's contact info

Step 4 — Wait for a hearing date

Current LTB wait times are 4–9 months from filing to hearing. During this time, keep the ledger updated. If the tenant pays, partially pays, or moves out, document it.

Step 5 — Prepare your evidence package

See our guide to building an LTB evidence package. You must disclose everything you'll rely on at least 5 days before the hearing.

Step 6 — The hearing

Most hearings are virtual via Zoom. The adjudicator will hear your case, ask questions, and issue an order — sometimes immediately, sometimes within 30 days.

If you win, you get an order for the rent owed plus an eviction order. The tenant has until a specified date to pay or move. If they don't, the Sheriff enforces the eviction.

Common L1 mistakes

• Wrong rent amount on the N4 (must match the ledger exactly)
• Filing before the N4 period expires
• No proof of service for the N4
• Accepting partial payment after filing without documenting it
• Showing up without a ledger or with three different versions of it

Should you hire a paralegal?

For a straightforward L1 — tenant hasn't paid, lease is clean, no defenses raised — a paralegal at $1,500 is overkill. For complex cases with maintenance counterclaims, illegal-rent-increase defenses, or human-rights issues, get representation.

Exhibit One is built for the straightforward L1: it organizes your evidence and walks you through the hearing. $99 per case.