How to fill out an N4 in Ontario, step-by-step

The N4 — Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent is the form most landlords end up needing first, and the form that gets thrown out most often at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). A wrong amount, a wrong date, a tenant name that doesn’t match the lease — any of those and your eventual L1 eviction application is dead on arrival.

This guide walks the form box by box, explains the 14-day rule, shows exactly what counts as “rent owed,” and lists the mistakes that kill an N4 at the LTB. Every claim is referenced to the actual section of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (the “RTA”).

Before you fill it out: is the N4 the right form?

The N4 is only for unpaid rent. It doesn’t cover anything else — not damages, not utility chargebacks, not NSF fees, not late fees, not parking arrears. If those are your issue, the right notice is the N5 (interference with reasonable enjoyment), an L2 application, or a Small Claims Court suit, not the N4.

Use the N4 when:

• The tenant has missed at least one rent payment
• The unit is covered by the RTA (most Ontario rentals — not co-ops, not most care-included retirement homes, not short-term rentals)
• You can prove what the rent is (signed lease, e-transfer history, receipts, or a paper trail of past payments)

Don’t use the N4 when:

• The tenant has paid rent but you’re unhappy with something else — noise, damage, unauthorized occupants. Use the N5
• You haven’t actually given the tenant a lease or written agreement and you’re unsure what the rent is
• The arrears are last month’s rent deposit applied incorrectly. LMR can’t be used until the last month of the tenancy (RTA s.106) — if you took it as “security” instead, that’s a separate fight

Where to get the official form

The N4 is published by Tribunals Ontario and is the only version the LTB will accept. Download it from tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/forms. There’s a fillable PDF version and a print-and-handwrite version — both are valid. Do not retype it, do not use a third-party template, do not use one you found on Reddit.

The 14-day rule (and the 7-day exception)

Under RTA s.59(1)(b), the termination date on the N4 must be at least 14 days after the notice is given to the tenant. For tenants on a weekly or daily tenancy (rare — roomers, some short-stays), s.59(2) drops it to 7 days.

The 14 days is counted starting the day after service. If you hand the N4 to the tenant on March 1, day 1 is March 2, and the earliest valid termination date is March 15. Putting March 14 on the form makes the whole notice void.

If you serve by mail under RTA s.191, add 5 days for deemed service. Same March 1 mailing then has earliest termination date of March 20.

Section-by-section: filling out the form

1. Tenant name(s)

Every adult tenant named on the lease has to be listed on the N4. Miss one and the LTB can refuse to grant the L1 eviction order — sometimes the unnamed tenant has a defence the named one doesn’t. Spell the names exactly as they appear on the lease. If your lease says “Jonathan Smith” don’t put “Jon Smith” on the N4.

2. Rental unit address

Use the full address: street number, street name, unit / apartment number, city, postal code. If the unit number is on the lease as “Unit 2” don’t put “Apt 2” — match the lease exactly. This is one of the most common drafting errors that gets an L1 thrown out.

3. Termination date

The date by which the tenant must move out. As described above: 14 days from service (monthly) or 7 days (weekly/daily), plus 5 deemed-service days if you mailed it. Use YYYY-MM-DD or write the month in full — don’t use “03/15/2026” because it’s ambiguous.

4. Total rent owed

This is the meat of the form and where most N4s die. Break the arrears down by rental period:

• Rental period (e.g. “April 1, 2026 – April 30, 2026”)
• Rent charged for that period
• Rent paid by the tenant for that period
• Amount owing

At the bottom, add a single total. Only include unpaid rent — no NSF fees, no late fees, no utility chargebacks, no parking, no damages. Including any of those (even if the lease says you can charge them) makes the N4 void, because the form is specifically for non-payment of rent under RTA s.59.

Example for a tenant whose rent is $2,000/month, who paid March in full, missed April entirely, and paid $500 toward May before you serve the N4 on May 10:

• April 1, 2026 – April 30, 2026: charged $2,000, paid $0, owing $2,000
• May 1, 2026 – May 31, 2026: charged $2,000, paid $500, owing $1,500
• Total owing: $3,500

5. Landlord information

Your name (or your corporate landlord name if applicable), an address for service (where the tenant can deliver documents back to you — has to be physical, not just a PO box), and a phone number. The name must match the landlord named on the lease. If a property manager is acting on the landlord’s behalf they can sign, but the landlord’s name still has to appear.

6. Signature and date signed

Wet signature, electronic signature, or initials — the LTB accepts all three. The date signed must be on or before the date the notice is served. If you sign March 5 and serve March 1, that’s a fatal defect.

How to serve the N4

Service rules are in RTA s.191. The methods that work for an N4:

• Hand it directly to the tenant. Best case — service is effective the same day.
• Hand it to an apparent adult occupant at the rental unit. Also same-day service.
• Place it in the tenant’s mailbox at the rental complex (only works if the building has a regular mail-receptacle setup — not stuffing it under a door).
• Slide it under the door of the rental unit. Effective the same day.
• Mail it by Canada Post regular or registered mail. Add 5 days for deemed service under s.191(3).
• Email or text the notice — only if the tenant has agreed to be served by that method in writing (and ideally in the lease). Don’t assume past texts about rent count as consent.

Keep proof of service. Take a photo of the N4 in the mailbox. Take a screenshot of the email send confirmation. If you hand-deliver, write a Certificate of Service (Form L1 includes one) right after. Without proof, the L1 hearing comes down to the tenant’s word vs. yours.

What happens after you serve

Three things can happen in the 14 days:

1. The tenant pays in full — every dollar owed on the N4 plus any rent that became due after the notice was served — before the termination date. Under RTA s.59(3), the N4 is automatically void and the tenancy continues as if nothing happened.
2. The tenant pays part of it. The N4 stays valid. The unpaid balance still triggers the right to file an L1 (eviction) after the termination date — but you can only file for the balance, not the full original amount.
3. The tenant pays nothing (or moves out). On the day after the termination date, you can file Form L1 — Application to Evict a Tenant for Non-payment of Rent with the LTB. The L1 filing fee is $186 (as of 2026). The hearing comes weeks to months later.

Even after you file the L1, the tenant can “void” it under RTA s.74 by paying the arrears + the filing fee any time before the hearing. After an eviction order is issued they can still pay and have it set aside, but the deadlines tighten.

The mistakes that kill an N4 at the LTB

From scanning LTB decisions, these are the recurring fatal errors:

• Termination date too soon. Day-counting error or forgot the 5-day mail rule.
• Wrong amount on the form. Included late fees, NSF charges, parking, utility chargebacks, or guessed at the rent without checking the lease.
• Missed a tenant name. All adult co-tenants must be listed.
• Address doesn’t match the lease. “Apt 2” vs “Unit 2,” missing postal code, wrong city.
• Landlord name doesn’t match the lease. Common when ownership has changed and the lease was never updated.
• No signature, or signed after the service date.
• No proof of service. Tenant denies receiving it; landlord has nothing.

Any single one of these can void the notice. The LTB doesn’t give partial credit — the form is either valid or it’s not. If it’s not, you start over.

For tenants: what to do if you receive an N4

Getting an N4 doesn’t mean you’re being evicted yet. It’s a 14-day window to fix it.

1. Check the numbers. Compare every rental period on the N4 against your e-transfer / cheque history. Landlords regularly miscalculate.
2. If the amount is right and you can pay, pay before the termination date. RTA s.59(3) makes the N4 void automatically. Keep proof: e-transfer receipt, cheque image, screenshot.
3. If the amount is wrong — there are line-item errors, NSF fees that don’t belong, or charges that aren’t rent — reply in writing pointing out the specific lines. Pay the amount you actually owe (the legitimate portion). Many N4s are voided by the LTB for being inflated.
4. If you can’t pay it all, talk to the landlord before the 14 days are up. A written payment-plan agreement signed by both parties is enforceable and usually stops the L1 from getting filed.
5. If the landlord files an L1 anyway — you can still void it under RTA s.74 by paying the arrears plus the LTB’s filing fee before the hearing. Attend the hearing either way; not showing up is the most common reason tenants get evicted without fighting.

Where to find the official sources

N4 form and instructions: tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/forms. RTA full text (s.59 governs the N4): ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17. LTB filing fees and current schedules: tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/fees.

Important: Nest Mate is not a law firm and this guide isn’t legal advice. If the tenant has a possible defence (illegal rent increase, retaliation, harassment, repair issues) the math gets more complicated — contact a paralegal, ACTO, or your local legal aid clinic.