Ontario landlords serve an N7 when a tenant, an occupant or someone the tenant let in has done something serious: put a person's safety seriously at risk, deliberately damaged the property, misused the unit to the point of serious damage, or, where the landlord shares a small building with them, substantially interfered with the landlord. The notice period is just 10 days, there is no way for the tenant to cancel it, and an L2 can be filed the same day. That speed comes at a price: at the hearing, the LTB expects you to prove exactly the ground you ticked.
The essentials
| For | Landlords facing one of four serious problems (see the table below) |
| Timing | Once the incident has occurred |
| Notice period | A termination date 10 or more days after the notice is given, with added days for mail or courier |
| Service | On each tenant by an approved method; posting on the door is not allowed |
| Cost | Nothing for the notice. The L2 is $186 through the Tribunals Ontario Portal or $201 otherwise |
| Next step | An L2, which can be filed at once and must be filed within 30 days after the termination date |
The four grounds
Three provisions of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) sit behind the N7, each carrying a 10-day minimum. The form numbers them as four reasons.
| Form reason | Ground | RTA |
|---|---|---|
| Reason 1 | Impaired safety. An act or omission inside the residential complex, by the tenant, someone living with them or their invitee, has seriously impaired or is seriously impairing the safety of any person | s. 66 |
| Reason 2 | Wilful damage. Undue damage to the unit or complex caused on purpose by the tenant, someone living with them or their invitee | s. 63(1)(a) |
| Reason 3 | Non-residential use. A non-residential use of the unit or complex that has caused, or is reasonably likely to cause, far more damage than an ordinary damage notice would require | s. 63(1)(b) |
| Reason 4 | Small-building interference. In a building with no more than three residential units where you also live, substantial interference by the tenant, a co-occupant or their invitee with your enjoyment of the building, or with any other lawful right, privilege or interest of yours | s. 65 |
There is no second chance built in. The 7-day remedy that applies to a first N5 is expressly excluded for these grounds (ss. 63(3), 65(3)).
Picking the N7, or something else
The N7 is reserved for serious events you can prove. On Reason 2, the LTB's instructions do not soften it: at the hearing you must show the damage was caused on purpose, and failing that, the application is dismissed.
Look at another notice where:
- Intent may be hard to prove. An N5 covers damage caused wilfully or negligently, and the N7 instructions themselves suggest it in that situation.
- The building has four or more residential units, or you live elsewhere. Reason 4 is off the table; interference goes on an N5.
- The conduct is an illegal act, such as trafficking. That is an N6 matter. One incident can support more than one notice (an assault on the property might qualify under the N6 and the N7 alike), but read the warning on confusing notices below.
- You want possession and repair costs. Use the N7 for termination and add a compensation claim on the L2 (Guideline 10).
Getting the dates right
Minimum period. Every N7 reason requires a termination date 10 or more days after the notice is given (ss. 63(1), 65(1), 66(2)). Do not count the day of service; do count the termination date (Rule 1.13).
Extra days for the method used. Mail adds 5 days (RTA s. 191(3)). Courier is treated as given on the day after it was handed to the courier (or, when that day is a weekend or holiday, the next business day; Rule 1.1 treats Saturdays and Sundays as holidays) (Rule 3.9), and the instructions tell you to add one business day. A fax counts as given on the date printed on it.
Worked example. Suppose you deliver the N7 by hand on March 3. The earliest termination date is March 13. If you mail it on March 3 instead, it is deemed given March 8, so the earliest date becomes March 18.
The L2 window. You may file as soon as the notice is given (s. 71), and the latest you may file is day 30 after the termination date (s. 69(2)). An N7 with no application filed in that time is void (s. 46(1)). For a March 18 termination date, the last filing day is April 17.
The LTB has no power to lengthen or shorten any of these periods (Guideline 10).
Completing the N7
The September 21, 2026 form refresh did not include the N7. At October 31, 2026, what the LTB offers is the older layout with instructions dated 2015. Get a clean copy from the LTB forms page, save it locally, then complete it.
Parties and address
To (tenant). Name every tenant in possession, along with any subtenant or assignee. Children and guests are left off.
From (landlord). Your name, or every landlord's.
Address of the Rental Unit. There is only one box on this layout. Squeeze in the municipality, postal code, street address and the unit, suite or apartment number ("Basement" counts).
Termination date
One exact date in dd/mm/yyyy form, 10 or more days after service plus any mail or courier days. The form goes on to tell the tenant you may apply to the Board immediately.
Reasons
Fully shade the box beside each reason that fits. Tick only reasons you are ready to prove.
Details of the events
The Date/Time and Details table is where the case is made. For each event, the instructions ask you to set out:
- who was responsible (tenant, other occupant or guest);
- the date and time;
- what took place; and
- who was affected.
Match the detail to the reason chosen. Reason 2 needs a description of the damage plus the facts that prove intent. Reason 3 needs the nature of the use and the serious damage that resulted or is anticipated. Reason 4 needs a statement that this is your home too and that the building contains no more than three residential units. Extra pages are fine, as long as they are served with the notice.
Signature
Mark Landlord or Representative, add first and last name and phone number, then sign and date.
Representative information
This layout asks for name, "LSUC #", company, mailing address, phone, municipality, province, postal code and fax. The Law Society of Upper Canada has since become the Law Society of Ontario, so the representative's LSO licence number goes in that field.
Serving the N7
Permitted methods under the N7 instructions: personal delivery to the tenant or any adult in the unit; the mailbox or wherever mail normally lands; the mail slot or the gap under the door; fax; courier; and mail. Email works only with the tenant's written consent (Rule 3.1). Taping it to the door is not service.
Serve each tenant, keep a copy, and fill in a Certificate of Service. Upload both alongside the L2; if you cannot, Rules 4.4 and 4.5 allow 5 calendar days after filing.
Why N7s fail
Once served, a defective N7 cannot be fixed by amendment (Guideline 10). Small errors that cause the tenant no significant prejudice may survive under RTA s. 212, but do not count on it.
- "Wilful" damage without proof of intent. The instructions warn of dismissal. Where intent is doubtful, the N5 was the better choice.
- Reason 4 without the qualifying facts. Section 65 only helps a landlord who lives in the building and only where it holds no more than three residential units.
- Reason 3 for everyday damage. Section 63(1)(b) needs a use inconsistent with residential premises causing damage well beyond ordinary undue damage.
- A safety incident that was not serious, or happened elsewhere. Section 66 is limited to serious safety impairments, caused by something done or not done within the residential complex.
- A short termination date, including one that leaves out the 5 mail days or the courier day.
- Too little detail. The notice itself has to let the tenant understand the case they must meet (RTA s. 43(2); Guideline 10). Give each incident its date, time, people and facts.
- An N5 and an N7 aimed at the same conduct. Telling a tenant they can fix a problem while also telling them you can apply regardless is confusing, and the LTB has dismissed applications on every notice served in that situation (Guideline 10). Serving both is only safe where each notice targets different conduct, or where a reasonable tenant reading them together would not be misled.
- An L2 filed beyond 30 days after the termination date. It has to be dismissed (s. 69(2)).
- Basic errors. Every tenant in possession must be named and served, the unit address must be complete, the service method must be approved, and the notice must be signed.
Most of these defects cannot be repaired later. If an application fails on a void notice, a review or appeal will not revive the notice; the usual result is starting over with a new one.
After serving
Your next filing is the L2, uploaded through the Portal with the N7 and the Certificate of Service attached ($186 through the Portal, $201 otherwise). Repair costs can be claimed as compensation on the same L2, with your calculation explained (Guideline 10). Disclose what you will rely on, such as photographs, invoices, police or fire reports and witness statements, within the time the Rules set.
Under RTA s. 84, any eviction order resting on an N7 must ask the Sheriff to enforce it on an expedited basis. That does not excuse the Board from weighing relief under s. 83. If you do not consent to a delay, it may be granted only on compelling grounds and only if it is fair to you and to other tenants (O. Reg. 516/06, s. 8.4). For orders issued on or after July 1, 2026, a review must be requested within 15 days.
Recent changes
- The form. Because the N7 was left out of the September 21, 2026 refresh, the rule rejecting superseded forms from November 30, 2026 does not touch it. A new version could still be posted, so look at the forms page before each service.
- September 21, 2026. Delaying an eviction over the landlord's objection became harder.
- July 1, 2026. Review requests on orders issued from this date must be made in 15 days, down from 30.
N7 questions
Is there any way for the tenant to cancel an N7?
No. Nothing the tenant does after service voids it. You may file the L2 immediately; the tenant's remedy is to fight the application at the hearing.
N5 or N7 for damage: what is the difference?
An N5 reaches damage caused wilfully or negligently, gives 20 days, and can be voided by the tenant repairing or paying within 7 days. An N7 is narrower, limited to intentional damage or serious damage caused by misuse, but it needs only 10 days and is not voidable. The trade-off is that you carry the burden of proving intent.
My tenant lives below me. Which notice applies to interference with me?
Reason 4 of the N7 protects your own enjoyment, provided you live there and the building has no more than three residential units. A larger building, or interference aimed at a different tenant, calls for an N5.
How soon after serving can I file?
Right away. The outer limit is 30 days after the termination date.
Is a new N7 coming?
Nothing announced. On October 31, 2026 the LTB was still posting the older layout and 2015 instructions, and the N7 was absent from the September 21, 2026 list of revised forms.
Official sources
- N7 form (PDF)
- N7 Instructions (PDF)
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, ss. 43, 46, 63, 65, 66, 69, 71, 83, 84, 191, 212
- O. Reg. 516/06, s. 8.4
- Interpretation Guideline 10: Procedural Issues Regarding Eviction Applications
- LTB Rules of Procedure, Rules 1.1, 1.13, 3.1, 3.9, 4.4, 4.5
- LTB Operational Update, September 21, 2026
- LTB Operational Update, July 1, 2026
- Certificate of Service (PDF)
- LTB Forms, filing and fees