Checklist · Ontario

Rent arrears: LTB evidence checklist (Ontario)

Use this checklist to gather the documents that prove your claim before you file an L1 with the Landlord and Tenant Board, and to get your evidence to the tenant and the LTB on time before the hearing.

General information, not legal advice. The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, the LTB Rules of Procedure and the official Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) forms and instructions are the authority. Items marked recommended are good practice, not legal requirements. If your situation is unusual, talk to a lawyer or licensed paralegal.

Changed on September 21, 2026: for L1 applications filed on or after September 21, 2026, a tenant who wants to raise other issues at the hearing (such as repairs) must pay you at least half of the arrears claimed in your application, directly to you, at least 7 days before the hearing, and give you and the LTB a written description of those issues. The LTB also posted an updated N4, and says previous versions of the L1 (and several other forms) will not be accepted as of November 30, 2026.

How to use this checklist

Print this page (or save it as a PDF) as soon as rent goes unpaid, and tick each item as you collect it.
Keep one folder per tenancy, paper or digital, with documents in date order.
Number the pages of everything you plan to rely on and add a list of contents. The LTB's Practice Direction on Evidence asks for readable documents with consecutively numbered pages.
Write your deadlines on the printout: evidence to the tenant and the LTB at least 7 days before the hearing, and the L1/L9 Information Update at least 5 days before.

1. The N4 notice

A copy of the N4 exactly as you gave it to the tenant, all pages. The Certificate of Service showing how and when you gave the N4. The termination date is at least 7 days after you gave the N4 (add 5 days if mailed, 1 business day by courier). See the N4 guide. The N4 claims rent only (no NSF fees, damage or utilities the tenant pays to the utility company), and the totals on page 1 and page 3 match. Recommended: a dated note or photo of how the N4 was delivered and who delivered it.

2. Lease and lawful rent

The signed lease or tenancy agreement (for most tenancies, the Ontario standard lease). Every rent increase notice (N1) with proof of service, so the rent you claim is the lawful rent. Check dates with the N1 deadline calendar. Any written agreement about charges included in rent, such as parking, or about a change to the rent due date.

3. Rent ledger

The ledger is the heart of an L1 case. The L1 asks for the rent charged, rent paid and rent owing for each rental period, and the last rental period must be shown on its own line.

A ledger with one line per rental period: rent charged, amount paid, date paid and balance owing. The ledger total matches the amounts on the N4 and the L1 for the periods they cover. NSF bank charges and administration charges (no more than $20 per cheque) are listed separately, not mixed into rent. Recommended: export the ledger from your Landlord Pilot workspace and update it to the hearing date, including rent that has come due and payments received after filing.

4. Payment records

E-transfer confirmations or bank statements showing each rent payment received (redact unrelated transactions). Copies of cheques, including any returned cheques and the bank's NSF notice showing the charge. Copies of the rent receipts you issued (you can make them with the rent receipt generator). A record of every cash payment and the receipt you gave for it. Any partial payments made after the N4, with dates. They reduce the amount owing.

5. Communications and repayment agreements

Texts, emails and letters about the unpaid rent, printed with the date and sender visible. Only those about the arrears. Any written repayment plan agreed before you filed, and a record of the payments made under it. If you settle after filing: the LTB Payment Agreement form, signed by both sides. Recommended: a short dated log of phone calls and conversations about the rent.

6. Last month's rent deposit and interest

The LTB subtracts any rent deposit and interest you owe the tenant from the arrears. See last month's rent deposit in Ontario.

The amount of the rent deposit you hold and the date you collected it. The start and end dates of the last period for which interest on the deposit was paid or credited. The L1 asks for these.

7. Filing the L1

You are filing no earlier than the day after the N4 termination date, and the tenant still lives in the unit. You are using the current version of the L1 from the Tribunals Ontario Portal or the LTB website. You are filing through the Tribunals Ontario Portal. The fee is $186 there ($201 is the listed fee by other methods), paid by credit or debit card. Attached: the copy of the N4 and the Certificate of Service. The LTB refuses the application if any required item or the fee is missing. Saved: the confirmation, the file number and a PDF of everything you filed.

8. Before the hearing

You have read the Notice of Hearing: date, time, format and how to join. You gave the tenant and the LTB a copy of every document and piece of evidence you intend to rely on, at least 7 days before the hearing. You served the tenant directly (for example by email or a hard copy). Uploading to the Portal does not count as giving evidence to the tenant unless the tenant consented in writing to service through the Portal. You completed the L1/L9 Information Update form and gave it to the LTB and each tenant at least 5 days before the hearing (and you will bring a copy to an in-person hearing). If the tenant gave notice of issues to raise: you checked whether you received at least half of the arrears claimed at least 7 days before the hearing (applications filed on or after September 21, 2026), and you recorded that payment. Any evidence responding to the tenant's issues was given at least 5 days before the hearing. Recommended: keep a record of how and when you served each document on the tenant.

9. At the hearing

Your numbered evidence package and list of contents, in the same order you disclosed it. The ledger updated to the hearing day, showing every payment received since filing, including any half-arrears payment. The N4 and Certificate of Service, easy to find. A one-page summary: monthly rent, total owing today, deposit held, and the order you are asking for. Be ready to discuss a payment plan. Tenants can try to reach one with an LTB dispute resolution officer on the hearing day. For a video or phone hearing: your device is tested, your files are open, and you can play any audio or video evidence yourself.

What not to include

Keep your evidence to what proves the rent claim. LTB hearings are generally open to the public, and unrelated material only slows the hearing down. We recommend leaving out:

Unrelated personal data about the tenant: SIN, credit reports, employer or income details, health information, immigration status, family matters or social media posts that have nothing to do with the rent.
Unrelated lines on your own bank statements. Redact everything except the rent payments.
Information about other tenants, such as their ledgers or contact details.
Complaints that are not about rent, such as noise or damage. Those need their own notice or application.
Links to cloud folders or websites. The LTB does not accept Dropbox or iCloud links and does not review links, so provide printouts or files.
Duplicate copies of the same document.

Common mistakes

The ledger does not match the totals on the N4 or the L1.
NSF fees or other charges mixed into the rent owing.
Forgetting to report the rent deposit and the interest paid on it.
Uploading evidence to the Portal but never serving it on the tenant.
Missing the 7-day evidence deadline or the 5-day L1/L9 Information Update deadline.
Using an old version of the L1 after November 30, 2026, or an old N4 that still shows the 14-day rule.
Not recording payments received after filing, including a half-arrears payment.
Including personal information about the tenant that has nothing to do with the rent.

Frequently asked questions

What documents must I file with an L1?

The completed L1, a copy of the N4 you gave the tenant, the Certificate of Service showing how and when you gave it, and the fee. The LTB refuses the application if any of these is missing. Your ledger, payment records and other evidence are for the hearing and must be shared with the tenant and the LTB in advance.

When do I have to give my evidence to the tenant?

At least 7 days before the hearing, to both the tenant and the LTB. Uploading to the Tribunals Ontario Portal does not count as giving it to the tenant unless they agreed in writing to service through the Portal. The L1/L9 Information Update is due at least 5 days before the hearing. Evidence that was not disclosed as required may not be allowed.

What is the half-the-arrears rule?

For applications filed on or after September 21, 2026, a tenant who wants to raise other issues at the hearing, such as repairs, must pay you at least half of the arrears claimed in your application at least 7 days before the hearing. The payment goes directly to you, not to the LTB in trust. The tenant must also give you and the LTB a written description of the issues. Record the payment in your ledger.

Can I claim NSF charges, and how is the deposit treated?

Yes. NSF charges go in the L1, not the N4: the bank's charge plus an administration charge of up to $20 per cheque. The L1 also asks about the last month's rent deposit and the interest on it. The LTB subtracts any deposit and interest you owe the tenant from the arrears.

Should I include a credit report or other personal information about the tenant?

No. Include only what proves the rent claim: the N4, the ledger, the lease, rent increase notices and payment records. LTB hearings are generally open to the public, so leave out unrelated personal data such as a SIN, credit report, employer details or health information, and redact unrelated lines on bank statements.

Related tools and guides

Official sources

Last checked: 2026-11-01.