What you pay to file at Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) turns on two things: which form you are filing and the route you use to file it. Landlords get a lower rate on the Tribunals Ontario Portal, and a few steps are free. Using the figures on Tribunals Ontario's fees page, this guide covers each current charge, the accepted ways to pay, when the tenant can be made to reimburse you, and the test for a fee waiver.
Quick reference
| What | Cost or rule |
|---|---|
| L1, L2, L3, L9 and L10 | $186 through the Portal; $201 any other way |
| L4 | Free on the Portal |
| L5 (rent above the guideline) | $233 covers ten units, then $10 for each extra unit, capped at $1,000 |
| Review of an order | $58 |
| Refund policy | Non-refundable, with a narrow exception for reviews |
| Reimbursement | A successful landlord can ask the LTB to order the tenant to pay the fee back |
| Waiver | Individuals on listed income support, or below set income levels |
What landlords pay to apply
The Portal group. The L1 (eviction for unpaid rent plus the rent owed), the L2 (ending a tenancy and evicting, or recovering money), the L3 (the tenant gave notice or agreed to leave), the L9 (rent a current tenant owes) and the L10 (money owed by a former tenant) all cost $186 on the Portal or $201 by any other method.
Everything else a landlord might file:
| Form | Cost |
|---|---|
| L4 (tenant breached the conditions of a settlement or order) | Free when filed on the Portal |
| Above-guideline increase, L5 | $233 for up to ten units, plus $10 per unit beyond ten, never more than $1,000 |
| L6, L7 or L8 | $201 |
| A1 (does the Act apply?) | $53 |
| A2 (sublet or assignment) or A4 (varying a rent reduction), filed by a landlord | $201 |
| S3, the landlord's motion against an order that voided the eviction | Free |
| Request to Review an Order | $58 |
Only the six applications the Portal takes (L1, L2, L3, L4, L9, L10) get the Portal rate. For how the Portal works, read the Tribunals Ontario Portal guide.
L5 worked example. For a 25-unit building: $233 for the first ten, plus 15 additional units at $10 ($150), for a total of $383. For a building of 90 units the formula gives $233 + $800 = $1,033, so the $1,000 cap applies.
What tenants pay
You will usually be the respondent on these, but knowing the tenant's cost can help when you are considering a settlement.
| Form | Cost |
|---|---|
| T1, T2, T5 or T6 | $48 on the Portal; $53 otherwise |
| T3, T4 or T7, and an A1, A2 or A4 brought by a tenant | $53 |
| Applications on behalf of several tenants | $53 for one unit, then $5 per extra unit, up to $450 (mail or courier only) |
| Request to Review an Order | $58 |
| Motions to void an arrears eviction order or set aside an ex parte order | Free |
Copies, records and other charges
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Paper or electronic copies from the file | $0.54 a page |
| Certified copies of an order | A party's first mailed copy is free; each further copy is $6.72 |
| Records or order search | Free for the first 2 hours, then $8.07 per additional 15 minutes |
| Hearing recording | $16.15 |
| A CD of the L5 supporting documents, or the LTB Rules and Guidelines | $5.38 |
| Forms, instructions, written reasons, having an affidavit sworn | Free |
| Witness fees | The party who summonses the witness pays |
Witness attendance money comes from the civil court tariff (Tariff A, Rules of Civil Procedure), which Appendix A of the LTB Rules reproduces: $50 for each day of attendance, plus travel, and $75 a night if the witness has to stay overnight.
Paying the fee
What you can pay with depends on how you file:
- Credit card (Visa or Mastercard): accepted on the Portal, at ServiceOntario, for mail or courier filings through the credit card payment form, and for email filings when you pay online before sending.
- Visa Debit: accepted on the Portal, at ServiceOntario, and on the online payment page used for email filings.
- Debit Mastercard: accepted on the Portal or at ServiceOntario. The LTB's instructions for email filing also show it as an option on the online payment page.
- Certified cheque or money order made out to "Minister of Finance": only by mail, courier or at ServiceOntario.
- Cash: only at a ServiceOntario counter, in person.
Email filings. These include the A1, A2, A4, L6, L7 and L8, plus review requests and requests for hearing recordings. The order of steps matters: payment comes first, on the Online Payment for Tribunal Applications page. Then email the application and receipt to ltbpayments@ontario.ca; the subject line must show the rental unit address and the 7-digit receipt number. If 24 hours pass after payment without the application arriving, the LTB refunds you. An L5 sent by email works the other way round: the application goes first, and the LTB replies with a secure link for payment, valid for three calendar days.
Do not include credit card numbers in an email or a fax. The LTB will delete such an application without processing it, and Rule 4.2 provides that an email carrying payment information will not be accepted.
Refunds are the exception
According to Tribunals Ontario's fees page, LTB fees cannot be refunded. An application refused or dismissed because of a defective notice or early filing means paying the fee a second time when you refile, which is a strong practical argument for getting the notice and timing right at the start.
Only two narrow exceptions exist:
- Reviews. Under RTA s. 182, the $58 review fee may be returned where the review ends with the order cancelled, suspended or varied.
- Incomplete email filings. As noted above, an online payment comes back when no application follows by email within 24 hours.
There is no refund where an application is discontinued because the applicant has an unpaid LTB fine, fee or costs outstanding (Rule 6.5).
Making the tenant pay the fee
If you succeed, Rule 23.1 lets you ask for the filing fee as costs, payable by the other side. On an L1, the fee forms part of what the tenant must pay to avoid eviction. Before an order issues, paying your application fee together with the arrears and the additional rent owing discontinues the application (RTA s. 74(2)). After an order, it becomes void if the tenant pays the amounts in it, costs included, before it is enforceable (s. 74(4)). Be aware that Rule 10.3 lets the LTB, on an L1 or L9, refuse to award your fee if your L1/L9 Information Update was not provided on time.
Waiving the fee
RTA s. 181.1 gives the LTB power, in line with its Rules, to defer or waive fees for individuals with low incomes. The test is set out in Rule 2 together with the Practice Direction on Fee Waiver.
Eligible requesters. Individuals only: a party, or someone the application directly affects. Businesses and organizations cannot get a waiver, which rules out a corporate landlord.
Financial test. You qualify if your household lives mainly on one of these: Canada Pension Plan, War Veterans' Allowance, Old Age Security together with the Guaranteed Income Supplement, the Ontario Disability Support Program, or Ontario Works. You also qualify if gross monthly household income falls below the threshold for your household size:
| Household size | Gross monthly household income below |
|---|---|
| 1 person | $1,650 |
| 2 people | $2,475 |
| 3 people | $2,840 |
| 4 people | $3,390 |
| 5 or more | $3,940 |
Your household is you, your spouse and your dependent children. Financial documents may be requested.
Applying. Fill in every part of the three-part Fee Waiver Request, declaration included, and place it on top of your application or request. The LTB lists mail, courier or ServiceOntario for filing it; a lawyer or paralegal may complete one for a client on the Portal (Rule 2.1). Asking is free. If you are refused, you have three business days from being contacted to pay, or the application will not be processed. A granted waiver applies to every LTB fee in that application from then on.
Lying on the form is an offence under RTA s. 234.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fee for an L1 in Ontario?
On the Tribunals Ontario Portal it is $186. By mail, courier or at ServiceOntario it is $201.
Do I pay anything to serve an N4 or N12?
No. Notices go to the tenant rather than the LTB, and the forms themselves are free. The fee arises only once you file the L1 or L2 based on the notice.
If my application is dismissed, is the fee returned?
As a rule, no, because LTB fees are non-refundable. The one fee that may come back is the review fee, and only where the review leads to the order being varied, suspended or cancelled.
Are landlords eligible for a fee waiver?
Only if the landlord is an individual who passes the income test. Corporations and other organizations are not eligible.
How much does the sheriff charge for an eviction?
That charge is a court fee, separate from the LTB's. It is explained in the Enforcement Office guide.