The N6 is the notice an Ontario landlord uses to end a tenancy because the tenant or another occupant committed an illegal act or ran an illegal business at the residential complex, or because a tenant in rent-geared-to-income (RGI) housing misrepresented their household income. It cannot be cancelled by the tenant, and you can file an L2 application as soon as it is served. The hard part is choosing the right termination date, which ranges from 10 to 20 days depending on the reason.
At a glance
| Who uses it | A landlord dealing with an illegal act or business at the complex, or a social housing provider facing income misrepresentation |
| When | After the illegal act, or after discovering the misrepresentation |
| Notice period / deadline | Reason 1 (drugs): at least 10 days. Reasons 2 and 3: at least 20 days, or 14 days if it is a second notice after a voidable N5. Add days for mail or courier |
| How it is served | Given to each tenant by an approved method; never posted on the door |
| Filing fee | None for the notice. The L2 costs $201, or $186 on the Tribunals Ontario Portal |
| Follow-on form | L2, which you can file immediately and must file no later than 30 days after the termination date |
What the N6 is for
The N6 rests on two sections of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA):
- Illegal act, trade, business or occupation (s. 61). You may give notice if the tenant or another occupant commits an illegal act or carries on an illegal trade, business or occupation in the rental unit or the residential complex, or permits someone else to. Where it involves the production of an illegal drug, trafficking, or possession for the purpose of trafficking, the termination date can be as early as the 10th day (form Reason 1). For anything else it is the 20th day (Reason 2). "Illegal drug," "production," "trafficking" and "possession" take their meanings from the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (s. 61(3)).
- Misrepresenting income (s. 60). In social housing described in paragraphs 1 to 4 of s. 7(1) of the RTA, you may give notice if the tenant has knowingly and materially misrepresented their income or that of other household members (form Reason 3). The termination date must be at least 20 days out.
For Reasons 2 and 3, s. 68 allows a shorter 14-day notice if it is a second notice: a first notice under s. 62, 64 or 67 (a voidable N5) was given, and the new illegal act or misrepresentation took place more than 7 days but less than 6 months after it. Drug activity under Reason 1 is excluded from s. 68, but it already has the shortest period.
The N6 has no correction period. The RTA gives the tenant no way to void it. (The posted N6 instructions repeat, in Section D, wording about voiding a first N5; that does not apply to the N6.)
When to use it (and when not to)
Use the N6 when the problem is the illegality itself: drug production or trafficking in the unit, an unlicensed business that breaks a law, or another offence committed in the complex. Use Reason 3 only for RGI units and only where the misstatement was knowing and material.
Choose a different route when:
- Someone's safety was seriously impaired in the complex, for example by an assault or a fire hazard. The N7 covers that with 10 days' notice. The LTB accepts serving more than one notice for the same event, provided the combination would not confuse a reasonable tenant (Guideline 10).
- The conduct is a nuisance rather than an offence. Substantial interference belongs on an N5.
- An RGI tenant simply stopped qualifying for RGI assistance. That is not a ground to end the tenancy (RTA s. 58(3)). If the tenant then does not pay the new lawful rent, use an N4.
- You only want the extra rent the tenant should have paid. The N6 instructions point to an L9 if you do not want eviction. You can also claim that amount on an L2 without a notice of termination (Guideline 10).
Deadlines and limitation periods
Termination date by reason:
| Reason | Minimum notice |
|---|---|
| 1. Drug production, trafficking, or possession for trafficking | 10 days (s. 61(2)(a)) |
| 2. Any other illegal act or business, first notice | 20 days (s. 61(2)(b)) |
| 3. RGI income misrepresentation, first notice | 20 days (s. 60(2)) |
| 2 or 3 as a second notice after a voidable N5 | 14 days (s. 68(2)) |
If you check Reason 1 together with Reason 2 or 3, use the longer period (N6 instructions; Guideline 10).
Counting. Exclude the day the notice is given and include the termination date (Rule 1.13). Add 5 days for mail (s. 191(3)). A courier delivery is deemed given the day after it went to the courier, or the next business day if that day is a Saturday, Sunday or holiday (Rule 3.9; Rule 1.1 defines "holiday" to include weekends). The LTB cannot shorten a notice period.
Example (from the instructions). A voidable N5 was served earlier, and the tenant then commits a non-drug illegal act. You hand an N6 to the tenant on November 22: the termination date can be December 6. Mailed on November 22, it must be December 11 or later.
Filing the L2. You may apply immediately after the N6 is given (s. 71), and you must apply no later than 30 days after the termination date (s. 69(2)). After that, the notice is void (s. 46(1)).
How to fill out the N6, section by section
Download a fresh copy from the LTB forms page and read the official instructions. Remove the checklist before serving.
To, From and Address of Rental Unit
- To (Tenant's name): all tenants in possession, plus any subtenant or assignee.
- From (Landlord's name): you, or all landlords.
- Address of Rental Unit: street number and name, unit/apt./suite, municipality and postal code.
Termination date
A specific date (dd/mm/yyyy) that meets the longest notice period for the reasons you check, plus mail or courier days. The form then states that you can apply to the LTB immediately.
My Reason(s) for Ending your Tenancy
Check the box beside each reason that applies:
- Reason 1: you believe the tenant or someone living with them committed an illegal act or carried on an illegal business at the residential complex involving drug production, trafficking, or possession for trafficking, or permitted someone else to.
- Reason 2: the same, for any other illegal act or business.
- Reason 3: the tenant lives in an RGI unit and you believe they misrepresented their income or that of family members living there.
Details About the Reasons for this Notice
Fill in the Date/Time and Details of the Events table. The form's checklist asks for:
- All reasons: dates, times and facts, and who did it. The act must have happened in the residential complex and been committed by a tenant or occupant. If a guest did it, say how the tenant or occupant permitted it.
- Reason 1: the illegal drug involved and who produced it, trafficked it or possessed it for trafficking.
- Reason 2: the illegal act or business, who committed or permitted it, and what law was broken.
- Reason 3: the amount by which income was misrepresented and how you calculated it. The unit must be the type of social housing described in s. 7(1), paragraphs 1 to 4.
Attach additional pages if needed and serve them with the notice.
Signature and Representative Information
Check Landlord or Representative, enter name and phone number, sign and date. A representative also completes name, LSO number (if applicable), company, mailing address, email and phone.
Serving it
The N6 instructions allow hand delivery to the tenant or an adult in the unit, leaving it in the mailbox or where mail is delivered, sliding it under the door or through a mail slot, fax, courier, or mail or Xpresspost. Email is allowed only with the tenant's written consent (Rule 3.1). Posting it on the door is not allowed.
Serve every tenant, keep a copy, and complete a Certificate of Service. Upload both with the L2, or within 5 calendar days of filing (Rules 4.4 and 4.5).
Mistakes that get it refused, voided or dismissed
A defective N6 cannot be amended after service (Guideline 10). Minor errors may be saved under RTA s. 212 if they do not significantly prejudice the tenant.
- Using 10 days for the wrong reason. The 10-day period is only for drug production, trafficking or possession for trafficking. Any other illegal act, an RGI misrepresentation, or a combination of Reason 1 with another reason needs 20 days (or 14 as a qualifying second notice).
- Claiming the 14-day period without a qualifying first notice. It requires an earlier voidable N5 (s. 62, 64 or 67) and new conduct more than 7 days but less than 6 months after it was given.
- Calling simple drug possession "trafficking." Reason 1 covers production, trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking, as defined in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. If your evidence shows something else, Reason 1 and its 10-day date are unsupported.
- No law identified. For Reason 2, the form asks you to identify what law was broken. "Illegal activity" with no more does not tell the tenant the case to meet.
- The act happened somewhere else. Section 61 requires the act or business to be in the rental unit or the residential complex.
- A guest acted, and the notice does not say the tenant permitted it. The tenant or an occupant must have committed the act or permitted it.
- RGI notice in the wrong kind of unit, or without the numbers. Reason 3 only applies to social housing under s. 7(1), paragraphs 1 to 4, and requires a knowing and material misrepresentation. State the amount and show your calculation.
- Using the N6 because the tenant lost RGI eligibility. Section 58(3) bars ending a tenancy on that basis. Serve an N4 if the new lawful rent goes unpaid.
- Filing more than 30 days after the termination date. The application must be dismissed (s. 69(2)).
- Confusing combinations. Serving a voidable N5 and a non-voidable N6 or N7 for the same conduct has led the LTB to find all the notices defective (Guideline 10).
- The usual basics. Name and serve every tenant in possession, give the full unit address, use an approved service method, and sign it.
- Using an old version. The N6 was updated on September 21, 2026, and previous versions will no longer be accepted as of November 30, 2026.
What happens next
File an L2 on the Tribunals Ontario Portal with the N6 and the Certificate of Service. The fee is $201, or $186 through the Portal. If you also want the additional rent the tenant would have paid without the misrepresentation, claim it on the same L2 and show how you calculated it (Guideline 10).
At the hearing, you must prove the illegal act or misrepresentation with evidence. If the LTB orders eviction on Reason 1 (drug activity), the order must ask the Sheriff to expedite enforcement (RTA s. 84). For every reason, the LTB must consider whether to refuse or delay eviction (s. 83). Unless you consent, a delay now requires both that it would not be unfair to you or other tenants and that there are compelling grounds (O. Reg. 516/06, s. 8.4). A request to review an order issued on or after July 1, 2026 must be made within 15 days.
Recent changes
- September 21, 2026: the LTB issued an updated N6 form. Previous versions will no longer be accepted as of November 30, 2026.
- September 21, 2026: stricter test for delaying an eviction when the landlord does not consent.
- July 1, 2026: the deadline to request review of an LTB order dropped from 30 days to 15 for orders issued on or after that date.
The N6 notice periods themselves (10, 14 and 20 days) were not changed.
Frequently asked questions
Can the tenant cancel an N6 by stopping the activity?
No. Unlike a first N5 or an N4, the N6 has no correction period. You can file the L2 as soon as you have served it. The tenant can still dispute the notice at the hearing.
Does the tenant need to be charged or convicted first?
The RTA asks whether the tenant or an occupant committed the illegal act or permitted it; the sections do not require a charge or conviction. You will need evidence that proves the act at the LTB hearing. The LTB has not published guidance specific to N6 cases on how it treats a charge or conviction, so bring direct evidence of the act rather than relying on a charge alone.
Which termination date applies if I check two reasons?
The longest one. If you check Reason 1 with Reason 2 or 3, use the rule for Reasons 2 and 3 (20 days, or 14 for a qualifying second notice).
Can I use an N6 for a tenant who is behind on RGI rent?
Only for misrepresentation. If the tenant reported income truthfully but stopped qualifying for RGI, you cannot end the tenancy on that basis; serve an N4 if the new rent goes unpaid. If they knowingly and materially misreported income, Reason 3 applies.
Official sources
- N6 form (PDF)
- N6 Instructions
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, ss. 43, 46, 58(3), 60, 61, 68, 69, 71, 83, 84, 191, 212
- O. Reg. 516/06, s. 8.4
- Interpretation Guideline 10: Procedural Issues Regarding Eviction Applications
- LTB Rules of Procedure
- LTB Operational Update, September 21, 2026
- Certificate of Service (PDF)
- LTB Forms, filing and fees