L6 Form: Challenging a Provincial Maintenance Standards Work Order in Ontario

The L6 is the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) application a landlord files to have the Board review a municipal inspector's work order made under the provincial maintenance standards. It is narrow: it does not cover orders enforcing a municipality's own property standards by-law. And it is fast: you have 20 days from the day the order is issued.

At a glance

What the L6 is for

The provincial maintenance standards in O. Reg. 517/06 apply to a residential complex in a municipality where no municipal property standards by-law applies to it, or where one applies but prescribed circumstances make the provincial standards apply anyway (RTA s. 224). For example, if a by-law covers only building exteriors, the provincial interior standards still apply (O. Reg. 517/06, s. 4). The municipality receives tenant complaints and sends an inspector (s. 224.1). If the inspector finds a breach, they may issue a work order. It must set out the address, reasonable particulars of the work, the compliance period, and the time limit for applying to the Board for a review (s. 225).

If you are "not satisfied with its terms", s. 226 lets you apply within 20 days, and the Board may:

• confirm or vary the work order (for example, change the scope or extend the compliance period);
• rescind it, if you have already complied; or
• quash it.

When to use it (and when not to)

• Use it when the order cites the provincial maintenance standards and you dispute whether the work is needed, how much work is required, or whether the time allowed is realistic. Also use it if the work is already done and you want the order rescinded.
• Do not use it for a property standards order under a municipal by-law. The L6 instructions are explicit that it cannot be used to review any other type of work order. A quick test: a provincial-standards order must state the deadline to apply to the LTB for review (s. 225(2)(d)). If your order points you to a municipal committee or other appeal instead, the LTB is not the forum. Under the Building Code Act, 1992, s. 15.3(1), an owner served with a municipal property standards order may appeal to the municipality's property standards committee by registered mail within 14 days after being served.
• Do not use it to respond to a tenant's maintenance application (T6) or to an AGI challenge. Those are separate proceedings, although an outstanding work order can affect an AGI (RTA s. 126(12)).

Deadlines and limitation periods

• 20 days after the day the order is issued (s. 226(1)). The clock starts on the issue date printed on the order, not the date you received it.
• Filing date counts, not sending date. Email is filed the day it is received; a courier filing the next business day; mail on the fifth non-holiday day after mailing (Rule 4.8). Mailing near day 20 is risky.
• Extensions. The Board can extend the time for an s. 226 application (RTA s. 190(1)). But a Request to Extend Time must be filed together with the late L6 (Rule 16.2), and the Board weighs the length of and reason for the delay and any prejudice (Rule 16.4).
• Serving the municipality. At least 15 days before the hearing, then file a Certificate of Service within five days of serving (Rules 5.10, 5.15).
• The compliance period. The RTA does not say that filing an L6 stays the work order or extends its compliance period, and the LTB has not published guidance on it, so assume the period keeps running. If time is the issue, ask the Board to vary the order (s. 226(2)(a)), and talk to the municipality.

How to fill out the L6, section by section

The current form is version 01/04/2022. Print or type in capital letters, shade circles fully, and leave boxes that do not apply blank. The L6 instructions explain each field.

Part 1: General Information

• Address of the Rental Unit Covered by This Application. Full address with unit number and postal code. Use NE, NW, SE or SW for long directions.
• Landlord's Name and Address. Name, company name if any, mailing address, phones and email. Add co-landlords on a Schedule of Parties.
• Tenant Names and Address. The tenants in possession of the unit (two on the form; more on a Schedule of Parties). Give a mailing address only if it differs from the unit.
• Related Applications. File numbers of any unresolved applications about the unit, such as a tenant's T6.

Part 2: Reason for Your Application

This box is where the case is won or lost. Include the work order number and issue date, then state precisely:

• which items you dispute and why (the condition does not breach the standard, the work is already done, or the prescribed method is wrong);
• what change you want: quash, rescind, vary the scope, or extend time;
• if time is the issue, why the compliance period is unrealistic and how much time you need (contractor availability, permits, seasonal work).

Attach extra sheets if necessary.

Part 3: Signature

Shade "Landlord" or "Legal Representative", sign and date. A representative adds their name, Law Society number and contact details.

Payment Information Form

Shade the payment method. If you paid online, enter the receipt number.

Filing it

File the completed L6 with a copy of the work order. Without it, the instructions say the application will be refused.

• Email: pay $201 on the Online Payment for Tribunal Applications page (Visa or Mastercard, credit or debit), then within 24 hours email the application, the work order and the receipt to LTBpayments@ontario.ca. Put the receipt number and unit address in the subject line.
• Mail or courier: pay by certified cheque or money order to the "Minister of Finance", or by credit card on the Credit Card Payment Form.
• ServiceOntario: in person at a location that accepts LTB filings.

Fees are non-refundable; see the LTB fees page. A Fee Waiver Request is available.

Mistakes that get it refused, voided or dismissed

1. Filing after day 20 without a Request to Extend Time attached. The application is out of time. A late request filed separately is contrary to Rule 16.2.
2. Using the L6 for a by-law property standards order. The Board has no power under s. 226 to review it, and the L6 will be dismissed.
3. No copy of the work order. Listed as a required inclusion; missing it gets the application refused.
4. A vague Part 2. "I disagree with the order" gives the Board nothing to vary. Tie each disputed item to evidence: photos, contractor quotes and reports, permit timelines.
5. Not serving the municipality. Rule 5.10 requires service on the municipality at least 15 days before the hearing. If service fails, the Board may adjourn or dismiss (Rule 5.17).
6. Letting the compliance date pass. Failure to comply with a work order is an offence (RTA s. 234). An outstanding order may also count against you on a tenant's maintenance application or an AGI.

What happens next

The LTB issues a Notice of Hearing. You serve the municipality and file the Certificate of Service. At the hearing, bring evidence of the condition and of any work done. The order will confirm, vary, rescind or quash the work order. Any party may request a review within 15 days of the order for orders issued on or after July 1, 2026 (Rule 26.5).

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to dispute a maintenance work order at the LTB?

Twenty days after the day the order is issued. The Board can extend the time, but you must file the request to extend together with the L6.

Does the L6 cover municipal property standards orders?

No. It covers only work orders made under the provincial maintenance standards in O. Reg. 517/06. Orders under a municipal property standards by-law are challenged through the route that by-law and the order itself set out.

What can the LTB do with the work order?

It can confirm it, vary it (for example, change the work required or the time allowed), rescind it if you have already complied, or quash it.

Can I file the L6 on the Tribunals Ontario Portal?

No. The L6 is filed by email to LTBpayments@ontario.ca after paying the $201 fee online, by mail or courier, or in person at a ServiceOntario location that accepts LTB filings. Include a copy of the work order, or the application will be refused.

Does filing an L6 pause the work order's compliance deadline?

The RTA does not say that it does, and the LTB has not published guidance on it, so assume the compliance period keeps running. If you need more time, ask the Board to vary the order and extend the period, and speak to the municipality.

Who do I serve with the L6?

The municipality. Serve it with the application and the Notice of Hearing at least 15 days before the hearing, then file a Certificate of Service within five days of serving (Rules 5.10, 5.15).

Official sources

• Form L6 – Application for Review of a Work Order about Provincial Maintenance Standards (PDF)
• L6 Instructions
• LTB Forms, filing and fees
• Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, ss. 126, 190, 224–226 and 234
• Building Code Act, 1992, s. 15.3
• O. Reg. 517/06 (Maintenance Standards), s. 4
• LTB Rules of Procedure, Rules 4.8, 5.10, 5.15, 5.17, 16.2, 16.4 and 26.5

Last reviewed October 31, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice for your situation. Always use the current version of the form from the LTB.