The Request to Withdraw an Application is the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) form an applicant uses to close their own file without an order on the merits. It also covers dropping a set-aside motion, a voiding motion or a Request to Review an Order.
At a glance
| Who uses it | Only the applicant (the party who filed) or their representative |
| When | Any time before the hearing begins; after that, only with the LTB's consent |
| Deadline | Written hearing: before your written submissions are due |
| How it is filed | Tribunals Ontario Portal (lawyers and paralegals must use the Portal) |
| Fee | None to withdraw; your application fee is not refunded |
| Follow-on form | None. The file closes |
What the form is for
Section 200(2) of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) lets an applicant withdraw an application at any time before the hearing begins. Under s. 200(4), once the hearing has begun, withdrawal needs the Board's consent. Rule 17 of the LTB Rules of Procedure sets out how this works:
- An oral or electronic hearing "begins" when the parties first come before the Member or Dispute Resolution Officer (DRO). That includes an appearance on a preliminary matter (Rule 17.3).
- A written hearing can be withdrawn without consent until the day your written submissions are due (Rule 17.1).
- Whenever you withdraw, you must tell the LTB and the other parties as soon as possible (Rules 17.1 and 17.2).
A withdrawal is final. The form's instructions say that once a matter is withdrawn, you cannot change your mind later and ask to continue with it.
When to use it (and when not to)
Use it when the tenant has moved out and you do not want a money order, you settled privately and need no consent order, or you filed the wrong application.
Do not use it when:
- The tenant paid everything owing on an L1. If the tenant paid you all the arrears, all new rent owing and your filing fee before an order issued, the L1 is discontinued by law (RTA s. 74(2)). File the Request for a Discontinuance Order Without a Hearing instead so the file closes with an order.
- You want the settlement on record. A withdrawal leaves nothing to enforce. If the tenant is paying over time, use a settlement or consent order (with the mandatory Payment Agreement for s. 206 plans).
- You only want to fix an error. Amending under Rule 15 may be better than paying a new fee.
Deadlines
- Before the hearing begins: you can withdraw without the LTB's permission.
- After the hearing begins: the Member or DRO decides. You can ask at the hearing. If the hearing was adjourned, you can file the form and the LTB will decide whether to accept it. The instructions warn that if you are not sure the LTB agreed, you should attend the next hearing date.
- Written hearings: without consent until your written submissions are due. After that, ask the LTB in writing (still using the form).
How to fill out the form, section by section
- File Number. Use the LTB file number from your Notice of Hearing or the Portal.
- Language Preference. French or English.
- Requester. Tick Landlord, Tenant, Co-op, Representative or Other. Give your name, daytime phone and email. A licensed paralegal or lawyer enters their Law Society of Ontario number.
- "I have the authority to bind all Applicants." Answer Yes only if you do. Where there are co-landlords, check before ticking Yes.
- Rental Unit Address. Use the address exactly as it appears on the application.
- Withdrawal. This confirms that you want the file closed with no further action. The explanation box is mandatory only for a tenant's T2 harassment claim (see below), but a short reason helps if the hearing has already begun.
- Signature of Requester. Name, signature and date (dd/mm/yyyy). If you file electronically, tick the box that represents your signature.
Filing it
The LTB's forms page lists the Tribunals Ontario Portal as the way to file. Since January 1, 2025, Law Society licensees must file this form through the Portal. The LTB will not process it if a licensee sends it by mail, email, courier or through ServiceOntario. There is no fee to withdraw, and the application fee you paid is non-refundable.
Mistakes that get it refused or ignored
- Filing after the hearing has begun and treating it as automatic. Once the parties have appeared before a Member or DRO, even on a preliminary matter, the LTB has to agree. If you skip the next hearing date assuming the file is closed, the hearing can go ahead without you.
- Filing it as someone who is not the applicant. Only the applicant or their representative can withdraw. A property manager without authority, or a tenant trying to withdraw a landlord's application, will be refused.
- Ticking "authority to bind all applicants" without having it. Where co-owners or related companies are applicants, one of them cannot speak for the others without authority.
- Withdrawing an L1 the tenant has paid off. You lose the discontinuance order and the clear record it gives you. Use the discontinuance request.
- Withdrawing a deal instead of recording it. If the tenant stops paying under an informal arrangement, there is nothing to enforce.
- Not telling the other side. Rule 17 requires it; the instructions say in writing.
What happens next
If the hearing has not begun, the LTB closes the file. If it has begun, a Member or DRO decides whether to consent, and you should treat any scheduled hearing as still on until you are told otherwise. A later application is a fresh filing with a new fee.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get my LTB filing fee back if I withdraw?
No. The form and the LTB's fees page both say fees are non-refundable.
My tenant paid all the arrears. Should I withdraw my L1?
Usually not. If the tenant paid all the arrears, all new rent owing and your filing fee before an order issued, the L1 is discontinued under RTA s. 74(2). File the Request for a Discontinuance Order Without a Hearing.
Can I restart an application after withdrawing it?
You cannot revive the withdrawn file. Any new application is a new filing with a new fee. It must be filed within any deadline that applies to your notice.
Can a tenant's harassment application be withdrawn?
A tenant's T2 application alleging that the landlord harassed, obstructed, coerced, threatened or interfered with them can only be withdrawn with the Board's consent (RTA s. 200(3); Rule 17.2). The form asks the tenant to explain why.