How Long Does Eviction Take in Ontario?
The real answer, with real numbers. From notice to Sheriff: 4 to 12 months depending on your case type and whether anything goes wrong.
The Honest Answer
Most evictions in Ontario take 4 to 9 months from notice to Sheriff. Some take over a year.
If you're here because a tenant stopped paying rent last week and you want them out by the end of the month, that's not going to happen. Not in Ontario. Not in 2026.
The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) has a backlog of 53,000+ active cases. Every eviction goes through the LTB. There are no shortcuts, no backdoors, and no way to bypass the queue. Self-help evictions (changing locks, tossing belongings) are illegal and will cost you up to $50,000 in fines.
So let's talk about what you're actually facing.
The 5 Stages of an Ontario Eviction
Every eviction follows the same five stages. The total time depends on which stage goes sideways.
| Stage | What Happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Notice | Serve the notice (N4, N12, N5, etc.) | 7 to 60 days |
| 2. Filing | File L1 or L2 with the LTB | 1 to 3 days |
| 3. Hearing | Wait for the LTB to schedule you | 4 to 9 months |
| 4. Decision | Hearing day + order issued | 1 day to 4 weeks |
| 5. Sheriff | Sheriff enforces the eviction order | 1 to 6 weeks |
Notice how Stage 3 dwarfs everything else? That's where your case lives and dies. The LTB hearing queue is the bottleneck.
Stage 1: Serve the Notice
This is the only fast part of the process.
The type of notice you serve determines how long the tenant has before the termination date:
- N4 (Non-payment of rent): 7 days under Bill 60 (was 14 days before November 2025)
- N5 (Interference, damage, overcrowding): 20 days for the first notice, 14 days for the second
- N12 (Landlord's own use): 60 days, and it must end on the last day of a rental period
- N13 (Demolition or major repairs): 120 days
- N8 (Persistently late rent): 60 days to end of term
For a non-payment eviction, you can have your N4 served and the voiding period expired within 8 days. That's the easy part. Everything after this is waiting.
Bill 60 Saved You 7 Days
Before Bill 60, the N4 voiding period was 14 days. Now it's 7. That's one week you get back. In a process that takes months, it's not much, but it's something.
Stage 2: File with the LTB
Once the notice period expires and the tenant hasn't fixed the problem (or moved out), you file your application with the LTB.
Which form you file depends on the notice:
- L1: Eviction for non-payment of rent (follows an N4). Filing fee: $186 online, $201 by mail.
- L2: Eviction for other reasons (follows N5, N12, N13, N8, etc.). Filing fee: $186 online, $201 by mail.
File online through the LTB's Tribunals Ontario Portal. Paper applications take longer to process and are more likely to get lost. If you haven't set up your portal account yet, do it now. Don't wait until you need it.
Don't File Too Early
If you file an L1 before the N4's 7-day voiding period expires, your application will be thrown out. You'll have to refile and pay the filing fee again. Count the days carefully.
Stage 3: Wait for Your Hearing Date
This is where the process breaks down.
The LTB has a backlog of over 53,000 cases as of 2026. That number has been climbing for years. COVID shut down hearings in 2020, and the Board has never fully recovered.
Current average wait times to get a hearing date:
L1 (Non-Payment)
4 to 6 months
From filing to hearing date
L2 (Other Causes)
6 to 9 months
N12, N5, N8, N13 cases
Tenant applications (like T2 or T6) can wait 8 to 12 months. The LTB prioritizes landlord non-payment applications because the tenant is living rent-free during the wait. But "prioritized" still means half a year.
You can file a Request to Shorten Time, asking the LTB to hear your case sooner. Realistically? They almost never grant it unless there's a safety issue. Don't count on it.
Stage 4: The Hearing
Most LTB hearings are virtual (Zoom or Microsoft Teams). You'll get a Notice of Hearing with your date, time, and login details.
Here's what happens on hearing day:
Mediation first. Before your hearing, a mediator will usually offer to help you and the tenant settle. If the tenant agrees to a payment plan and you accept, you get a mediated order. This is faster than a full hearing and still enforceable.
If mediation fails (or is refused), you go to a hearing. An Adjudicator reviews your evidence, hears both sides, and makes a decision. For straightforward non-payment cases, this takes 15 to 30 minutes.
The Adjudicator can issue the order the same day, or it may take 1 to 4 weeks for the written order to arrive. It depends on how busy they are.
Typical Outcomes
For L1 non-payment hearings: the tenant either doesn't show (order granted by default), agrees to a payment plan (mediated order), or the Adjudicator issues a standard eviction order with an 11-day enforcement date. If the tenant requests Section 83 relief, the Adjudicator may delay the eviction by 1 to 4 weeks.
Stage 5: Sheriff Enforcement
You have your eviction order. Now what?
You file the order with the Court Enforcement Office (the Sheriff). They schedule a date to physically attend the property and enforce the eviction.
Sheriff timelines vary by region:
- Toronto / GTA: 3 to 6 weeks. High volume, limited staff.
- Ottawa, Hamilton, London: 2 to 4 weeks.
- Smaller municipalities: 1 to 3 weeks.
The Sheriff gives the tenant a notice (usually 72 hours) before the enforcement date. On eviction day, the Sheriff attends. If the tenant hasn't left, the Sheriff supervises the removal.
You are responsible for changing the locks once the Sheriff completes enforcement.
Full Timeline: L1 Non-Payment Eviction
Here's what a typical non-payment eviction looks like from start to finish. No delays, no adjournments, everything goes right.
Best case: about 5 months. Worst case with adjournments, reviews, and a slow Sheriff: over 12 months.
How to Speed Things Up
You can't control the LTB queue. But you can control how much time you waste on your end.
1. File Online, Not on Paper
Paper applications go to a processing centre, get scanned, uploaded, and queued. This adds days or weeks. The Tribunals Ontario Portal files instantly.
2. Have Your Evidence Ready Before You File
Don't scramble to put together a rent ledger the week before your hearing. Have it ready now. Rent ledger, lease agreement, N4 notice, Certificate of Service, bank statements showing missed payments. All organized. All labeled.
3. Respond to LTB Notices Within 24 Hours
The LTB sends Notices of Hearing, Requests for Disclosure, and other correspondence. If they ask you for something and you take two weeks to respond, you're asking for an adjournment. Adjournments add months.
4. Don't Miss Your Hearing
Sounds obvious. But landlords miss hearings all the time. Wrong date on their calendar. Forgot to check email. Couldn't log into Zoom. If you miss your hearing, the LTB dismisses your case. You start over. Another 4 to 6 months.
5. Consider Mediation
If a mediator is available on your hearing day, consider it. A mediated order is still legally binding and enforceable by the Sheriff. And it's issued immediately, no waiting weeks for a written decision. If the tenant breaches the mediated agreement, you can file for an expedited eviction order under Section 78.
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What Slows You Down
These are the mistakes that add months to your eviction. Every single one is avoidable.
Wrong notice form
Using an N4 when you should use an N12, or vice versa. The LTB will dismiss your application and you start over.
Bad termination date
Calculating the wrong date on your N4 (e.g., only 5 days instead of 7). The notice is invalid. Refile, re-serve, re-wait.
Missing or weak evidence
No rent ledger, no bank statements, no Certificate of Service. The Adjudicator needs proof. "They didn't pay" is not enough.
Accepting partial payment after filing
If you accept rent after filing the L1, you may void your own application. Know the rules before depositing that cheque.
Requesting adjournments
Every adjournment adds 2 to 4 months. If you're not ready on hearing day, you lose your spot in the queue.
Not serving the tenant properly
The LTB requires proof that the tenant received the notice. No Certificate of Service? No case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Resources
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