How an Ontario landlord serves papers, files an application, shares evidence, moves a hearing date or attacks an order is all governed by the procedural rulebook of Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). Alongside them sit the Practice Directions, which describe what the Board expects day to day. Both sets were revised on September 21, 2026. Below are the rules landlords lean on most often, cited by their current numbers, because many cases are won or lost on procedure before anyone reaches the merits.
At a glance
| Subject | Rule(s) now | What it means for a landlord |
|---|---|---|
| Computing time | 1.12–1.16 | Calendar days, leaving out day one and counting the final day |
| How to serve | 3.1–3.9 | Mailed documents count as served on day 5 after mailing |
| Proof of service | 3.8, 5.15 | Certificate of Service within 5 days of serving, where required |
| Filing | 4.1–4.10 | Notice and Certificate of Service uploaded with a Portal application, or within 5 calendar days |
| Refused applications | 6 | Timing mistakes, for example an L1 filed before the N4's termination date has passed |
| Arrears hearings | 10 | The Information Update for an L1 or L9 goes in 5 days or more before the hearing |
| Evidence | 19 | Your evidence 7 or more days ahead; replies 5 or more days ahead |
| Moving a hearing | 21.1 | All parties consent, 5 business days or more ahead |
| Costs | 23 | Representation costs limited to $100 an hour and $700 overall |
| Review | 26 | 15 days for orders dated July 1, 2026 or later |
How the Rules relate to the statute
The law itself is the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA). Through s. 184 the Statutory Powers Procedure Act applies to LTB proceedings, and s. 193 provides that time is calculated under the Rules. Unless a statute or a particular rule says otherwise, the Board may vary or waive a rule (Rule 1.4.2). Practice Directions, made under Rule 1.2, describe how the Rules operate on the ground, and the full list is on the LTB's Law, rules and decisions page. Interpretation Guidelines are a third category: they set out how the Board may approach questions of law.
The September 21, 2026 revision
According to Tribunals Ontario, the update was meant to make the Rules clearer and better formatted, to reflect recent legislative amendments and to match current practice. Landlords should notice two things.
Rule numbers changed. Older Board documents refer to general rules using an "A" prefix and paragraph letters. The Practice Direction on Representation, for instance, still refers to "Rule A3.1(b)" for the idea that the Rules are read so parties can take part with or without a representative (that is now paragraph 2 of Rule 1.3.1), and to "Rule 1.6(q)" for allowing a representative to testify (now paragraph 17 of Rule 1.6). Cite the new numbers in anything you file.
Bill 60 brought new content. Rule 19.4 now imposes the s. 82 requirement to pay half the arrears; Rule 19.5.1 preserves the earlier approach for any arrears application filed before September 21, 2026; and Rules 26.4 and 26.5 set review deadlines of 30 or 15 days, depending on the order's issue date.
Computing deadlines (Rules 1.12 to 1.16)
Count calendar days, leaving out the first day and counting the last. Under Rule 1.1, a "holiday" includes every Saturday and Sunday as well as any other day the LTB's offices are closed, and when a deadline lands on one, the deadline rolls to the following non-holiday. Notices can still be delivered on a holiday and take effect that day. The Board cannot waive or vary these timing rules.
Serving documents (Rule 3)
Rule 3.1 adds to the service methods the RTA lists in s. 191. For someone in possession of the unit, permitted methods are:
- handing it to the person, or to someone in the unit who appears to be an adult;
- leaving it where mail usually arrives, or pushing it through the mail slot or beneath the door;
- mail or courier;
- fax, limited to under 20 pages unless the recipient agrees otherwise;
- email, with the person's written consent;
- uploading to the Tribunals Ontario Portal, with the person's written consent to Portal service.
Posting on the door is reserved for notices of entry (Rule 3.2) and does not work for anything else.
A former tenant who has left the unit can be served in fewer ways (Rule 3.3), and a request to serve a former tenant by an alternative method has to be made 40 days or more before the hearing (Rule 3.4).
Deemed service dates (Rule 3.9): hand delivery counts the same day; email the day it goes out; the Portal the day of upload; courier the day after the courier receives it (or the next non-holiday, and because Rule 1.1 counts weekends as holidays, that means the next business day); mail on day 5 after mailing; Xpresspost also on day 5, unless earlier delivery is proven. Every notice period must take these into account.
Filing (Rule 4)
Rule 4.1 lists the ways to file: Portal upload, email to LTB@ontario.ca, mail, courier to 15 Grosvenor Street, or in person at a ServiceOntario centre that takes LTB documents. Emails containing payment card details are refused. A Portal application must have the termination notice, any affidavit and the Certificate of Service uploaded with it (Rule 4.4), failing which you have a further 5 calendar days (Rule 4.5); otherwise it can be dismissed administratively. Lawyers and paralegals are additionally bound by the Practice Direction requiring Portal use (Rule 4.2.1). For how the Portal works, see the Tribunals Ontario Portal guide.
Who serves the application and hearing notice (Rule 5)
Ordinarily the Board serves the application and Notice of Hearing, but serving your evidence is always your job (Rule 5.1). When service falls to you, the time limits are tight. For an L10, the application and Notice of Hearing go out 30 days or more before the hearing, and the Certificate of Service is filed 20 days or more before it (Rules 5.8 and 5.16). For most other service the Board directs, the minimum is 15 days before the hearing (Rule 5.9).
Applications that will be refused (Rule 6)
Rule 6 lists applications the LTB will not accept. The ones that catch landlords most often:
- an L1 filed on or before the termination date in the N4 (6.7);
- an application based on a voidable notice of the N5 type (ss. 62, 64 or 67) that is filed while the tenant's 7 days to remedy are still running (6.8);
- any eviction application other than one for unpaid rent that is filed later than 30 days after the termination date (6.9);
- an application without the documents it requires (6.10);
- an N12 or N13 application where Part C of Schedule A or B has not been completed (6.11).
Separately, anyone with an unpaid LTB fine, fee or costs award may not start a new non-urgent application until the debt is paid (6.1).
Hearings, representation and witnesses (Rule 7)
The Board chooses how a hearing proceeds and may run any part of it in person, in writing, by phone or by video (Rule 7.1). A party objecting to an electronic hearing must do so in writing and demonstrate significant prejudice (Rule 7.2). Unless the Board orders otherwise, hearings are public.
You can appear for yourself, retain a Law Society of Ontario licensee (lawyer or paralegal), or rely on someone unlicensed if a Law Society exemption covers them (Rule 7.13). The Practice Direction on Representation gives examples: a family member who is not paid, a friend or neighbour who is not paid and helps with three matters a year at most, staff and volunteers at legal clinics, and an employee who acts only for their own employer. A corporate landlord may appear through an employee or anyone else with authority to bind the corporation.
If you need a witness compelled to attend, promptly file the Board's summons request form (Request for the LTB to Issue a Summons); where you have a lawyer or paralegal, they prepare the summons (Rule 7.5). Serving it and paying attendance money are your responsibility (Rule 7.6).
Case management and arrears hearings (Rules 9 and 10)
Missing a case management hearing without exceptional circumstances exposes an applicant to dismissal of the application as abandoned (Rule 9.4). On an arrears application (L1 or L9), the completed Information Update must reach the Board and each tenant five or more days ahead of the hearing (Rule 10.2). If it does not, the Board may have it filled in at the hearing, or deny you recovery of the filing fee (Rule 10.3).
Evidence and disclosure: Rule 19 and the evidence Practice Direction
Under Rule 19.1, each party must provide every other party and the Board with copies of all documents, photos and other evidence it plans to use, 7 days or more ahead of the hearing or case management hearing, by a method of service the RTA or Rule 3 allows. Evidence in response is due 5 days or more ahead (Rule 19.2). Evidence not disclosed properly can be excluded (Rule 19.7).
Watch Rule 19.1.1 closely. Putting evidence on the Portal does not serve it on the tenant, unless the tenant gave written consent to Portal service and that consent has been uploaded.
The half-of-arrears rule on rent applications
Where an arrears application (L1, L9 or L10) was filed on September 21, 2026 or later, a tenant hoping to raise s. 82 issues like harassment or disrepair has two obligations, both due seven days or more before the hearing: paying you half the claimed arrears, and describing each issue in writing (Rule 19.4), with their evidence (Rule 19.6). Your reply evidence must be in five days or more before the hearing (Rule 19.6.1). The Board may not waive Rule 19.4 unless the Human Rights Code demands it.
Format requirements
The revised Practice Direction on Evidence sets out how evidence must be presented:
- Materials have to be legible, paginated consecutively, and come with a table of contents whenever more than one item is filed.
- Submit each item only once, and file separately on each application unless the applications have been joined or ordered heard together.
- Portal uploads may not exceed 500 MB and must be in a listed format. Evidence sent by email must go to LTB.Evidence@ontario.ca only; the subject line carries "EVIDENCE", the hearing date and the file number, and each email is limited to 35 MB.
- Links to websites or social media are refused, as are cloud storage links such as Dropbox or iCloud.
- Anyone relying on audio or video has to be able to play it themselves at the hearing.
- The Member rules on what is admitted and can exclude late material after considering how late it is, the reason, and any prejudice.
Mediation, amendments, time limits and withdrawal (Rules 13 to 17)
What is said in mediation or online dispute resolution stays confidential (Rule 13.5). A pre-hearing amendment request must be in writing, served on the other side, and filed along with proof of service (Rule 15.1). Rule 16 lets the Board lengthen or shorten many deadlines, but never the notice periods for terminating a tenancy (see s. 56 of O. Reg. 516/06). Before the hearing starts, an applicant may withdraw without anyone's consent (Rule 17.2).
Moving a hearing date (Rule 21)
Rescheduling needs the consent of every party, and the request has to reach the Board 5 business days or more ahead of the hearing (Rule 21.1). Attach each party's unavailable dates for the next three months (Rule 21.3). A request that is late or opposed succeeds only if complying was not reasonably possible. Until you hear that it has been granted, show up: the hearing proceeds, and an applicant who does not appear risks dismissal (Rule 21.4). An adjournment is sought at the opening of the hearing and decided on the Rule 21.8 factors, which include prejudice and the file's history. On L5 applications, rescheduling or adjournment is considered only in exceptional circumstances.
Reasons, costs and corrections (Rules 22 to 24)
If an order comes without reasons, ask for them at the hearing or by written request no more than 30 days after the order (Rule 22.2). Under Rule 23.1, a winning applicant may have its filing fee repaid by the respondent. Costs for representation and preparation are limited to $100 an hour and $700 in total (Rule 23.2). A clerical slip in an order can be fixed through a Request to Amend an Order, which has a 30-day limit (Rule 24.1).
Stays and the Court Enforcement Office (Rule 25)
A party that obtains a stay, files a motion to set aside, or receives notice that an eviction order has been voided must bring a copy to the Court Enforcement Office straight away. The eviction stage is covered in the Enforcement Office guide.
Reviewing an order (Rule 26)
Orders dated July 1, 2026 onward must be challenged by review within 15 days (RTA s. 209(3) and Rule 26.5); older orders keep the 30-day period. Rule 26.7 sets the format: at least 12-point type, a left margin of roughly 40 mm, and a maximum of 10 double-spaced pages (not counting the form, evidence and case law), signed and accompanied by the fee. Under Rule 26.8 the request must rely on one of the grounds in O. Reg. 178/26: you could not reasonably take part in the hearing; the order flows from a serious error; or there is new evidence that was not obtainable earlier and would probably have changed the outcome. The Board may dismiss the request on a preliminary review without holding a hearing, and the same order cannot be reviewed twice (Rule 26.18). For a landlord on the losing side, this short window is often the first decision point. The form is explained on the Request to Review an Order page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the deadline for sending evidence before an LTB hearing?
Seven days or more before the hearing, to the tenant and to the Board, with any responding evidence due five days or more before, unless the Board directs otherwise (Rule 19).
How much time do I have to request a review?
Fifteen days from the order date, for orders dated July 1, 2026 or later. The fee is $58.
Does uploading my evidence to the Portal count as serving the tenant?
No, unless the tenant agreed in writing to Portal service and you uploaded that agreement (Rule 19.1.1). Otherwise you must serve the tenant by a permitted method.
Can the hearing be moved if the tenant and I both agree?
Yes, provided all parties consent and the Board receives the request five or more business days ahead, with each party's unavailable dates for the next three months (Rules 21.1 and 21.3).