September 21, 2026: Ontario N4 Non-Payment Notice Drops to 7 Days
Ontario has now named the date. Order in Council 618/2026, approved April 16, 2026 and published April 30, 2026, brings three Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 amendments into force on September 21, 2026. The one that changes the clock for most renters and landlords is subsection 59(1): an N4 for unpaid rent may set a termination date not earlier than the 7th day after the notice is given, for every type of tenancy.
Until that day, the current rule stays in place. For a monthly, yearly, or fixed-term tenancy, the termination date on an N4 must still be at least 14 days after the notice is given. Daily and weekly tenancies already use 7 days. The new wording, enacted by section 4 of Schedule 12 to the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, removes that split.
The date that matters is the day the landlord gives the notice, not the rent due date and not the hearing date. A 7-day N4 served on September 20, 2026 is the wrong form and the wrong period. A 7-day N4 served on September 21, 2026 is the new law, if the landlord uses the updated Board form.
What actually comes into force on September 21
Order in Council 618/2026 names only Schedule 12, sections 2, 4, and 14. Do not treat every Bill 60 rental idea as live on the same morning.
| Provision | What changes on September 21, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Schedule 12, s. 4 (RTA s. 59(1)) | N4 termination date: at least 7 days after the notice is given, for all tenancies |
| Schedule 12, s. 2 (RTA s. 48.1(2)) | No one-month compensation or alternate unit on a landlord's-own-use notice if the notice is given on or after September 21, the termination date is at least 120 days later, and that date is the end of a rental period or fixed term |
| Schedule 12, s. 14 (new RTA s. 241.5) | Cabinet may make transition regulations for these amendments |
The official statute text is on e-Laws. The source Act is S.O. 2025, c. 14.
Other Bill 60 items we flagged in June, including the shorter review window and the 50 percent arrears deposit for raising tenant issues at a non-payment hearing, are not in this Order in Council. Treat them as not in force until a later order names them.
The new N4 form
The Landlord and Tenant Board has already posted the replacement on its forms, filing and fees page:
An updated N4 form will be in effect on September 21, 2026. This version of the form cannot be used to give notice to a tenant before the effective date.
Use the current N4 until September 20 inclusive. From September 21, use the updated form. Do not mix them. A notice in the wrong form, or with a termination date that is too early, can sink the later L1. Filing fees are not refunded if the Board dismisses a defective notice.
Count days the way the current instructions require: do not include the day the notice is given. Add time for the method of service. Mail is not same-day service. The termination date is the first day the landlord may file, not an automatic eviction.
Paying the amount on the N4 before that date still voids the notice. A tenant who had two weeks to gather rent or a payment plan now has one week on a monthly tenancy.
Own-use notices: the 120-day trade
The same Order also changes compensation on some landlord's-own-use (N12) files. Section 48.1 still requires one month's rent or another unit, unless new subsection 48.1(2) applies. All three conditions must be met: the notice is given on or after September 21, 2026; the termination date is at least 120 days later; and that date is the end of a rental period or fixed term.
A 60-day N12 still needs compensation. A 120-day N12 given from September 21 onward does not, if the date lines up. Bad-faith rules remain separate. See our August N12 note for the 60-day occupancy presumption.
What this means this week
If rent is unpaid today, the 14-day N4 is still the lawful monthly notice. Do not serve the September 21 form early.
If you just received an N4, read the termination date and the amount. Paying that amount on time still stops that notice. Keep proof of every payment and of when the notice arrived.
If you plan to give notice from September 21, switch to the new form and recount the days after service. An L1 still waits until the day after a valid termination date.
Our June post, Bill 60 and Your Tenancy, explained the Bill while these sections were still unproclaimed. Use that piece for the wider schedule. Use this one for the September 21 in-force list.
If you have an N4, N12, or LTB filing in motion, contact JSR Immigration & Legals through our consultation page or at info@jsrlegals.ca.
This article is general information current to September 13, 2026, and is not legal advice. Confirm the live statute, the Order in Council, and the LTB forms page before you serve or respond to a notice.
Immigration & paralegal practitioner at JSR Immigration & Legals, helping newcomers and Ontario residents with their cases.
This post is general information about Canadian immigration and Ontario paralegal matters and is not legal advice. Rules change and every case is different — confirm current requirements for your own situation.