The Request to Shorten Time is the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) form for asking the Board to hold your hearing sooner than its normal scheduling, or to accept an above-guideline rent increase (AGI) application filed less than 90 days before the first increase. Landlords use it when waiting in the regular queue would cause real, provable harm.
At a glance
| Who uses it | A landlord, tenant or other party to an application, motion or request that will go to a hearing |
| When | After the application is filed (hearing request), or with a late AGI application |
| Deadline | None fixed; file as early as possible |
| How it is filed | Tribunals Ontario Portal, email to LTB@ontario.ca, mail, courier or ServiceOntario |
| Filing fee | None listed on the LTB fee schedule |
| Follow-on form | None; if granted, a new Notice of Hearing issues |
What the Request to Shorten Time is for
The LTB may shorten time requirements in its proceedings, except prescribed ones (RTA s. 190; Rule 16). The form offers two choices:
- Shorten the time to schedule a hearing for my application. If granted, the hearing is held earlier than it otherwise would be. If denied, it is scheduled on the usual timeline.
- Shorten the deadline to file an Application for a Rent Increase Above the Guideline. An L5 must be filed at least 90 days before the first effective date claimed. If the request is granted, the late L5 is accepted; if denied, it is not.
The Member considers the Rule 16.4 factors: any prejudice to you or the other party if the request is granted or refused, whether that prejudice can be remedied, good faith, and any other relevant factor.
When to use it (and when not to)
The official instructions give landlord examples that show the level of urgency expected:
- An L1 where the tenant has not paid for many months and the arrears are causing the landlord significant personal or financial hardship, with specific details and supporting documents.
- An L2 based on an N6 where the tenant's illegal acts threaten another tenant's health and safety.
- An L2 based on an N12 where an agreement of purchase and sale may collapse if the tenant does not leave, supported by the closing date, proof it is unlikely to be extended and the purchaser's housing situation.
- A late L5 where a personal emergency prevented filing 90 days ahead.
Do not use it to:
- Shorten a notice period. Termination notice periods are prescribed and cannot be shortened (O. Reg. 516/06, s. 56). An N4 given on or after September 21, 2026 must allow at least 7 days, whether the tenancy is daily, weekly or monthly (RTA s. 59(1)), and no request can reduce that.
- Move a hearing that is already set to a different date. That is a Request to Reschedule a Hearing.
- File something late. That is a Request to Extend Deadline.
Deadlines and limitation periods
- There is no deadline for a hearing request, but the sooner it is filed, the more useful an earlier date can be.
- The AGI version only matters if you are inside the 90-day window before the first effective date.
- One request per time requirement. If denied, you cannot ask again for the same hearing or the same AGI deadline unless there has been a significant change in circumstances (Rule 16.6; form).
- Service may shift to you. If the LTB shortens the time for service, it can order you to serve the application and Notice of Hearing yourself (Rule 5.2). Read any order carefully and file a Certificate of Service where required.
How to fill out the Request to Shorten Time, section by section
The current form is version 2025/10.
- File Number. Enter it at the top. If the same reason applies to several files, list every file number, then upload the form separately to each file in the Portal.
- Language and accommodation. Complete if needed.
- Requesting Party's Information. Tick landlord, landlord representative, tenant, tenant representative or other; add name, company, address, phone numbers and email, and how the LTB should send documents.
- Unit, Building or Complex Covered by the Application. The full address.
- "I am requesting that the LTB shorten..." Tick the hearing option or the AGI filing option.
- Explain the reasons. Tie every reason to the application; the form says unrelated reasons will not be considered. Quantify the harm: arrears to date, the mortgage or closing date at stake, the safety incidents with dates. Explain what prejudice the tenant would suffer from an earlier date and why it is outweighed or can be addressed. For a late AGI, explain what prevented on-time filing.
- Attach documents. The form warns that leaving out supporting documents may lead to denial. Medical notes should state the condition, its effect, and the expected recovery.
- Signature. Tick your role, sign and date; a legal representative adds Law Society number and contact details.
Filing it
Upload it through the Tribunals Ontario Portal under the file, or send it by email to LTB@ontario.ca, by mail or courier to 15 Grosvenor Street, Ground Floor, Toronto, ON M7A 2G6, or through a ServiceOntario centre. Lawyers and paralegals must use the Portal for a Request to Shorten Time with no additional request attached. The instructions allow a letter or email instead of the form if it names the file, the time requirement and the reasons, but the form is recommended.
Mistakes that get it refused, voided or dismissed
- No evidence. A bare statement of hardship, without bank records, the purchase agreement or incident reports, is the most common reason for denial.
- Reasons that are not about this application. General frustration with LTB wait times does not count; the form says unrelated reasons will not be considered.
- Ignoring the tenant's prejudice. Rule 16.4 asks about prejudice to both sides. A request that does not address it is easier to refuse.
- Trying to shorten a notice period or other prescribed time. The LTB has no power to do it (s. 190(2); O. Reg. 516/06, s. 56).
- Filing on one file only when it applies to several. The form requires a separate upload to each file.
- Using up your one request. A weak first request blocks a later, better one unless circumstances change significantly.
What happens next
A Member decides the request, often without submissions from the other parties (Rule 16.5), and marks it granted or denied with reasons. If granted for a hearing, the LTB issues a new Notice of Hearing with the earlier date; check whether you have been ordered to serve it. If granted for an AGI, the L5 is accepted for processing. If denied, the hearing is scheduled in the normal course and you should prepare on that basis.
Frequently asked questions
How much sooner will my hearing be if the request is granted?
The LTB does not publish a fixed timeline. The form only says the hearing will be held sooner than it otherwise would be.
Is there a fee to request an expedited LTB hearing?
The LTB's fee schedule does not list a fee for a Request to Shorten Time. The application itself still carries its normal fee.
What evidence works best for an L1 request?
The instructions call for specific details of how the arrears affect you, with supporting documents. A rent ledger, proof of missed mortgage or tax payments and any lender correspondence are the kind of records that show hardship.
I filed my L5 late. Is it lost?
Not necessarily. File a Request to Shorten Time explaining why you could not file 90 days before the first effective date and the prejudice to each side. If it is denied, the L5 will not be accepted.