These dates are established through Ontario's commencement orders and related amendments to the RTA.
Ontario RTA Changes 2026: In Force Now vs September 21
Ontario's 2026 landlord and tenant law changes are now being implemented in stages.
Several amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) took effect on July 1, 2026, including new air-conditioning rules, mandatory use of the Landlord and Tenant Board's Payment Agreement form, higher maximum RTA fines and a shorter deadline for requesting review of an LTB order.
The next major date is September 21, 2026, when additional rules affecting N4 non-payment notices, N12 landlord-use notices, N13 renovation files, persistent late payment and certain rent-arrears hearings are scheduled to take effect.
This guide explains what is in force now, what changes September 21, and what Ontario landlords should update in their processes.
| Status | Effective Date | What Changes |
|---|---|---|
| In Force | July 1, 2026 | New rules for tenant-installed window and portable air conditioners |
| In Force | July 1, 2026 | Official LTB Payment Agreement form required for qualifying s.206 agreements |
| In Force | July 1, 2026 | Deadline to request review of many LTB orders reduced from 30 to 15 days |
| In Force | July 1, 2026 | Maximum RTA fines increased to $100,000 for individuals and $500,000 for corporations |
| Coming | September 21, 2026 | N4 non-payment notice period becomes 7 days for all tenancy types |
| Coming | September 21, 2026 | Certain landlord-use N12 notices with at least 120 days' notice can avoid the usual compensation requirement |
| Coming | September 21, 2026 | New N13/right-of-first-refusal communication requirements |
| Coming | September 21, 2026 | New regulatory guidance for persistent late rent payment |
| Coming | September 21, 2026 | New requirements when tenants raise issues during certain rent-arrears hearings |
First: Use the Current LTB Forms
One of the easiest ways to create an avoidable problem is to use an outdated form, calculate a termination date incorrectly or file an application too early.
Forms commonly connected with these Ontario landlord law changes include:
- N4 – Notice to End your Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent
- L1 – Application to Evict a Tenant for Non-payment of Rent and to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes
- N12 – Notice for landlord, purchaser or family-member use
- N13 – Notice for demolition, repairs, renovations or conversion
- N1 – Notice of Rent Increase
- Payment Agreement – for qualifying repayment agreements connected with an LTB application
Use the latest versions and instructions published by Tribunals Ontario before serving or filing anything.
July 1, 2026
Ontario RTA Changes Already in Force Since July 1, 2026
Air Conditioning Rights for Ontario Tenants
Window and Portable AC Units
Ontario's new air-conditioning provisions are now in force.
Where the landlord does not supply air conditioning, a tenant may install and use a window or portable air conditioner if the statutory conditions are met. Tenants are required to provide written notice before installation, and safety and installation requirements continue to apply.
Where the landlord is responsible for electricity under the tenancy agreement, the RTA can permit an increase related to the actual or reasonably estimated electricity cost of operating the air conditioner, subject to the legislation and the tenancy agreement.
The provision does not apply in exactly the same way to every rental arrangement, and section 36.1 specifically excludes rental units in mobile home parks and land lease communities.
What Landlords Should Do
Review lease clauses that contain blanket prohibitions on portable or window air conditioners.
A better operating policy should address:
- written tenant notice
- safe installation
- window and building restrictions
- damage responsibility
- electricity costs where applicable
- removal of the unit and
- any condominium or property-specific requirements
Do not rely on an old lease clause if it conflicts with current RTA requirements.
Section 206 · Payment Agreement
Rent Arrears Payment Agreements Must Use the LTB Form
Another July 1 change affects qualifying payment agreements under section 206 of the RTA.
Where an LTB application has been made and the parties reach the type of repayment agreement contemplated by section 206, use of the LTB-approved Payment Agreement form is now mandatory. Tribunals Ontario has updated its operational guidance and Payment Agreement form accordingly.
Emails, text messages and informal payment promises can still be useful records of communication, but landlords should not substitute them for the required LTB form where section 206 applies.
What Landlords Should Do
Build the official Payment Agreement form into your rent-arrears workflow instead of preparing an informal repayment schedule from scratch.
Keep:
- the signed agreement
- rent ledger
- payment records
- correspondence and
- the related LTB application documents
together in the same file.
LTB Orders · Review Deadline
LTB Review Deadline Reduced From 30 Days to 15 Days
This is one of the most important July changes and should not be overlooked.
For an LTB order or decision issued on or after July 1, 2026, a Request to Review generally must now be made within 15 days rather than 30 days.
Orders issued before July 1 continue to use the previous 30-day deadline. Late requests may require a request for an extension of time.
Tribunals Ontario has also identified consequential timing changes for certain Above Guideline Increase processes.
What Landlords Should Do
Review an LTB order as soon as it is received.
Do not leave a questionable order sitting in an inbox based on the old assumption that there is a full month to decide whether a review should be requested.
Maximum RTA Fines Have Increased
Maximum fines for offences under the Residential Tenancies Act have doubled.
The maximum fine is now:
$100,000
for an individual
$500,000
for a corporation
These are maximum fines following conviction for RTA offences. They are separate from compensation, costs or other amounts the Landlord and Tenant Board may order.
What Landlords Should Do
Treat compliance as an operating-system issue, not simply a form issue.
Anyone communicating with tenants or managing the property should understand the rules around:
- entry
- rent collection
- repairs
- harassment
- notices
- tenant rights and
- eviction procedures
Good documentation becomes even more important when a property is owned through a corporation.
September 21, 2026
Ontario RTA Changes Coming September 21, 2026
September 21 is now the next major date Ontario landlords should prepare for.
N4 · Non-Payment of Rent
N4 Notice: Current 14-Day Rule vs September 21 Changes
The N4 process changes significantly on September 21.
What Is the N4 Rule Right Now?
As of August 21, 2026, the existing rule still applies:
- daily and weekly tenancies can use a termination date no earlier than 7 days after the notice is given;
- other tenancies generally require at least 14 days.
What Changes September 21?
Beginning September 21, 2026, section 59 is amended so that an N4 termination date may be no earlier than the 7th day after the notice is given, regardless of the tenancy category.
For monthly tenancies, this effectively reduces the statutory N4 notice period from 14 days to 7 days.
The N4 remains a notice, not an eviction order.
If the required rent is paid in accordance with the RTA, the notice can become void. If the arrears remain unpaid, the landlord must still follow the LTB process before an eviction can occur.
What Landlords Should Do
Do not start using the new seven-day timeline before September 21.
After the change takes effect:
- Confirm the rent is actually overdue.
- Use the current N4 form and instructions.
- Verify the arrears shown on the notice.
- Calculate the termination date correctly.
- Serve the notice using an authorized method.
- Keep proper proof of service.
- File an L1 only when legally permitted.
A shorter deadline does not make defective paperwork valid.
N12 Landlord-Use Notices: 120 Days Can Change Compensation
An important September 21 change applies to certain N12 notices for a landlord's own-use situation under section 48.
Currently, section 48.1 generally requires the landlord to provide compensation equal to one month's rent or offer another rental unit acceptable to the tenant.
For qualifying notices given on or after September 21, that compensation requirement does not apply if the statutory criteria are satisfied, including a termination date at least 120 days after the notice is given.
Important: Do Not Apply This Rule Too Broadly
The new exception is written into section 48.1 and applies to notices under section 48.
Landlords should not automatically assume that every N12 situation, including purchaser-use scenarios, receives the same 120-day compensation treatment. Check the applicable section and current N12 instructions before serving the notice.
Good Faith Still Matters
The extra notice period does not remove the good-faith requirement.
Additional September 21 rules also create a prescribed period connected with bad-faith applications. Depending on when the tenant leaves, the regulation generally provides a 60-day window for the intended occupant to occupy the unit. If that does not occur within the prescribed period, a statutory presumption of bad faith can arise unless rebutted.
What Landlords Should Do
Before using an N12:
- identify exactly who will occupy the unit
- confirm whether section 48 or another provision applies
- document the genuine residential-use plan
- choose the notice timeline carefully
- keep evidence supporting good faith and
- retain records showing when the intended occupant actually moved in.
N13 · Renovation Files
N13 Renovation Files: Stronger Written Communication
The September 21 changes also strengthen the process around a tenant's right of first refusal following repairs or renovations.
Where a tenant has properly exercised that right, landlords will have new written-notification obligations.
The landlord must notify the tenant:
- of the estimated date the rental unit is expected to be ready
- when that estimated date changes and
- when the rental unit is actually ready for occupancy.
Once the unit becomes ready, the landlord must give the tenant at least 60 days to exercise the right of first refusal.
Failure to comply with these notification obligations can have consequences under section 57.1.
The limitation period for a former tenant's right-of-first-refusal application is also changing so that the deadline can extend to the later of two years after the tenant vacated or six months after the renovations were completed.
What Landlords Should Do
For renovation files, maintain a written timeline covering:
- the N13,
- tenant right-of-first-refusal notice
- permits
- contractor schedules
- estimated completion date
- changes to the estimated date
- actual completion
- notice that the unit is ready and
- the tenant's response.
Do not manage a renovation eviction through informal phone calls alone.
Persistent Late Payment
Persistent Late Rent Payment Gets a Clearer Definition
Starting September 21, regulations will provide more specific guidance on what may constitute a persistent failure to pay rent when due.
The new regulation states that persistent late payment includes circumstances where a tenant fails to pay rent within seven days of the due date on at least three occasions within a six-month period, subject to the conditions in the regulation.
The regulation also makes clear that other circumstances may still amount to persistent late payment.
What Landlords Should Do
Maintain a clean rent ledger showing:
- rent due dates
- actual payment dates
- partial payments
- arrears
- payment allocation and
- communication regarding late rent.
This is another reason why accurate rent records matter even when an individual late payment does not immediately lead to an N4 proceeding.
Rent-Arrears Hearings
Rent-Arrears Hearings: New Requirements for Tenant Issues
September 21 also changes the rules governing issues tenants may raise at certain hearings arising from a landlord's non-payment application.
The legislation requires tenants seeking to raise qualifying issues at these hearings to comply with specified requirements. For affected post-September 21 matters, those requirements include paying half of the rent arrears claimed when the application was filed, unless an applicable regulation provides otherwise.
The regulation establishes that the required amount is to be paid no later than seven days before the hearing.
These procedural rules can be fact-specific, particularly where an application crosses the September 21 transition date.
Landlords should rely on the current LTB rules and hearing instructions rather than assumptions based on the old process.
Ontario Rent Increase Rules for 2026
The 2026 Ontario rent increase guideline is 2.1% for most rent-controlled residential tenancies.
This guideline is separate from the Bill 60 and Bill 97 changes discussed above.
Generally, at least 12 months must have passed since the previous rent increase or the beginning of the tenancy, and landlords must provide at least 90 days' written notice using the applicable form.
Many residential units first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 may be exempt from the guideline, although proper notice requirements can still apply.
Above Guideline Increases are a separate LTB process and should not be treated like a standard annual guideline increase.
What Is Still Pending or Requires Monitoring?
Not every amendment contained in Bill 60 or Bill 97 becomes effective on the same date.
One important example involves the separate Bill 97 amendment that would require certain renovation N13 notices to be accompanied by a report from a person with prescribed qualifications confirming that vacant possession is required.
As of this August 21 review, the current RTA still identifies that particular amendment as coming into force on a future day to be proclaimed, rather than listing September 21 as its commencement date.
Landlords should therefore distinguish between:
Confirmed September 21 N13 Changes
- estimated completion notifications
- changed-date notifications
- notice when the unit is ready
- 60-day opportunity to exercise qualifying right of first refusal, and
- related section 57.1 changes.
Still to Monitor
- the separate qualified-report requirement
- future or revised LTB forms
- updated September implementation instructions and
- additional procedural guidance from Tribunals Ontario.
Before serving a notice close to a legislative change date, check the current RTA, regulations and Tribunals Ontario instructions.
Does the Residential Tenancies Act Apply to Your Property?
The RTA covers most private residential rental units in Ontario, including many:
apartments
rented houses
condominium units
basement apartments
care homes
mobile homes and
land lease arrangements.
However, individual provisions do not necessarily apply identically to every rental property.
For example:
- rent-control treatment can differ for qualifying newer units
- care homes have additional rules
- social and community housing can involve different requirements
- condominiums may also be subject to corporation rules and
- some RTA provisions contain their own property-specific exceptions.
Before serving an N4, N12, N13, N1 or another notice, confirm the tenancy type, property type, applicable statutory section and current form.
2026 Compliance
Ontario Landlord Compliance Checklist for 2026
Use this checklist to confirm compliance with the July 1 changes already in force and prepare for September 21.
Air Conditioning
Review lease and operating policies for window and portable AC units.
Rent-Arrears Agreements
Use the current LTB Payment Agreement form when section 206 applies.
LTB Orders
Flag the new 15-day review deadline for orders issued on or after July 1.
N4 Process
Continue using the current statutory timeline until September 21. Update internal workflows for the new seven-day rule before it takes effect.
Rent Ledgers
Record due dates and actual payment dates consistently, especially in light of the new persistent late-payment regulation.
N12 Files
Document good faith, identify the intended occupant and determine whether the 60-day or qualifying 120-day approach applies.
N13 Renovation Files
Create a written system for estimated completion dates, schedule changes, unit-ready notices and right-of-first-refusal communication.
Rent Increases
Confirm whether the unit is rent controlled, use the correct form and provide the required notice.
Forms and Training
Replace old internal templates and make sure anyone handling tenants understands the September 21 changes before they become effective.
Ontario RTA Changes 2026 FAQs
Which Ontario RTA changes are already in force?
As of August 2026, changes already in force include new rules for tenant-installed air conditioners, mandatory use of the LTB Payment Agreement form for qualifying section 206 agreements, increased maximum RTA fines and a 15-day deadline to request review of LTB orders issued on or after July 1, 2026.
What changes for Ontario landlords on September 21, 2026?
Major September 21 changes include the seven-day N4 notice period, new rules for certain 120-day landlord-use N12 notices, stronger right-of-first-refusal communication requirements after renovations, regulatory guidance on persistent late rent and changes affecting issues raised at certain rent-arrears hearings.
What is the new N4 rule in Ontario for 2026?
Until September 21, monthly and most other non-daily or weekly tenancies continue to use the current 14-day N4 termination period.
Starting September 21, 2026, the RTA changes so an N4 termination date may be no earlier than the seventh day after the notice is given.
The N4 is still only a notice. A landlord must follow the LTB process to obtain an eviction order.
Is the N12 compensation requirement being removed?
Not in every situation.
Starting September 21, the compensation requirement under section 48.1 will not apply to a qualifying landlord-use notice under section 48 where the statutory requirements are met, including at least 120 days between the notice and termination date.
Landlords should not assume this exception applies to every type of N12.
What changes for N13 renovation evictions?
Starting September 21, qualifying right-of-first-refusal files will require stronger written communication. Landlords must provide an estimated completion date, notify the tenant of changes, notify the tenant when the unit is ready and provide at least 60 days for the tenant to exercise the right of first refusal once the unit is ready.
A separate Bill 97 amendment concerning a professional report accompanying certain renovation notices is not yet shown as being in force as of this update.
What counts as persistent late rent in Ontario?
Beginning September 21, the regulations state that persistent late payment includes failing to pay rent within seven days of the due date on at least three occasions within a six-month period, subject to the conditions in the regulation.
Other circumstances may also qualify.
What is Ontario's 2026 rent increase guideline?
Ontario's 2026 rent increase guideline is 2.1% for most rent-controlled units.
Landlords generally must give at least 90 days' proper written notice and comply with the 12-month rule. Some units may be exempt from the guideline.
Can a landlord evict a tenant without going to the LTB?
No. Serving an N4, N12, N13 or another termination notice does not itself physically evict a tenant.
Where an LTB order is required, the landlord must follow the applicable Landlord and Tenant Board process. Enforcement of a valid eviction order is handled through the lawful enforcement process, not by the landlord personally removing the tenant.
The Bottom Line
Ontario's 2026 RTA changes now fall into two clear categories.
Already in force: the July 1 changes affecting air conditioning, Payment Agreements, LTB review deadlines, forms and maximum fines.
Next up: the September 21 changes affecting N4 timelines, certain N12 compensation rules, renovation/right-of-first-refusal communication, persistent late payment and rent-arrears hearing procedures.
For landlords, the biggest risk is not simply missing a new rule. It is applying a future rule too early, relying on an outdated form or continuing to follow a process that has already changed.
Keep your forms current. Keep accurate rent and communication records. And before serving an eviction-related notice, verify which version of the RTA and LTB procedure applies on that specific date.
Stop reading legislation. Start managing your investment.
Let Powerhouse Handle the Details
Keeping up with Ontario's RTA changes, rent arrears, notices, tenant communication, documentation and LTB procedures can become a full-time job.
At Powerhouse Management, we help rental property owners across Toronto, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville and the GTA stay organized and keep their properties running.