If you rent your home in Ontario, you need to understand the new rules under Bill 60. Passed in November 2025, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act completely changes how landlords handle evictions.
The most common question tenants ask is: how does bill 60 change n4 eviction notices in ontario?
This guide breaks down exactly what changed, what stayed the same, and how you can protect your housing rights. We wrote this to be simple, direct, and easy to read so you know exactly where you stand.
The Biggest Change: The New 7-Day N4 Notice Rule
An N4 notice is the official form your landlord gives you when you fall behind on rent.
Before Bill 60, tenants had a 14-day "grace period." You had two full weeks to pay the missing rent or work out a payment plan. If you paid the balance within those 14 days, your landlord could not file an eviction application with the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).
Bill 60 cuts this grace period in half.
Now, you only have 7 days to pay your rent after receiving an N4 notice. If you do not pay within these 7 days, your landlord can file for eviction immediately. This drastically reduces the time you have to secure emergency funds or arrange a rent bank loan.
3 More Ways Bill 60 Impacts Tenant Rights
The shorter N4 notice period is just the beginning. Bill 60 speeds up the eviction process and creates new hurdles for renters in three other major ways.
1. You Must Pay 50% Upfront to Defend Yourself
In the past, you could raise landlord issues during your unpaid rent hearing. For example, if you withheld rent because your landlord refused to fix a broken heater, you could bring that up at the LTB to defend your case.
Under Bill 60, you must pay 50% of the rent your landlord claims you owe before the hearing even starts. If you do not pay this upfront amount, the LTB will block you from raising maintenance, safety, or harassment issues.
2. Less Time to Appeal LTB Decisions
Sometimes, the LTB makes a mistake. If you disagree with an eviction order, you have the right to ask the Board to review their decision.
Previously, you had 30 days to request this review. Bill 60 shrinks this deadline to just 15 days. You must act much faster to secure legal help, gather your evidence, and file your paperwork.
3. Lost Compensation for "Own-Use" Evictions (N12)
Landlords often use an N12 notice to evict a tenant so they, or their immediate family members, can move into the unit.
Before the new law, a landlord had to pay you one month of rent as compensation, regardless of the notice timeline. Under Bill 60, if the landlord gives you at least 120 days' notice to move out, they no longer have to pay you this one-month compensation.
Why Did Ontario Pass Bill 60?
The provincial government passed these laws to address the severe backlog at the Landlord and Tenant Board. Hearing wait times had stretched into many months. The government claims these changes will speed up decisions and encourage more people to rent out their properties.
However, housing advocates warn that these strict new deadlines make it dangerously easy for vulnerable renters to face fast-tracked evictions.
What Bill 60 Did NOT Change
While the new law makes evictions faster, you still have crucial legal protections. The following rules remain unchanged:
Rent Control Limits: Your landlord can still only increase your rent once every 12 months. They must give you 90 days' written notice using the proper form. If you live in a unit first occupied before November 15, 2018, your landlord cannot raise the rent above the province's annual guideline limit unless they get special LTB approval.
Security of Tenure: Your lease still automatically converts to a month-to-month agreement when your initial term ends. You are never required to move out or sign a brand new lease just because your first year is up.
4 Steps to Take If You Receive an N4 Notice
Do not panic if your landlord hands you an N4 form, but do act quickly.
Check the dates. Ensure the landlord calculated the new 7-day window correctly. The clock starts the day after they hand you the notice.
Pay what you can immediately. Try to pay the full arrears within the 7-day window. If you do, the notice becomes void.
Keep a paper trail. Save all bank statements, e-transfer receipts, and text messages with your landlord. Never pay in cash without getting a signed receipt.
Get legal advice fast. Because timelines are now incredibly short, contact a local community legal clinic or tenant advocacy group the same day you get the notice.
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