The Certificate of Service is the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) form that records who served a document, on whom, when and how. Landlords file it with almost every eviction application to prove the notice of termination was served, and a separate L10 version is used to prove service of an L10 application on a former tenant who no longer lives in the unit.
At a glance
| Who uses it | The person who actually served the document (landlord, agent, representative) |
| When | After serving a notice of termination, application, Notice of Hearing or other document |
| Deadline | Uploaded with the application, or within 5 calendar days of filing; otherwise within 5 days of service; L10: at least 20 days before the hearing |
| How it is filed | Tribunals Ontario Portal |
| Filing fee | None |
| Follow-on form | The application it supports (for example L1, L2, L10) |
What the Certificate of Service is for
The RTA lists the ways a notice or document may be given (s. 191), and Rule 3 of the Rules of Procedure adds more. Where the Rules require it or the LTB directs it, service must be confirmed by a Certificate of Service signed by the person who served the document (Rule 3.8). The certificate is your evidence; if service is disputed at the hearing, the Member will compare what you certified against what actually happened.
There are two versions:
- Certificate of Service for tenants still in possession and for landlords, covering notices of termination, applications, Notices of Hearing, set-aside motions, review requests and other documents.
- Certificate of Service – L10 for serving a former tenant, or a tenant no longer in possession, with an L10 application and Notice of Hearing. Its own note says not to use it if the tenant still lives in the unit.
When to use it (and when not to)
- Use the standard form for N4, N5, N12 and other notices served on a sitting tenant, and for any document the LTB directs you to serve.
- Use the L10 version only where the tenant has moved out. The allowed methods are different: service goes to the place the former tenant now lives.
- Do not post notices on the door. Under Rule 3.2 and the form's own note, posting is valid only for a 24-hour notice of entry under s. 27 unless a Member orders otherwise.
- Email only with written consent (Rule 3.1). For a former tenant, email works only if they consented in writing during the tenancy and you can prove the document reached them (Rule 3.3).
Deadlines and limitation periods
When service is deemed to happen (Rule 3.9):
- By hand: the day it is handed over.
- Mail: the fifth day after mailing. Xpresspost: the fifth day, unless earlier delivery is proven.
- Courier: the day after it was given to the courier, or the next business day if that day is a Saturday, Sunday or holiday (Rule 1.1 counts weekends as holidays).
- Fax: the date on the confirmation receipt. Email: the day sent. Upload to the Portal (with consent): the day uploaded.
These dates matter because the notice period in a termination notice runs from service. A mailed notice needs five extra days built into its termination date.
When to file the certificate:
- Applications filed through the Portal: upload the notice of termination and Certificate of Service at the time of filing (Rule 4.4). If you cannot, file them within 5 calendar days; missing that deadline may lead to administrative dismissal (Rule 4.5).
- Where you are ordered or required to serve an application and Notice of Hearing: within 5 days after serving (Rule 5.15; Rule 3.8).
- L10: serve the application and Notice of Hearing at least 30 days before the hearing (Rule 5.8) and file the L10 certificate at least 20 days before the hearing (Rule 5.16). If you cannot serve by an allowed method, ask for alternative service at least 40 days before the hearing (Rule 3.4).
How to fill out the Certificate of Service, section by section
Standard form
- File Number and Address of Rental Unit. Leave the file number blank if the application has not been filed yet.
- "I, [name], certify that on [date]..." Use the name of the person who did the serving, and the date it was served.
- Documents. Tick each item served: Notice of Termination (with the form number, for example N4), Application (form number), Notice of Hearing, Motion to Set Aside an Ex Parte Order, Request to Review an Order, or Other (name it).
- To whom. Tenant, landlord or other, with the person's name. If you served several tenants on the same date in the same way, tick that circle and attach a list of names and addresses.
- Method. Tick exactly one method that matches what happened: hand delivery to the person, an authorized landlord employee or an adult in the unit; mailbox; under the door or through the mail slot; courier; fax (with number); mail or Xpresspost to the last known address (with address); or "a different method" with details.
- Signature. Tick landlord, tenant, representative or other, and give name and phone. The person who served the documents must sign and date it.
L10 version
The L10 form is laid out the same way, but the documents are the L10 Application and Notice of Hearing, the recipient is the former tenant, and every method is tied to the former tenant's current residence: hand delivery to them or to an adult there, mail, courier, mailbox, under the door or mail slot, or email (with prior written consent and proof of receipt). Fill in the current address beside the method used. The form warns you may be asked at the hearing how you found that address.
Filing it
The LTB lists both certificates as filed through the Tribunals Ontario Portal. A document filed in the Portal can be signed by typing the person's name (Rule 4.3). There is no fee. Lawyers and paralegals must use the Portal for applications and listed requests under the LTB's Practice Direction on licensees.
Mistakes that get it refused, voided or dismissed
- Certifying a method you did not use. It is an offence to file false or misleading information, and a notice served by an unauthorized method can fail at the hearing.
- Taping the N4 to the door. Posting is not valid service for a notice of termination, so the notice and the application built on it are at risk.
- Emailing without written consent. Email service needs written consent (Rules 3.1, 3.5); without it the document has not been served.
- Wrong date, so the notice is too short. If you mailed a notice and certified the mailing date as the service date, the termination date may come too early once the five deemed days are added.
- Not uploading it with the application. Missing the 5-day window after filing can get the application administratively dismissed (Rule 4.5).
- Using the standard form for a former tenant, or serving the old unit. Service on a tenant no longer in possession must go where they now live (RTA s. 191(1.0.1); Rule 3.3).
- Filing the L10 certificate late. The form warns the hearing may be cancelled and the application closed if it is not filed at least 20 days before the hearing.
- Someone else signs. The certificate must be signed by the person who served the document (Rule 3.8).
What happens next
The certificate goes on the file and supports your application. If the LTB finds service was not done as required, it may proceed if no one is prejudiced, adjourn, or dismiss the application (Rule 5.17). If you cannot serve a party by any allowed method, file a Request to use Alternative Service.
Frequently asked questions
Who should sign the Certificate of Service?
The person who physically served the document, whether that is the landlord, a property manager or a process server. A representative can sign only if they did the serving.
Can I serve an N4 by email?
Only if the tenant has consented in writing to email service (Rules 3.1 and 3.5). Keep a copy of the consent; the LTB has a Consent to Service by Email form.
Do I need a certificate if the LTB serves the Notice of Hearing?
Generally the LTB serves the application and Notice of Hearing (Rule 5.1). You need a certificate for what you served yourself, such as the notice of termination, and for anything the LTB directs you to serve.
How many days do I add for mail?
A mailed document is deemed served on the fifth day after mailing (Rule 3.9). Count the notice period from that date.