An eviction order from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) in Ontario does not, on its own, get anyone out of the unit. Enforcement belongs to the Superior Court of Justice's Court Enforcement Office, known informally as the sheriff. To get possession, a landlord has to file the order at the correct office, inside the time limit, and pay the enforcement fees. This guide covers the filing window, the right office, the cost, enforcement day, and the tenant motions and appeals that can pause or end the process, which is often where a landlord's case is won or lost at this stage.
At a glance
| Topic | What applies |
|---|---|
| Enforced by | The Court Enforcement Office (sheriff); a landlord can never do it personally |
| Status of the order | Treated like a writ of possession (RTA s. 85) |
| First day to file | Whatever date the order states (frequently 11 days after issue) |
| Office | The Court Enforcement Office covering the unit's location |
| Expiry | Six months after the order takes effect, unless filed (s. 81) |
| Sheriff fees (per O. Reg. 294/92) | $75 filing, $240 per enforcement attempt, plus a kilometre allowance |
| Tenant's belongings | Must be available for 72 hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Possible pauses | Payment motions on L1 orders, set-aside motions, stays on review, Divisional Court appeals |
Why the landlord cannot act alone
The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA), in s. 39, lets a landlord recover possession of a unit only as the Act allows. As the LTB brochure on how landlords end tenancies explains, a tenant who stays past the date in the order still cannot be removed by the landlord personally, and that rules out changing the locks or putting the tenant out. By s. 85, an LTB eviction order has the force of a writ of possession and is enforced the same way. Changing the locks to sidestep the process exposes a landlord to a tenant application and to prosecution, and s. 238 has, from July 1, 2026, set the top fine for an RTA offence at $500,000 for a corporation and $100,000 for an individual.
The filing window
Every eviction order states the date from which it may be filed with the sheriff. According to Interpretation Guideline 7, LTB orders often become enforceable 11 days after they are issued, though that period is not fixed in the RTA. For serious misconduct the LTB can choose a shorter period. Postponing enforcement under s. 83(1)(b) is also possible, but from September 21, 2026 only with the landlord's consent or where O. Reg. 516/06, s. 8.4 is satisfied.
Certain grounds oblige the LTB to request expedited enforcement. Under s. 84, the order must include that request where it is based on a drug-related illegal act under s. 61(2)(a), or on a notice under s. 63 (wilful or serious damage), s. 65 (interference in a building of limited size that the landlord occupies) or s. 66 (impaired safety).
Arrears orders: let the voiding window close first
An eviction order for rent arrears states the sum the tenant can pay to void it. Payment of that sum, either into the LTB or to you, ahead of the enforceable date voids the order (s. 74(4)), and it can no longer be enforced. When the money goes into the LTB, the Board sends a notice confirming that the order is void (Rule 20.2). Before filing, confirm with both the tenant and the LTB that no such payment was made.
The right office
The order goes to the Court Enforcement Office with territorial jurisdiction over the place where the unit is (s. 81). There are 49 enforcement offices in Ontario. To find the right one, open the court locations page run by the Attorney General's ministry, select the municipality where the unit sits, and pick "Enforcement" as the type of office. Court boundaries and municipal boundaries do not always line up, so check with the office if there is any doubt.
How to file
- In Toronto: since October 14, 2025, LTB orders for residential evictions and the related enforcement forms can be filed online on the Ontario Courts Public Portal, with an Ontario.ca sign-in and payment by debit card, Visa or Mastercard. Submissions are reviewed by staff within 3 business days, and a rejected filing is not charged to your card.
- Elsewhere: file by mail or in person at the Court Enforcement Office.
Provide a copy of the LTB order together with whatever request or instruction the office asks for. Ontario.ca speaks only of the "necessary enforcement forms" without listing them, so ask your local Court Enforcement Office what it requires before filing.
The six-month expiry
Section 81 gives an eviction order a six-month life from its effective date unless it is filed with the sheriff in that time. For example, an order that takes effect on March 15, 2027 expires in mid-September 2027 unless it has been filed by then; do not leave it to the last week. Interpretation Guideline 10 adds three points:
- an expired order cannot be followed by a fresh eviction application on the same issue;
- a stay arising from an LTB review, a set-aside proceeding or a Divisional Court appeal suspends the six months (the Guideline cites Elguindy v. Galaxy Real Estate Core Ontario LP, 2024 ONSC 5911); and
- a filed order can be enforced for one year from its effective date (Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 60.10(4)), and the court can be asked to extend that.
Fees
O. Reg. 294/92 (Sheriffs – Fees), made under the Administration of Justice Act, sets the sheriff's charges. The relevant items on Ontario's civil court fees page include:
- $75 to file an order the sheriff must enforce (other than one delivered to a land registrar);
- $240 per attempt, whether or not it succeeds, to enforce a writ of execution or an order not separately listed; and
- a travel allowance for the round trip from courthouse to unit, calculated under the Kilometre Allowances regulation (R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 11).
Ontario.ca states that these fees are paid to the Enforcement Office at the time you file the request. Of the listed fees, it is the $75 and $240 entries that correspond to filing and enforcing an order; the office will confirm the full amount, travel allowance included, when you file. If court fees are unaffordable for you, Ontario's court fee waiver process may be available.
The landlord normally pays these fees in advance. Where an L1 tenant voids the order under s. 74(11) after your payment, s. 74(15) requires the LTB to state the non-refundable Administration of Justice Act fees you paid and to void the order only on condition that the tenant pays that sum into the LTB by a set deadline. Without that payment, the stay ends and you can proceed with enforcement (s. 74(17)).
Enforcement day
The office books a date, and the sheriff goes to the unit and puts the landlord in possession. Neither the LTB nor Ontario.ca publishes how enforcement is carried out, such as what notice occupants get, whether you or someone for you must be there, or who calls the locksmith. Your Court Enforcement Office can tell you how it books and carries out an enforcement.
Once the eviction is done:
- The tenant's belongings: during the first 72 hours you cannot keep, sell or throw them out, and the tenant must be able to collect them, from 8 in the morning to 8 at night, at a place close to the unit (O. Reg. 516/06, s. 46; RTA s. 41). Once the 72 hours are up, s. 41 lets you dispose of them without liability.
- Money owed: a payment order in the same decision is a separate matter, enforced in the Small Claims Court.
- If the sheriff got it wrong: raise it with the sheriff, as Guideline 10 directs; after a final order, the LTB has no further power to direct the sheriff.
What the tenant can do to pause or stop it
Know these before you book movers. Under Rule 25, anyone filing a set-aside motion, or receiving a stay or void notice, must get a copy to the Court Enforcement Office without delay.
- Paying off an L1 order before it becomes enforceable (s. 74(4)). That voids it, ending any possibility of enforcement.
- A s. 74(11) set-aside motion once the order is enforceable. On an L1 order, a tenant who pays everything owing (the arrears, additional rent, permitted NSF charges and costs) after enforceability but before the sheriff acts, and who files an affidavit, obtains a stay when the LTB accepts the motion (s. 74(13)). Section 74(12) limits this to one use per tenancy. The LTB then hears the motion and decides between voiding the order and lifting the stay.
- Challenging an L3 or L4 order issued with no hearing. A timely Motion to Set Aside an Ex Parte Order (10 days from the order) stays it automatically. On L3 orders, O. Reg. 516/06, s. 8.2 has, since September 21, 2026, limited setting aside to cases where it would not be unfair, judged without later changes in the tenant's situation.
- A request to review. For orders dated July 1, 2026 or later it is due in 15 days. It brings no automatic stay: the requester has to seek one, and granting it is up to the LTB (Rules 26.10 and 26.11).
- A Divisional Court appeal, limited to questions of law and due in 30 days (s. 210). Tribunals Ontario says the appeal itself stays the order, unless the LTB or the court removes that stay. Because the six-month expiry is suspended during the stay, an appeal delays possession but does not by itself cost you the order.
Where one of these lands after the sheriff's fees are paid, find out from the Court Enforcement Office what happens to the file while it is on hold, and file the LTB's void or stay notice with your records.
Frequently asked questions
I have the order. May I change the locks myself?
No. The order can be enforced only by the Court Enforcement Office. Changing the locks yourself risks a tenant application and prosecution.
What is the deadline to file with the sheriff?
Six months from the date the order takes effect (s. 81), not counting any time the order is stayed by an appeal, a review or a set-aside proceeding.
Where is an LTB eviction order filed in Toronto?
Online on the Ontario Courts Public Portal, or at the Toronto Court Enforcement Office by mail or in person.
How much does the sheriff charge?
Under O. Reg. 294/92, filing an order costs $75 and each enforcement attempt costs $240, with a kilometre allowance on top. Your local office will confirm the total.
The tenant paid in full the day before the sheriff's visit. What happens?
A tenant under an L1 order has one s. 74(11) motion available per tenancy. When the LTB accepts it, enforcement is stayed pending the hearing, and as a condition of voiding the order the LTB can require the tenant to repay the non-refundable sheriff fees you paid.