How Much Notice Does a Landlord Have to Give in Ontario?
By Solutions Property Management — Sun Jul 05 2026
Entering the unit, ending a tenancy, raising the rent: each one has its own notice rule under Ontario law. Here is the full breakdown of how much notice a landlord actually has to give, and on which form.
"How much notice do I have to give?" sounds like one question. It is actually about five, because the answer depends entirely on what you are trying to do. Entering the unit, raising rent, and ending a tenancy each run on their own rules under the Residential Tenancies Act.
Here is the whole picture in one place.
Entering the unit: 24 hours
To enter for most reasons, such as repairs, inspections, or showing the unit to a prospective renter or buyer, you have to give the tenant **written notice at least 24 hours in advance**, and the notice has to say the reason and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
There are a few exceptions where no notice is needed, like a genuine emergency or when the tenant agrees at the time. But the default you should build your habits around is 24 hours, in writing, with a specific window.
Raising the rent: 90 days
You can only raise the rent once every 12 months for a continuing tenant, and you have to give **90 days written notice** using the proper form (the N1). The increase for most units is capped at the province's annual rent increase guideline unless an exception applies. Skip the 90 days or the form, and the increase is not valid.
Ending a tenancy: it depends on the reason
This is where the numbers really spread out. The form and the notice period change based on why you want the tenancy to end.
- **Non-payment of rent (N4):** at least 14 days (7 days for weekly/daily tenancies). The tenant can cancel it by paying in full.
- **Landlord's own use or a purchaser's use (N12):** 60 days, ending on the last day of a rental period, plus one month's rent compensation.
- **Landlord wants to do major repairs/renovations or demolish (N13):** 120 days, with compensation rules attached.
- **Tenant behaviour issues,** like damage, disturbing others, or too many people (N5, N6, N7): notice periods vary, and some give the tenant a chance to fix the problem first.
The theme: the more the reason is about the landlord's plans rather than the tenant's conduct, the more notice you owe and the more likely compensation is required.
Notice a tenant gives you
It runs the other way too. A tenant on a month-to-month tenancy generally has to give **60 days written notice** to end it, with the move-out date on the last day of a rental period. On a fixed-term lease, they normally cannot end it early just by giving notice, though there are specific exceptions.
The mistakes that cost landlords
Almost every failed notice we see comes down to one of these:
- **Wrong end date.** N12 and tenant notices have to land on the last day of a rental period. Off by a few days and it is invalid.
- **Wrong form.** A letter or a text is not a substitute for the official Board form.
- **Counting wrong.** Notice periods are counted carefully, and the day you serve is not day one.
- **No compensation** where it is required (N12, N13).
A notice that is even slightly off does not just get corrected on the spot at the Board. It usually gets dismissed, and you start over, months behind.
Keep it simple
If you remember nothing else: **24 hours to enter, 90 days to raise rent, and the ending-a-tenancy notice depends on the reason** (14 days for unpaid rent, 60 days for your own use, 120 days for major renovations). Everything goes on the correct form, in writing, counted properly.
When you are dealing with real deadlines and a real tenant, getting these right is not optional. This is the day-to-day of what our team does for owners across Hamilton: the right form, the right notice period, served the right way, so a technicality never costs you a season.