Ontario LTB Application Fee and Filing Process: L1 vs L2 Explained

The Two Applications Landlords File

After serving a notice of termination and waiting through the required period, the next step — if the tenant hasn't left — is filing an application with the Landlord and Tenant Board. There are two main routes (rules as at October 2026, including Bill 60 amendments):

Form L1 — Application to Evict a Tenant for Non-payment of Rent and to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes. This follows a Form N4. It's strictly for arrears.

Form L2 — Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant. This covers everything else: conduct (N5, N6, N7), persistent late payment (N8), personal or purchaser use (N12), and demolition or renovation (N13).

There's also a Form L3 for situations where the tenant agreed to leave (signed a Form N11 or gave an N9 notice) but hasn't vacated. Less common, but the filing process is the same.

Filing Fees

The online portal is faster and cheaper. You create an account, upload your application and attachments, and pay by credit card. Mail and in-person filing is available but adds processing time and costs $15 more.

If the tenant pays the full arrears plus your filing fee after you've filed the L1 but before the hearing, the application is discontinued. The filing fee is part of the amount the tenant must pay to stop the eviction proceeding under Section 74(2).

Required Attachments

The Board requires specific documents with each application. Missing an attachment delays your hearing or gets the application returned.

For L1 (arrears):

• Copy of the N4 notice you served
• Certificate of Service (Form LTB-COS) showing how and when you served the N4
• L1/L9 Update Form with the current arrears balance at the time of filing

For L2 (all other grounds):

• Copy of the relevant notice (N5, N6, N7, N8, N12, or N13)
• Certificate of Service for that notice
• For N12 cases: the affidavit required by the LTB, confirming that the person who personally requires the unit genuinely intends to occupy it. The 12-month minimum occupancy rule applies to landlord-own-use under Section 48, not purchaser-use under Section 49.
• For N13 cases: the required report from a qualified person for extensive repairs or renovations, and evidence of any permits/authorizations obtained or reasonable steps taken to obtain them; include municipal renovation licence documentation if applicable.

The 30-Day Filing Window for L2

This is where many landlords lose their case before the hearing starts. The L2 application must be filed within 30 days after the termination date on the notice. File on day 31 and the notice is expired — you cannot proceed and must restart the entire notice process.

The L1 does not have this same 30-day deadline, but the arrears must still be outstanding. If the tenant pays everything before you file, there's no application to bring.

Mark the filing deadline on your calendar the day you serve the notice. The termination date plus 30 days is the hard cutoff.

After Filing: The Hearing

The Board schedules a hearing after accepting your application. Hearing wait times are not published on a fixed schedule and vary depending on the Board's caseload and the type of application. Historically, landlords report weeks to several months between filing and the first hearing date.

At the hearing, the adjudicator reviews:

• Whether the notice was correctly completed and served
• Whether the statutory requirements for the specific ground are met
• Any defences the tenant raises
• Whether Section 83 discretionary relief applies (the Board can delay or refuse eviction even when the landlord's case is proven)

For L1 applications filed on or after September 21, 2026, a tenant raising issues under Section 82 must give advance written notice and pay the landlord at least 50% of the arrears claimed at least 7 days before the hearing. This requirement does not apply to L2 hearings.

Review Requests: The 15-Day Window

Either party can request a review of an LTB order. Under Bill 60, the review window was shortened from 30 days to 15 days from the date the order was issued. If neither party requests a review within 15 days, the order is final.

Our Ending a Tenancy in Ontario guide includes the complete filing checklist for both L1 and L2 applications, with the attachment requirements and the 30-day deadline calculator.

See more Ontario guides →