T1 Form: Responding to an Ontario Tenant Application for a Rebate

The T1 is the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) application a current, former or prospective tenant files to recover money they say the landlord collected or kept in breach of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA). Landlords receive it as respondents, and most T1 claims turn on dates and paperwork.

At a glance

What the T1 is for

Section 135(1) of the RTA lets a tenant or former tenant apply for an order that the landlord, superintendent or agent pay back "any money the person collected or retained in contravention of this Act". Prospective tenants (s. 135(2)) and subtenants (s. 135(3)) may also apply. The T1 lists eight grounds:

1. Illegal rent the tenant has paid.
2. An illegal charge, such as key money, a premium, fee or penalty (s. 134).
3. Last month's rent deposit not applied to the last rental period and not returned.
4. A deposit kept where the tenant was never allowed to move in (s. 107).
5. Unpaid interest on the last month's rent deposit.
6. N12 or N13 compensation not paid by the termination date (ss. 55.1, 135(1.1)).
7. Proceeds of sale of the tenant's property not paid (former tenants only; ss. 41, 42).
8. Failure to give the required notice of an Order Prohibiting a Rent Increase.

The LTB can order repayment up to its monetary limit (s. 207). The instructions put that limit at $50,000, and a tenant who files gives up any amount above it.

When to use it (and when not to)

The T1 is about money paid or kept. Conduct claims go on a T2, repairs on a T6, and bad-faith N12 or N13 claims on a T5 (which can also award unpaid compensation if clearly claimed).

Deadlines and limitation periods

• One year. No order can be made on a T1 filed more than one year after the money was collected or retained (s. 135(4)). Each payment is a separate date.
• Rent deemed lawful. Rent charged for a year or more is deemed lawful unless an application challenging it was made within one year after it was first charged (s. 136(1)). The same applies to a rent increase (s. 136(2)).
• Increases without proper notice. An increase that would be void for lack of 90 days' notice is deemed valid once the tenant has paid it for 12 consecutive months without applying within the year (s. 135.1).
• Compensation. N12 or N13 compensation is due no later than the termination date in the notice (s. 55.1). The year runs from the date it should have been paid.

How to fill out the T1, section by section

The form (version 01/04/2022) has three parts plus a payment page:

• Part 1: General Information. Unit address, tenants, landlord, whether a superintendent or agent is also named (with a Schedule of Parties), and related file numbers.
• Part 2: Reasons. The tenant shades each reason and gives the amount claimed. Reason 1 needs a 12-month rent history, Reason 2 the details of each charge, Reason 3 the move-out date and deposit amount. Each reason has an "Explaining your Reasons" box for the calculation and dates.
• Part 3: Signature, then the accommodation and French-language request and the payment page.

Filing it

The tenant files on the Tribunals Ontario Portal, by mail or courier, or at a ServiceOntario centre that accepts LTB documents. The fee ($53, or $48 on the Portal) must be paid or waived. The LTB serves the application and Notice of Hearing on the landlord (Rule 5.1).

If you are the landlord responding

1. Check the dates first. List each amount claimed and when it was collected or should have been paid. Anything outside the one-year window should be dismissed (s. 135(4)). Rent or increases more than a year old may be deemed lawful (ss. 135.1, 136).
2. Gather the documents for each ground: - Rent. The lease, every rent increase notice (N1/N2) with proof of service, and the guideline in effect. - Charges. Receipts and what the money was for. Some payments are exempt from s. 134 under s. 17 of O. Reg. 516/06: refundable key or fob deposits up to the replacement cost, the direct cost of extra or replacement keys (unless you changed the locks), NSF bank charges and an NSF administration charge of up to $20. - Deposits and interest. When the deposit was taken, how it was applied to the last rental period, and the interest paid each year at the guideline rate in effect when the interest was due. - Compensation. Proof of payment by the termination date, or proof that none was owed. Since September 21, 2026, none is owed for an own-use N12 that gave at least 120 days' notice and ended on the last day of a period or term (s. 48.1(2)).
3. Disclose on time. Send your evidence to the tenant and the LTB at least 7 days before the hearing, or 5 days if you are replying to the tenant's evidence (Rules 19.1–19.2).

Mistakes that get it refused, voided or dismissed

1. Filed out of time. Amounts collected or retained more than one year before filing are statute-barred (s. 135(4)).
2. Old rent or increase challenged. Deemed lawful under ss. 135.1 and 136 if no application was made within a year.
3. Wrong applicant. Only former tenants (or a deceased tenant's estate) can claim sale proceeds under Reason 7, and a prospective tenant is limited to Reasons 2 and 4.
4. No fee or fee waiver. The application will not be accepted.
5. No calculation. A claim without the required rent history or a breakdown is hard to prove and may fail on the evidence.
6. Compensation claimed where none was owed, such as an own-use N12 given on or after September 21, 2026 with at least 120 days' notice, or an N13 for repairs ordered to be done under the authority of a statute (s. 54).

What happens next

The LTB holds a hearing and issues an order. Any party may request a review within 15 days of an order issued on or after July 1, 2026 ($58 fee; RTA s. 209(3), Rule 26.5), or appeal to the Divisional Court on a question of law within 30 days (RTA s. 210).

Recent changes

The T1 form (2022) and instructions (2023) predate Bill 60, which changed Reason 6: an own-use N12 served on or after September 21, 2026 with at least 120 days' notice, ending on the last day of a period or term, requires no compensation (s. 48.1(2)). Purchaser N12s still do.

Frequently asked questions

How far back can a tenant claim illegal rent?

One year before filing. Rent charged for a year without a timely challenge is deemed lawful.

Is a key deposit illegal?

Not if it is refundable and no more than the expected direct cost of replacing the key, fob or card. Section 17 of O. Reg. 516/06 exempts that deposit from s. 134. It also exempts the direct cost of extra keys the tenant asks for, and of replacement keys, unless the landlord chose to change the locks. A non-refundable key fee, or a deposit above the replacement cost, can be claimed back on a T1.

Can the tenant raise T1 issues at my L1 hearing instead?

Yes, if the tenant meets the s. 82 conditions, including paying half the arrears claimed for L1, L9 and L10 applications filed on or after September 21, 2026. See Issues a Tenant Intends to Raise.

Official sources

• Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, ss. 41, 42, 48.1, 55.1, 106, 107, 134, 135, 135.1, 136, 207, 210
• O. Reg. 516/06, s. 17
• T1 Instructions
• T1 – Tenant Application for a Rebate (PDF)
• LTB Rules of Procedure, Rules 5.1, 19, 26
• LTB Forms, filing and fees
• LTB Operational Update, September 21, 2026

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.