What Bill 60 Means for Ontario Tenants and Landlords Right Now

Ontario's Eviction Rules Just Changed — Here's What That Means for You

You open your mailbox and find a notice from your landlord — an N4. The N4 Notice of Termination is the document a landlord in Ontario may use when they claim you owe rent. You set it aside, thinking you have two weeks to sort things out. But under the new rules introduced by Bill 60, you may have just seven days.

Ontario passed Bill 60 — formally known as the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025 — on November 24, 2025. The bill amends 16 different laws, but its most significant changes for tenants and landlords fall under Schedule 12, which amends the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) — the provincial law that governs most rental relationships in Ontario.

These changes apply to LTB applications filed after the bill's in-force date. If your landlord filed an application before that date, the older rules may still govern your case. This distinction matters, and we will explain how to check it below.

Whether you are a tenant who just received a notice, or a landlord trying to understand the new process, this guide explains what changed, what it means in practice, and what steps you can take right now across Toronto, Scarborough, Brampton, and the broader GTA. Bill 60 changes apply province-wide across all of Ontario.

Which Situation Applies to You?

Use the guide below to jump directly to the section most relevant to your situation. You can also read straight through — both perspectives are covered throughout this article.

For help with any Landlord and Tenant Board matters, Nihang Law represents both tenants and landlords throughout Ontario.

What Is Bill 60 and Why Does It Matter?

Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, is an omnibus bill — a single piece of legislation that amends multiple laws at once. The Ontario government introduced it with a stated goal of reducing delays at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), the administrative tribunal that handles disputes between landlords and tenants in Ontario.

The LTB (Landlord and Tenant Board) operates under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. It is similar to a court, but designed to be more accessible. Before Bill 60, the LTB had a significant case backlog, with hundreds of thousands of applications pending. The government's position was that procedural delays were costing both landlords and tenants time and money.

The core concept Bill 60 touches is called “security of tenure.” This is the legal principle embedded in the RTA that says a tenant has the right to remain in their home as long as they follow the terms of their lease and the Act. One key expression of this is Ontario's evergreen lease framework: when a fixed-term lease ends, it automatically converts to a month-to-month tenancy — the tenant does not lose their home simply because the lease period expires.

It is important to note that the government reversed an earlier proposal to end automatic month-to-month lease renewals. The evergreen lease framework remains intact under Bill 60. A landlord cannot evict a tenant merely because a fixed-term lease has ended.

Advocacy organizations including the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO) have raised concerns that Bill 60's procedural changes — while framed as efficiency measures — may in practice make it faster and harder to contest evictions, particularly for lower-income and newcomer tenants.

Before and After: How the Rules Changed Under Bill 60

For tenants: The changes that most directly affect you are the shortened N4 window and the 50% arrears requirement to raise repair issues. If you receive an N4 notice, act immediately — do not assume you have two weeks. If you plan to raise a maintenance defence at a non-payment hearing, you may need to have funds available before that hearing date.

For landlords: The shortened N4 timeline means you can file an L1 application with the LTB sooner after serving notice. The removal of the N12 compensation requirement may reduce the financial cost of reclaiming your property for personal use — but all other legal conditions for an N12 application still apply, including proper notice periods and genuine personal use requirements.

Step-by-Step: What to Do If You Receive an Eviction Notice in 2026

1. 1
   Check which notice you received and understand what it means.There are different LTB notice forms for different reasons. An N4 is a Notice of Termination for Non-Payment of Rent. An N12 is a notice because the landlord, a family member, or a permitted buyer requires the unit for personal use. Each notice has different rules, timelines, and defences available to you.
2. 2
   Note the termination date on the notice and calculate your window.Under Bill 60, that date may be as soon as 7 days after the notice was given. If you pay the full amount of rent owing — called arrears (the overdue rent) — before the landlord files an L1 application, the notice becomes void and the landlord typically cannot proceed. Do not wait.
3. 3
   If you received an N12, verify whether the proper conditions were met.A landlord must give at least 120 days' notice for a personal-use eviction. Under Bill 60, they are generally no longer required to pay you one month's compensation — but they must still genuinely intend to use the unit and follow all other requirements. If you believe the N12 is being used in bad faith, document your concerns and seek legal advice promptly.
4. 4
   If you plan to raise a repair or maintenance issue, assess the arrears requirement.Under Bill 60, if you want to raise issues at a non-payment hearing, you may be required to pay at least 50% of the arrears claimed before those issues can be heard, subject to any regulatory exceptions. If that is not financially possible, speak with a licensed lawyer at Nihang Law about your options before the hearing.
5. 5
   Gather your evidence now, not the night before your hearing.Collect all rent payment records, bank statements, copies of maintenance requests, text messages or emails with your landlord, photos of the unit, and any written communications about the notice. Under Bill 60, hearings move faster and adjournments are harder to obtain.
6. 6
   Contact a licensed lawyer before your hearing date.LTB hearings are legally binding proceedings. A lawyer or licensed paralegal can review your notice, advise on your defences, and represent you at the hearing. The earlier you seek help, the more options you may have. Speak with a licensed lawyer at Nihang Law as soon as possible.

A Note for Landlords

If you are a landlord seeking to file an eviction application, there are three things to confirm before proceeding. First, serve the correct notice form — using the wrong form can result in your application being dismissed. Second, confirm that the in-force date of Bill 60 governs your application — if you are relying on shortened timelines, your application must have been filed after the new rules took effect. Third, maintain a clean, itemised rent ledger that clearly separates rent from utilities, parking, or other charges.

Mistakes That Can Cost You Your Case — or Your Home

• Assuming you still have 14 days. Under Bill 60, the N4 notice period may be as short as 7 days. If you receive an N4 and wait a week before taking action, your landlord may already be eligible to file an LTB application before you have acted.
• Missing your LTB hearing date. Under Bill 60's tighter scheduling rules, if you miss your hearing, the LTB may make a decision without you — including an eviction order. Default orders issued in your absence are now harder to set aside.
• Raising repair issues without paying 50% of arrears first. If you plan to use your landlord's maintenance failures as a defence, you may need to pay at least half of the claimed arrears before those arguments can be considered, subject to any regulatory exceptions that may apply.
• Waiting 30 days to request a review of an LTB order. The deadline to request a review has been cut from 30 days to 15 days. Extensions may be granted only in exceptional circumstances.
• Assuming N12 compensation is still owed to you. If you receive an N12 notice with 120 days' notice, you should generally not expect one month's rent as compensation. This requirement has been removed under Bill 60, though all other legal conditions still apply.
• Landlords: filing with an unclear rent ledger. Bill 60 speeds up the front end of the process, but the LTB may dismiss an N4 if rent charges are combined with utilities, parking fees, or other items. Keep a clean, itemised ledger showing rent charges only.
• Assuming Bill 60 applies to your existing application. The RTA changes apply only to applications filed after the bill's in-force date. Verify the date before relying on any rule from this article.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bill 60 and Ontario Evictions

About the author

Qasim Ali

Principal Lawyer · Nihang Law Professional Corporation · Toronto & Scarborough, Ontario · Law Society of Ontario

Qasim Ali is the Principal Lawyer at Nihang Law Professional Corporation, serving clients across Toronto, Scarborough, and the broader Greater Toronto Area. He provides full-service legal representation across immigration, real estate, family law, criminal law, civil litigation, employment law, wills and estates, and business law.

Nihang Law is particularly recognized for its depth in immigration and real estate law — a combination that serves newcomers and growing families navigating both legal systems simultaneously.

Learn more about Qasim Ali →

Sources & References

1. Government of Ontario. Bill 60, Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025. ontario.ca/laws/statute/r25060
2. Government of Ontario. Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17. ontario.ca/laws/statute/06r17
3. Tribunals Ontario. Landlord and Tenant Board. tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/
4. Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO). ACTO's Top 5 Concerns on Bill 60. November 2025. acto.ca
5. Canadian Centre for Housing Rights. Understanding Your Rights as a Tenant Under Bill 60. January 2026. housingrightscanada.com
6. Don Valley Community Legal Services. Understanding Your Rights as a Tenant Under Bill 60. January 2026. donvalleylegal.ca
7. Law Society of Ontario. Rules of Professional Conduct. lso.ca