LTB Digital-by-Default in 2026: What Changed in March and May
The Landlord and Tenant Board moved to digital delivery as the default in 2026. Two operational updates landed this year: paralegal-filed applications stopped getting paper welcome packages on March 9, and the LTB issued a new Co-op Practice Direction on May 15.
Bottom line
- March 9, 2026: applicants with a representative no longer receive a paper welcome package. The representative gets a system-generated email instead.
- May 15, 2026: updated Practice Direction on Non-Profit Housing Co-operative applications.
- Self-represented landlords still get paper. The LTB recommends Tribunals Ontario Portal accounts for everyone.
What “digital-by-default” means at the LTB
Tribunals Ontario has formally moved the Landlord and Tenant Board toward digital delivery as the standard. Filings happen through the Tribunals Ontario Portal. Notices and procedural communications are issued electronically wherever possible. Paper persists in specific circumstances — mainly for self-represented parties — but is no longer the default channel. The published reference is the LTB’s What’s New page on tribunalsontario.ca, updated as new operational directions land.
The 2026 timeline at the LTB
L5 email filing option
The LTB introduced email filing for L5 above-guideline-increase applications. Covered in our LTB Portal Updates 2025 guide.
LTB Rules of Procedure update
Tribunals Ontario updated the LTB Rules of Procedure in anticipation of Bill 60. The underlying RTA-amending sections remain not yet proclaimed.
Welcome package goes digital for represented applicants
Paper welcome packages stopped for applicants who file through a legal representative. Representatives now receive the package by system-generated email.
Updated Co-op Practice Direction
The LTB released an updated Practice Direction on Applications Involving Non-Profit Housing Co-operatives. Hearing procedures clarified for co-op-specific applications.
March 9, 2026: paper welcome packages eliminated for represented applicants
The official LTB operational update reads: “Applicants who have a representative will no longer receive paper welcome package. Instead, the representative will receive the welcome package by a system-generated email.” The corresponding announcement is on the Tribunals Ontario operational update page.
What this changes:
- The representative is the one who receives every welcome-package document by email. If your paralegal does not forward it, you do not see it.
- The LTB confirmed: “Applicants who would like a copy may request one directly from their representative.” The route to a copy is your paralegal, not the LTB.
- The LTB also confirmed: “There are no other changes to the welcome package process.” This is delivery-method only.
Ask your paralegal for the welcome package the day they file. The system-generated email goes to them, not you. Build the retrieval habit into your engagement letter so you have the hearing date, file number, and procedural attachments on hand before anything moves.
May 15, 2026: updated Practice Direction on Non-Profit Housing Co-operatives
On May 15, 2026, the LTB released an updated Practice Direction on Applications Involving Non-Profit Housing Co-operatives. The Practice Direction clarifies hearing procedures for co-op-specific applications — the application categories that involve co-op members and Member Occupancy Agreements rather than traditional tenancies. Co-op directors and members should read the direction on tribunalsontario.ca. Non-co-op landlords are not directly affected by this update.
What this means for self-represented landlords
Self-represented landlords still receive a paper welcome package by mail. The March 9 change applies only to applications filed through a representative. That said, the LTB encourages portal use for everyone. The portal is faster than mail, every upload is time-stamped, and it is the LTB’s preferred channel for filing under the digital-by-default direction.
How to set up a Tribunals Ontario Portal account
A practical 5-step setup:
Create a ONe-key account
Visit one-key.gov.on.ca and sign up with a verified email. ONe-key is the Government of Ontario's sign-on service used across Tribunals Ontario.
Link ONe-key to the Tribunals Ontario Portal
Sign in to the portal at tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/tribunals-ontario-portal/. First-time sign-in triggers an identity verification step.
Verify your identity
Complete the verification using standard government-issued ID. The verification ties your account to filings under your name.
Add your properties or files
Inside the portal, add each property you own. Open files attach to those property records, so hearing notifications land in the right place.
File or upload from the portal going forward
L-applications (L1, L2, L4, L5, L9, L10) and evidence packages go through the portal. Submissions are time-stamped and form part of the official file.
Related guides
LTB Portal Guide
How to file online via the Tribunals Ontario Portal.
LTB Portal Updates 2025
MFA requirements and the November 2025 L5 email filing option.
Win an LTB Arrears Hearing
Evidence, presentation, and hearing strategy under current rules.
Bill 60 Implementation Status
Which RTA amendments are actually in force as of May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
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