Ontario’s rental law changes on September 21, 2026. Here’s what actually changed.

Five amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act take effect next month. They shorten one notice period, put a number on “persistent late payment,” and add a cost to raising certain issues at a hearing. Here is each change, what it does not do, and what to do before the date.

1. The N4 notice period is cut in half

When a tenant falls behind on rent, the landlord serves an N4 — a notice to end the tenancy for non-payment. Until now that notice gave a monthly or yearly tenant 14 days to pay before the landlord could file an L1 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board. From September 21, that window is 7 days.

Two details matter more than the headline. The new period applies only to N4 notices served on or after September 21 — an N4 served earlier with a seven-day date is void. And the change shortens the notice period, not the process that follows. The landlord still files, the Board still schedules a hearing, and paying the required arrears before filing still voids the notice.

2. “Persistent late payment” finally has a number

An N8 notice ends a tenancy for persistently paying rent late. The problem was that nothing in the Act said how late, or how often. Adjudicators decided case by case, and outcomes varied.

The amendment sets a test: rent counts as late once it is unpaid more than seven days after it is due, and three of those within six consecutive months meets the threshold. Paying a day or two late, repeatedly, does not count toward the three.

3. Raising other issues at a non-payment hearing now has a cost

Section 82 of the Act lets a tenant raise their own issues at the landlord’s non-payment hearing — maintenance problems, harassment, illegal entry — instead of filing a separate application. It is the provision that turns a straightforward arrears hearing into a broader dispute.

From September 21, raising certain of those issues requires the tenant to first pay 50% of the arrears claimed in the landlord’s L1, at least seven days before the hearing. A tenant who cannot or does not pay can still bring the same issues — but as a separate application, on its own timeline.

4. A longer N12 can mean no compensation

An N12 under section 48 ends a tenancy because the landlord, or a close family member, intends to move in. The general rule has been at least 60 days’ notice plus one month’s rent in compensation.

The amendment adds an alternative. Give at least 120 days’ notice, ending on the last day of a rental period or fixed term, and the one-month compensation requirement falls away. Both conditions have to hold — miss either and the money is still owed.

This does not extend to purchaser-use notices under section 49. If the unit is being sold and the buyer intends to move in, the compensation rules are unchanged.

5. N13 renovations come with paperwork

An N13 ends a tenancy for demolition, conversion, or extensive repair. Where the tenant has preserved their right of first refusal — the right to move back in at the old rent once work is done — the landlord now has explicit duties to keep them informed in writing: the estimated completion date, any change to that timeline, and notice that the unit is ready again.

That last notice must come at least 60 days before the unit is ready, so the tenant has time to act on the right. Failing to send what the Act requires may support a remedy at the Board.

All five, at a glance

What to do before September 21

• Track your rent due dates. The seven-day mark now matters.
• Keep every notice, receipt and message in one place.
• Learn what N4, N8, N12 and N13 each mean before one arrives.
• A notice is not an eviction. Only the Board can issue an eviction order.

• Update your notice templates and internal timelines now.
• Keep payment and communication records that can support a filing.
• Apply the rules in force on the date you serve, not the date the tenancy began.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Legislation and Board practice can change. Confirm details with official Ontario sources or a qualified professional before acting on a notice.

JAY PARAMANATHAN, BROKER | REMAX EXPERTS BROKERAGE. INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED