Bill 60 Ontario: The 7-Day N4 and What Actually Changed for Landlords
Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, passed on November 24, 2025. It rewrites the timelines that Ontario landlords have relied on for a decade. Most guides online still quote the old numbers.
If you searched for the N4 notice period and read that it is 14 days, that page is out of date. Bill 60 cut it to 7. The same is true for the LTB review window, which dropped from 30 days to 15, and for N12 compensation, which can now be waived with longer notice.
This page covers what Bill 60 changed, what it deliberately left alone, and the exact steps to update your own process so a single stale form does not cost you months at the Board.
A note on in-force dates
Bill 60 received Royal Assent in late November 2025. Several provisions come into effect by regulation rather than on assent, so confirm the current N4 form and notice period on the Tribunals Ontario site before you serve. Always serve the most recent official form. This guide explains the law as enacted. It is not legal advice.
What Bill 60 Changed
Five changes matter most to landlords. The first one, the 7-day N4, is the one that affects almost every non-payment file.
N4 non-payment period: 14 days down to 7 days
The N4 is the Notice to End a Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent. Before Bill 60, the termination date on an N4 had to give the tenant 14 days to pay the arrears before you could apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board. Under Bill 60 that grace period is cut to 7 days. The clock to act, and the clock the tenant has to cure, both move twice as fast.
Review and appeal window: 30 days down to 15 days
After the LTB issues a final order, either party could request a review within 30 days. Bill 60 reduces that window to 15 days, with extensions only in exceptional circumstances. For landlords this means orders become enforceable sooner. For tenants it means the window to challenge a flawed order is half what it was.
N12 personal-use eviction: compensation waived with 120-day notice
The N12 ends a tenancy because the landlord, a buyer, or a close family member intends to move in. Previously a landlord owed the tenant one month of compensation. Under Bill 60, that compensation can be waived when the landlord provides 120 days of notice instead of the standard 60. Shorter notice still triggers the compensation requirement.
Arrears hearings: pay-to-be-heard threshold on repair claims
Where a tenant wants to raise maintenance or repair issues at a non-payment hearing, the tenant may now be required to pay at least 50 percent of the claimed arrears before those issues are heard, subject to regulatory exceptions. This narrows a common delay tactic in non-payment files.
LTB processing targets tightened
Bill 60 sits inside the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, which tightens internal LTB scheduling and processing targets. The intent is to compress the months-long gap between filing and a hearing date. Targets are not guarantees, but the direction is faster turnaround on uncontested non-payment matters.
The New N4 Timeline, Step by Step
The single most important change is the compressed N4 path. Here is how the non-payment clock runs now.
Rent is due and unpaid. You may serve the N4 the day after rent is missed.
Fill in the correct arrears amount and a termination date at least 7 days out (was 14).
Tenant can void the notice by paying the full arrears. If they pay, the N4 is dead.
If unpaid, you may file an L1 application with the LTB for arrears and possession.
LTB schedules a hearing. Bill 60 targets a shorter wait than the historic backlog.
After a final order, the review window is now 15 days, not 30, before enforcement proceeds.
Old Rule vs Bill 60
What Bill 60 Did Not Change
Rent control still applies to units first occupied for residential purposes on or before November 15, 2018. Bill 60 did not remove that exemption line.
You still cannot evict a tenant yourself. Only the Sheriff (Court Enforcement Office) can enforce an eviction order. Lockouts remain illegal.
The Standard Lease (Form 2229E) is still mandatory for most residential tenancies that began on or after April 30, 2018.
The Ontario Human Rights Code still governs screening. You cannot select tenants based on source of income, family status, or other protected grounds.
Notice forms still come from the LTB. You must use the current official N4, N12, and other N-forms, not a custom letter.
Bank-connected verification
A 7-day N4 only helps if you screened the right tenant.
Faster eviction timelines do not undo a bad placement. The cheapest non-payment file is the one you never open. ScreenTenants sends your tenant a secure link. They connect their bank directly. You get a verified income report with 6 months of history. $22/check, no subscription.
Get early accessAction Checklist: Update Your Process This Week
Download the current N4 from Tribunals Ontario and discard any saved older copy.
Change every template, reminder, and SOP that says 14 days to 7 days for non-payment.
Update your internal calendar so you file the L1 on day 8, not day 15.
Recheck your N12 plan: if you want to waive compensation, build in 120 days of notice.
Diarize the review window as 15 days from any final order, not 30.
Brief any property manager or co-owner who serves notices on your behalf.
Tighten screening at intake. Faster eviction does not recover lost rent or legal fees.
The N12 Change in Detail
The N12 ends a tenancy for personal use, meaning the landlord, a purchaser, or a close family member genuinely intends to occupy the unit. It has always required compensation equal to one month of rent, paid before the termination date.
Bill 60 introduces a trade. Provide 120 days of notice instead of the standard 60 and the one-month compensation can be waived. Keep the standard 60-day notice and the compensation obligation remains. The good-faith requirement does not change. An N12 served without genuine intent to occupy still exposes you to a bad-faith application and damages.
Practically, the choice is cash now versus time. If you can plan the move-in four months out, the longer notice can be the cheaper path. If the timeline is tight, budget for the month of compensation and serve the shorter notice.
Why Faster Timelines Do Not Replace Screening
It is tempting to read Bill 60 as a reason to relax at the application stage. The opposite is true. Even a compressed non-payment file still means lost rent during the notice period, filing fees, your time, and the carrying cost of the unit until enforcement.
The asymmetry that defines Ontario landlording is unchanged: easy to let a tenant in, slow and expensive to remove them. Bill 60 narrows the gap. It does not close it. The single highest-leverage decision you make is still which applicant you approve.
If you are new to this, read our first-time Ontario landlord checklist for the forms and mistakes that cost the most, and our Ontario tenant screening guide for the end-to-end process. To catch falsified income up front, see how to spot fake pay stubs.
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First-Time Ontario Landlord: Complete Checklist
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Ontario Tenant Screening: A Complete Landlord Guide
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Early Access
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Join the waitlistStatutory references
Sections of Ontario law this guide is grounded in. Read the source text before acting on a specific situation.
- RTA s.48— Landlord's own-use eviction notices (tightened by Bill 60)
- RTA s.71.1— Conditional eviction order following an agreement
- RTA s.234— Offences and penalties (expanded enforcement under Bill 60)
About this guide
Written and maintained by the ScreenTenants.ca editorial team and reviewed against Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 and the Landlord and Tenant Board's published rules. Last reviewed June 2026.
This is general information for Ontario landlords, not legal advice. Rules change and individual situations vary — confirm details with the LTB or a licensed paralegal or lawyer before acting on a specific matter.
See our editorial policy for sources, review cadence, and corrections.