N7 Form: How to Complete Ontario's 10-Day Notice for Serious Problems

The N7 is the notice an Ontario landlord gives when a tenant, their guest or another occupant causes a serious problem: seriously impairing someone's safety, wilfully damaging the property, using the unit in a way that causes serious damage, or, in a small building where the landlord also lives, substantially interfering with the landlord. It needs only 10 days' notice, the tenant cannot cancel it, and you can file an L2 application right away. Because it is fast and final, the LTB holds landlords strictly to proving the ground they chose.

At a glance

What the N7 is for

The N7 has four reasons, drawn from three sections of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA): s. 63 supplies two of them (Reasons 2 and 3), and ss. 65 and 66 one each. Every reason allows a termination date as early as 10 days:

• Impaired safety (s. 66): an act or omission of the tenant, another occupant or a person the tenant permitted in the complex seriously impairs, or has seriously impaired, the safety of any person, and it happened in the residential complex. (Form Reason 1.)
• Wilful damage (s. 63(1)(a)): the tenant, an occupant or a person the tenant permitted wilfully caused undue damage to the unit or the complex. (Reason 2.)
• Use inconsistent with residential premises (s. 63(1)(b)): the unit or complex is used in a way inconsistent with residential use, and that use causes or can reasonably be expected to cause damage significantly greater than the damage that would support an ordinary damage notice. (Reason 3.)
• Interference in a small building (s. 65): you live in a building with no more than three residential units, and the tenant, an occupant or a person they let in substantially interferes with your reasonable enjoyment of the building or another of your lawful rights, privileges or interests. (Reason 4.)

Unlike a first N5, an N7 gives the tenant no chance to correct the problem. The N5's 7-day remedy rules expressly do not apply to these notices (ss. 63(3), 65(3)).

When to use it (and when not to)

The N7 is for serious, provable events. The LTB's instructions are blunt about wilful damage: if you choose Reason 2, you must prove at the hearing that the person caused the damage deliberately, and if you cannot, the application will be dismissed.

Use a different notice when:

• You are not sure you can prove the damage was deliberate. Use an N5, which covers damage caused wilfully or negligently. The N7 instructions recommend this.
• You do not live in the building, or it has more than three residential units. Interference must go on an N5 (Reason 4 of the N7 is unavailable).
• The problem is an illegal act such as drug trafficking. Use an N6. The same event can support more than one notice (for example, an assault in the complex may be both an illegal act and a safety issue), but see the confusion risk below.
• You want both eviction and the repair cost. Serve the N7 for eviction and claim the cost on the L2 as well (Guideline 10).

Deadlines and limitation periods

Termination date: at least 10 days after you give the notice, for every N7 reason (ss. 63(1), 65(1), 66(2)). Exclude the day it is given and include the termination date (Rule 1.13).

Service days: add 5 days if you mail it (RTA s. 191(3)). A couriered notice 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 instructions say to add one business day. A faxed notice is given on the date printed on the fax.

Example (from the instructions). Handed to the tenant on June 14, the earliest termination date is June 24. Mailed on June 14, it is June 29.

Filing the L2: immediately after giving the notice (s. 71), and no later than 30 days after the termination date (s. 69(2)). A notice with no application filed by then becomes void (s. 46(1)).

The LTB cannot shorten or extend these periods (Guideline 10).

How to fill out the N7, section by section

As of October 31, 2026, the LTB's forms page still posts the older-layout N7 and its 2015 instructions; the N7 was not among the forms updated on September 21, 2026. Download the current copy from the LTB forms page and save it before filling it in.

To, From and Address of the Rental Unit

• To (Tenant's name): every tenant in possession, plus any subtenant or assignee. Do not list children or guests.
• From (Landlord's name): you, or all landlords.
• Address of the Rental Unit: this version has a single address box. Include the street address, unit, apartment or suite number (or "Basement"), municipality and postal code.

Termination date

A specific date (dd/mm/yyyy) at least 10 days after the notice is given, plus mail or courier days. The form then tells the tenant you can apply to the Board immediately.

My Reason(s) for Ending your Tenancy

Shade the box completely beside each reason that applies (Reasons 1 to 4 above). Choose only reasons you can prove.

Details About the Reasons for this Notice

In the Date/Time and Details of the Events table, describe in detail what the tenant, an occupant or a guest did. The instructions ask for:

• who caused the problem (the tenant, another occupant, or a guest);
• the date and time of each event;
• what happened; and
• who was affected.

For Reason 2, describe the damage and the facts showing it was deliberate. For Reason 3, describe the use and the serious damage it caused or is expected to cause. For Reason 4, confirm you live in the building and that it has no more than three residential units. Attach more pages if needed, and serve them with the notice.

Signature

Shade Landlord or Representative, then enter first name, last name and phone number, sign and date.

Representative Information (if applicable)

This version asks for name, "LSUC #," company name, mailing address, phone number, municipality, province, postal code and fax number. The Law Society of Upper Canada is now the Law Society of Ontario; enter the representative's LSO licence number in that field.

Serving it

The N7 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. Email is allowed only if the tenant has consented in writing (Rule 3.1). You cannot post it on the door.

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 N7 cannot be amended after service (Guideline 10), though minor errors that do not significantly prejudice the tenant may be saved by RTA s. 212.

1. Wilful damage you cannot prove was wilful. The instructions say the application will be dismissed. If intent is uncertain, an N5 was the right notice.
2. Reason 4 when you do not qualify. You must live in the same building and it must have three or fewer residential units. Otherwise s. 65 does not apply.
3. Ordinary damage on Reason 3. Section 63(1)(b) requires damage significantly greater than ordinary undue damage, caused by a use inconsistent with residential premises.
4. A safety incident outside the complex, or not serious. Section 66 requires a serious impairment of safety and an act or omission that occurred in the residential complex.
5. A termination date under 10 days, or one that forgets 5 days for mail or a business day for courier.
6. Thin details. The tenant must be able to understand the case against them from the notice (RTA s. 43(2); Guideline 10). List each incident with date, time, who and what.
7. Serving a voidable N5 and an N7 for the same conduct. The LTB has found that telling a tenant both that they can fix the problem and that you can apply regardless is confusing, and has dismissed applications on all notices (Guideline 10). If you serve both, make sure they cover different conduct or that the combination would not confuse a reasonable tenant.
8. Filing more than 30 days after the termination date. The application must be dismissed (s. 69(2)).
9. The basics. Name and serve every tenant in possession, give the full unit address, use an approved service method, and sign the notice.

What happens next

File an L2 on the Tribunals Ontario Portal with the N7 and Certificate of Service. The fee is $201, or $186 through the Portal. If you want the cost of repairs too, claim compensation on the same L2 and explain how you calculated it (Guideline 10). Disclose your evidence (photos, invoices, police or fire reports, witness statements) before the hearing as the Rules require.

If the LTB orders eviction on an N7, the order must ask the Sheriff to expedite enforcement (RTA s. 84). The LTB must still 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

• The N7 itself was not changed in the September 21, 2026 update, so the November 30, 2026 cut-off for old form versions does not affect it. Check the forms page before serving in case a new version is posted.
• 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.

Frequently asked questions

Can the tenant cancel an N7?

No. There is no correction period. You can file the L2 as soon as the notice is served, and the tenant's response is to dispute it at the hearing.

What is the difference between an N5 and an N7 for damage?

The N5 covers damage caused wilfully or negligently, gives 20 days' notice and lets the tenant void it by repairing or paying within 7 days. The N7 covers only deliberate damage (or serious damage from misuse), gives 10 days and cannot be voided, but you must prove the damage was deliberate.

I live upstairs from my tenant. Which notice do I use for interference?

If the building has three or fewer residential units and you live there, N7 Reason 4 is available for interference with your own enjoyment. If the building has more units, or the interference is with another tenant, use an N5.

How quickly can I file after serving an N7?

Immediately. You must file no later than 30 days after the termination date.

Is the N7 being replaced?

The LTB still posts the older-layout N7 and its 2015 instructions as of October 31, 2026. It was not on the list of forms updated on September 21, 2026.

Official sources

• N7 form (PDF)
• N7 Instructions (PDF)
• Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, ss. 43, 46, 63, 65, 66, 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, Rules 1.1, 1.13, 3.1, 3.9, 4.4, 4.5
• LTB Operational Update, September 21, 2026
• LTB Operational Update, July 1, 2026
• Certificate of Service (PDF)
• LTB Forms, filing and fees

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.