The basic rule: only the ways the law allows
Under Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (the RTA), a tenancy can end only in the ways the Act allows (section 37 (1)). That means the tenant gives notice, both sides agree, or the landlord gives notice for a reason the Act permits and gets an order from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).
A lease clause such as "the tenant must leave whenever the landlord asks" has no effect. Any lease term that goes against the Act is void (section 4).
You also do not have to move out when a one-year lease ends. If no new lease is signed and no notice is given, the tenancy continues month-to-month on the same terms (section 38 (1)). The landlord cannot force you to sign a new one-year lease.
When the tenant wants to leave: Form N9
The tenant gives the landlord written notice on LTB Form N9 (Tenant’s Notice to End the Tenancy). It must identify the unit, state the termination date (your last day) and be signed (section 43 (1)). A text or email saying "I am leaving next month" is not proper notice.
The termination date must be the last day of a rental period. If you pay on the 1st, that is the last day of a month. In a one-year lease it cannot be earlier than the end of the lease (section 44 (4)).
| Type of tenancy | Minimum notice | Termination date |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly, yearly or fixed term (such as a one-year lease) | 60 days | Last day of a rental month; not before the end of a fixed term |
| Daily or weekly | 28 days | Last day of a rental week |
| Moving out at the end of February or March | Counts as 60 days if given by January 1 (for February) or February 1 (for March) | Last day of that month |
When counting, do not count the day you deliver the notice, but do count the termination date. If you mail it, add 5 days: 65 days instead of 60, or 33 instead of 28 (LTB guidance).
Examples
A month-to-month tenant who pays on the 1st hands the landlord an N9 on August 15. 60 days later is October 14, but the termination date must be the last day of a rental period, so the earliest possible date is October 31.
A tenant with a one-year lease from September 1 to August 31 wants to leave when it ends. The N9 naming August 31 must be given no later than July 2 (60 days before). If it is given on July 31, the earliest date becomes September 30, and the tenancy runs month-to-month in between.
If you move out without proper notice, you may owe rent until the unit is re-rented or until the earliest date you could have named with proper notice, whichever comes first (LTB guidance).
If you must leave in the middle of a one-year lease
- Agreement with the landlord (N11): the two of you can agree on any end date (section 37 (3)). LTB Form N11 (Agreement to End the Tenancy) makes it clear. If you then change your mind and stay, the landlord can apply to the LTB on Form L3 without notice and get an eviction order (section 77). You have 10 days after the order to ask the LTB to set it aside.
- Assignment: you hand the lease to a new tenant. If the landlord refuses assignment outright or does not answer within 7 days, you may end the tenancy with 30 days’ notice (sections 95–96). See "Subletting and assigning a lease".
- The landlord broke the rules: if the landlord fails to repair, enters illegally or harasses you, you can ask the LTB to end the tenancy early (section 29). You must prove it at a hearing.
- Domestic or sexual violence: 28 days’ notice on Form N15 with a statement, at any time (section 47.1).
- No standard lease: for leases signed on or after April 30, 2018, if the landlord did not use the standard lease and does not provide one within 21 days of your written demand, you can end even a fixed-term lease with 60 days’ notice (section 47.0.1).
Being made to sign an N9 or N11 in advance, as a condition of renting, is void (section 37 (4)–(5)). Only a few student-housing exceptions exist.
When the landlord wants to end it: reasons and forms
A landlord can give notice only for a reason the Act allows and only on the proper LTB form. The notice must state the reason and details and tell the tenant that if they do not move, the landlord may apply to the LTB and the tenant can dispute it (section 43 (2)). A notice with missing information may be void and the application may be dismissed.
| Form | Reason | Minimum notice |
|---|---|---|
| N4 | Rent not paid (void if paid in time) | 7 days |
| N5 | Damage, disturbing others, overcrowding (first notice is void if fixed within 7 days) | 20 days |
| N8 | Persistently late rent and similar reasons (at end of term) | 60 days (28 for daily or weekly) |
| N12 | Landlord, purchaser or their family will live in the unit | 60 days (see the N12 entry for compensation rules) |
| N13 | Demolition, conversion, or major repairs needing a permit | 120 days |
N6 and N7 (illegal acts, serious safety risks and similar) carry 10 to 20 days’ notice. The full list is in the LTB guide "How a Landlord Can End a Tenancy".
No eviction without an LTB order
A landlord’s notice is only the first step. If the tenant stays, the landlord must apply to the LTB, and at the hearing the tenant can explain their side or ask for more time. Unless the tenant leaves or abandons the unit, the landlord cannot take it back without an LTB eviction order (section 39).
Even with an order, only the Sheriff can enforce it. A landlord who changes the locks (section 24), seizes your belongings without legal process (section 40) or cuts off utilities is breaking the law, with fines on conviction of up to $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation (section 238). If you are locked out, you can ask the LTB for an order letting you back in.
Before you move out
- Your last month’s rent is covered by the rent deposit (last month’s rent). Do not pay it twice.
- Return the keys and access cards and collect your key deposit.
- Photograph the unit. It is your evidence if there is a dispute about damage later.
- Give the landlord your new address so mail and any deposit interest can reach you.
- Line up your tenant insurance, hydro, gas and internet to end on your move-out date.
What the law and official sources say
Quotes are copied word for word. The "In plain words" lines are our explanation, not an official translation.
A tenancy may be terminated only in accordance with this Act.In plain wordsA tenancy can end only in the ways this Act sets out, no matter what the lease says.
Source: ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17 · checked Oct 30, 2026
If a tenancy agreement for a fixed term ends and has not been renewed or terminated, the landlord and tenant shall be deemed to have renewed it as a monthly tenancy agreement containing the same terms and conditions that are in the expired tenancy agreement and subject to any increases in rent charged in accordance with this Act.In plain wordsWhen a fixed-term lease ends without being renewed or ended, it automatically continues month-to-month on the same terms, with rent increases only as the Act allows.
Source: ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17 · checked Oct 30, 2026
A notice under section 47, 58 or 144 to terminate a monthly tenancy shall be given at least 60 days before the date the termination is specified to be effective and that date shall be on the last day of a rental period.In plain wordsNotice to end a monthly tenancy must be given at least 60 days before the termination date, and that date must be the last day of a rental period.
Source: ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17 · checked Oct 30, 2026
A tenant may terminate a tenancy at the end of a period of the tenancy or at the end of the term of a tenancy for a fixed term by giving notice of termination to the landlord in accordance with section 44.In plain wordsA tenant can end the tenancy at the end of a rental period or at the end of a fixed term by giving notice that follows the periods in section 44.
Source: ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17 · checked Oct 30, 2026
An agreement between a landlord and tenant to terminate a tenancy is void if it is entered into, (a) at the time the tenancy agreement is entered into; or (b) as a condition of entering into the tenancy agreement.In plain wordsAn agreement to end the tenancy (N11) signed when the lease is signed, or as a condition of getting the lease, is void. The same applies to a tenant’s notice (subsection (4)).
Source: ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17 · checked Oct 30, 2026
A landlord shall not recover possession of a rental unit subject to a tenancy unless, (a) the tenant has vacated or abandoned the unit; or (b) an order of the Board evicting the tenant has authorized the possession.In plain wordsUnless the tenant has moved out or abandoned the unit, the landlord cannot take it back without an LTB eviction order.
Source: ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17 · checked Oct 30, 2026
If you mail the notice to the landlord instead of delivering it by hand you must give an extra 5 days – 65 days instead of 60 or 33 days instead of 28.In plain wordsIf you mail the notice instead of handing it over, add 5 days: 65 instead of 60, or 33 instead of 28.
Source: tribunalsontario.ca/documents/ltb/Brochures/How%20a%20Tenant%20Can%20End%20Their%20Tenancy.html · checked Oct 30, 2026
Common questions
When my one-year lease ends, do I have to move or sign a new lease?
No. If you do nothing, the tenancy continues month-to-month on the same terms (section 38 (1)). The landlord cannot force you to sign a new lease or evict you just because the term ended. Rent can only go up as the Act allows.
I texted my landlord that I am leaving next month. Is that notice?
Not proper notice. You must use LTB Form N9 with the address, the termination date and your signature (section 43 (1)). If you leave without proper notice, you can owe rent until the unit is re-rented or until the earliest date proper notice would have allowed, whichever comes first.
I have a one-year lease but must move for work after six months.
Notice alone will not end it. You can agree with the landlord on Form N11, or assign the lease to someone else. If the landlord refuses assignment or does not reply within 7 days, you can end it with 30 days’ notice. If you simply leave, you may owe rent for the rest of the term.
My landlord texted "be out by the end of next month".
A text cannot evict you. The landlord must use the proper form (N4, N5, N12 and so on) for a reason the Act allows, and if you do not leave, apply to the LTB for a hearing. Changing the locks or removing your things without an LTB order is illegal (sections 39 and 24).
The landlord wants me to sign an N11 in advance when I sign the lease.
That agreement is void (section 37 (5)). Even if you signed an N9 or N11 as a condition of renting, you do not have to move out on that date. There are only a few exceptions, such as university residences.
Guides that use this term
Sources checked
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, ss. 24, 29, 37–40, 43–44, 47–47.1, 59, 77, 95–96, 238 (e-Laws) · checked Oct 30, 2026
- LTB, How a Tenant Can End Their Tenancy · checked Oct 30, 2026
- LTB, How a Landlord Can End a Tenancy · checked Oct 30, 2026
- LTB, Form N9 and instructions · checked Oct 30, 2026
- LTB, Form N11 and instructions · checked Oct 30, 2026
- LTB, Form N4 (2026/09 version, 7 days’ notice) · checked Oct 30, 2026