You’re a Tenant and you just received an N4 (Notice to End Your Tenancy for Non-Payment of Rent)
If you didn’t pay 100% of your rent by midnight on the first of the month, your may receive an N4 notice to evict you from your rental home.
An N4 notice is a legal document from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) of Ontario that a landlord can serve to tenants owing rent.
You DO NOT have to move out by the termination date on the N4 notice. It gives you 14-day to pay the rent that the landlord claims you owe. If you pay off everthing owing and any new rent that is also due, on or before the termination date, the N4 will be voided. (cancelled)
“What if you can’t pay the full amount of rent you owe.”
First and foremost, communication is key. Contact Shield Property Services and find out if the Lanlord is willing to work with you in and make some type of payment arrangement. However, the Lanlord is not obligated to do this.
If you are unable to reach an agreement, and you can’t pay the full amount, your landlord has the right to apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) for an eviction hearing. At the hearing, you will be able to present evidence and explain your circumstances. The LTB will make a decision on whether or not to grant the landlord’s application based on the evidence presented and order that you be evicted.
OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS
- Landlord serves you with an N4 notice – You may void (cancel) the notice by paying what you owe.
- Landlord files an L1 application – If you are unable to pay what you owe, the notice cannot be voided (cancelled). The landlord can then file for an eviction hearing.
- LTB schedules a hearing – You and your landlord receive a Notice of Hearing in the mail or by e-mail with the date of the hearing and the call-in information. Hearings now take place by telephone or videoconference instead of in-person.
- An Order is sent out – You will receive the decision (the outcome of the hearing) by mail or email in what is known as an Order.
“What if you disagree with the amount the landlord claims you owe.”
If you don’t agree with the amount the landlord claims you owe on the N4 notice, you can wait for your landlord to file an application and for a hearing to be scheduled. (L1)
At the hearing, you will be able to explain why you disagree with the amount that your landlord claims you owe. However, you must provide evidence to the LTB and landlord well before the hearing date.
