How to Issue an N4 in Ontario: Step-by-Step (2026)

When Can You Issue an N4?

You can issue an N4 notice when your tenant has not paid rent in full. In Ontario, there is no minimum amount of arrears required. If rent is even one day late and one dollar short, you can technically issue an N4.

However, in practice, most landlords wait until the tenant is clearly behind, such as a few days into the rental period without payment.

Where to Get the N4 Form Free

The blank N4 costs nothing. You have three options:

• Official PDF: download the N4 (2026/09) free from Tribunals Ontario (also listed on the LTB forms page) and fill it out by hand
• Free in the app trial: every LTB notice, the N4 included, is free during the 30-day OntarioLandlord trial, with arrears pulled from your rent ledger
• Filled out online from $7: our fillable N4 form totals the arrears, adds the 5 deemed-service days when you serve by mail, and includes the Certificate of Service. No signup needed

Deadlines and Dates

The N4 notice has specific timing requirements:

• Termination date: Must be at least 7 days after the notice counts as given, for an N4 served on or after September 21, 2026. Hand delivery counts as given the same day, so that is 7 days from service. Mail is deemed given 5 days after you send it, so a mailed N4 needs 12 days from the day you mail it
• Right to void: Under RTA s.59(3) the tenant can void the notice by paying the arrears, plus any rent that has come due since, any time before the day you apply to the Board. File the day after the termination date and that window closes on the termination date. Wait longer and it stays open
• L1 application: You can file an L1 with the LTB the day after the termination date if the tenant hasn't paid

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Calculate the Arrears

Before issuing the N4, determine exactly how much rent is owed. Include all unpaid rent from previous months but do NOT include late fees, NSF charges, or utility payments. The N4 is for rent only.

Use our free Arrears Calculator →

Step 2: Get the Correct N4 Form

Download the N4 (2026/09) form free from Tribunals Ontario, or have our fillable N4 form complete it for you. Using an outdated form can invalidate your notice.

Step 3: Complete the Form Accurately

Fill out all required sections:

• Full legal names of all tenants on the lease
• Complete rental unit address
• Breakdown of rent owed by period
• Termination date (minimum 7 days after the notice counts as given: 7 from hand delivery, 12 from the day you mail it)
• Your signature and date

Step 4: Serve the Notice

Serve the N4 using a method the LTB accepts. How you deliver it changes the day the notice counts as given, and the termination date is counted from that day, not from the day you printed it:

• Hand it to the tenant, or to an adult who lives in the unit (counts as given that day)
• Leave it in the mailbox, or wherever their mail is normally delivered (counts as given that day)
• Slide it under the door or through a mail slot (counts as given that day)
• By courier (counts as given the next business day after pickup)
• By mail, which adds 5 days. Regular mail, registered mail and Xpresspost are all treated the same way, so a mailed N4 needs its termination date pushed 5 days later: 12 days rather than 7

Do not tape the notice to the door. Posting is not one of the methods of service the LTB allows for notices to a tenant (see the LTB's Rules of Procedure, Rule 3.1), and a notice served that way can be thrown out along with the application built on it.

Step 5: Wait for the Termination Date

You cannot file the L1 until the day after the termination date. Under RTA s.59(3) the tenant can void the notice by paying the arrears, plus any rent that has come due since, at any point before the day you apply to the Board. File the day after the termination date and that window closes on the termination date. Wait longer and it stays open. If they pay in full, the notice is void and you cannot proceed with an eviction based on it. They do not have to pay NSF charges to void it. This is why filing promptly matters: every day you wait is another day the notice can be voided out from under you.

Step 6: File L1 if Not Paid

If the tenant hasn't paid by the termination date, you can file an L1 application with the LTB the day after. You'll need a copy of your N4, proof of service, and the L1 application fee.

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N4 Checklist

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