After You Serve N4 Ontario: 7 Scenarios Explained
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Quick answer: What happens after N4 served in Ontario depends on what the tenant does in the 14 days that follow. If the tenant pays the full arrears, the N4 is voided under section 59(3) of the Residential Tenancies Act, and the tenancy continues. If they pay partial, the N4 stays valid, and the landlord can file an L1 for the unpaid balance. If they pay nothing and stay, the landlord files the L1 on day 15. If they move out, the tenancy ends, but the arrears remain collectible through a different process. Every scenario has its own paperwork and its own pitfalls.
You served the N4. Now you wait, but not passively. What happens after N4 served in Ontario is the most consequential 14 days in a non-payment eviction in Ontario case. The tenant has options. The landlord has decisions to make about each one. Misread any of those decisions, and the case falls apart at the LTB hearing months later. Read them right, and the path to either rent recovery or vacant possession stays clean. This guide walks through the seven scenarios you may face during the N4 cure period, what each one means for your eviction case, and what to do about it.
Sturino Walker Legal Services is a landlord-only paralegal firm based in Etobicoke. We represent landlords through the N4 process, the L1 application, the hearing, and the order. Everything below reflects current Ontario procedure. Call 905-738-7171 for a case review.
What Happens After N4 Served: The 14-Day Window Explained
After the N4 is served, the tenant has 14 days to either pay the full arrears or move out. This is the waiting period. It runs from the day after service to the termination date listed on the notice.
During those 14 days, the landlord can do nothing under the N4. No L1 application. No order. No eviction. The N4 is a notice, not a court action. Its sole legal effect is to start the clock and create the conditions for the next step.
What the landlord can and should do during the waiting period is document everything that happens. Every payment the tenant makes. Every message exchanged. Every promise to pay. Every refusal. The rent ledger from this period becomes evidence at the LTB hearing months from now.
Under section 59(3) of the Residential Tenancies Act, the N4 is automatically voided if the tenant pays the full amount owed before the termination date. This is the waiting window. There is no limit on how many times a tenant can cure an N4. The rules are the same whether this is the tenant’s first late payment or their tenth.
The seven scenarios below cover every realistic outcome of those 14 days. Each scenario explains what triggers it, what it means for the case, and the next step the landlord takes.
Scenario 1: The Tenant Pays the Full Amount
If the tenant pays the full arrears listed on the N4 plus any new rent that has come due during the cure period, the N4 is voided. The tenancy continues. The landlord cannot file the L1 based on that N4.
The ‘full amount’ is more than just the original arrears. It includes any rent that has fallen due during the 14-day cure window. If rent was due on March 1 and the N4 is served on March 3 with a March 17 termination date, and rent is also due on April 1, the tenant must pay both months by March 17 for the N4 to be voided.
Document the payment carefully. Date received. Amount. Payment method. Apply the payment against the arrears in writing. Send the tenant a confirmation of the void. If the tenant pays the full amount but the landlord still wants the tenancy to end for other reasons, the landlord cannot proceed on this N4. The only options are to serve a new notice for a new reason (such as an N5 for substantial interference or an N8 for persistent late payment if the pattern continues), or to wait for the next missed rent and start the process fresh.
This scenario is the most common outcome of the N4 cure period. Most tenants cure. Most tenancies continue. The landlord still has every receipt and every message documenting the missed payment, which strengthens any future case if non-payment recurs.
Scenario 2: The Tenant Pays Partial Rent
Partial payments do not void the N4. The notice stays valid as long as the full amount owed is not paid by the termination date.
The landlord must accept the partial payment under the RTA. Refusing rent is itself a violation. Apply each payment received against the oldest arrears first. Document the date, amount, and method of every payment.
Two things happen as a result. First, the rent ledger gets updated to reflect the new balance. Second, the L1 application that follows the termination date is filed for the reduced amount that remains unpaid, not the original arrears figure.
This is where landlords get caught. The N4 lists, for example, $3,200 in arrears. The tenant pays $1,200 across two transfers during the cure window. The remaining balance at termination is $2,000. The L1 must be filed for $2,000, not the original $3,200. The L1/L9 Information Update form, which is mandatory five business days before the hearing, also reflects the current balance.
If the L1 lists an inflated arrears figure that does not match the ledger, the adjudicator will dismiss the application. The tenant’s paralegal will produce the e-transfer receipts and show the math. Every dollar of partial payment matters.
Scenario 3: The Tenant Pays Late (After the Termination Date)
Once the termination date passes without full payment, the N4 cannot be voided by a late lump-sum payment in the same way.
If the tenant pays the full arrears plus any new rent after the termination date but before the landlord files the L1, the landlord cannot file the L1 based on arrears that have been paid in full. The eviction route closes for that cycle. But the late payment does not retroactively restore the waiting window under section 59(3).
If the tenant pays only after the L1 has been filed, the rules tighten. To stop the eviction at that stage, the tenant must pay the full arrears plus any rent that has come due plus the LTB filing fee. Anything less and the L1 proceeds.
The practical effect is that the landlord has two decisions to make during this window.
First, decide quickly whether to file the L1 the day after the termination date or to wait a day or two to see if the tenant pays late. Most landlords should file. Waiting costs hearing-date positioning in the LTB queue.
Second, if the tenant pays late after the L1 is filed, decide whether to insist on full reimbursement (including the filing fee) or to accept whatever the tenant pays and discontinue. Discontinuing without recovering the filing fee costs the landlord money. Pressing for the fee may push the tenant to fight rather than cure.
Scenario 4: The Tenant Pays Nothing and Stays
If the termination date passes and the tenant has not paid in full and has not moved out, the landlord can file the L1 application with the LTB the next day.
The L1 is the legal step that turns the N4 into a tribunal application for eviction and rent recovery. Filing the L1 the day after the termination date secures the earliest available hearing date. Every day of delay pushes the hearing further into the LTB queue.
Before filing, the landlord must have the served N4, a completed Certificate of Service, the current rent ledger reflecting every payment received during the waiting period, and the filing fee. The arrears figure on the L1 must match the ledger exactly.
For the complete walkthrough on filing the L1, the documents required, the filing fee, online versus mail filing, the L1/L9 Information Update, and the common reasons L1 applications get dismissed, see our L1 application LTB guide.
Filing the L1 does not pause anything else. The tenant remains in the unit during the wait for the hearing. New rent continues to come due and continues to accumulate as further arrears. Document each new month as it passes.
Scenario 5: The Tenant Moves Out Before the Termination Date
If the tenant moves out by the termination date and leaves the rental unit empty, the tenancy ends.
The landlord cannot file the L1 once the tenant has vacated. The L1 requires the tenant to still be in possession of the unit at the time of filing. A tenant who is gone is no longer in possession, even if they left rent owing. The L9 is also off the table here. The L9 is the LTB form titled “Application to Collect Rent the Tenant Owes,” and it is only available when the tenant is still living in the unit.
For a tenant who has moved out and left rent owing, the correct LTB form is the L10. The L10 is the Application to Collect Money a Former Tenant Owes, and it allows the landlord to claim rent arrears, NSF charges, unpaid utility costs, and damage costs from a former tenant. The L10 has two important limits the landlord needs to know:
The tenant must have moved out on or after September 1, 2021. Pre-September 2021 move-outs fall outside the LTB’s post-tenancy jurisdiction.
The application must be filed within one year of the move-out date. Miss the one-year window and the LTB cannot hear the claim.
The other option is Small Claims Court. Both the LTB and the Ontario Small Claims Court have the same monetary limit of $50,000 per claim. The choice between L10 and Small Claims usually comes down to fit, not speed or limit. The L10 is purpose-built for tenancy-related debts, and the adjudicators understand the context. Small Claims is broader and may be the right route if the claim involves issues beyond standard arrears and damages, or if the L10 filing window has passed.
Before the tenant leaves, do a walk-through if possible. Document the condition of the unit with photos and a written checklist. Return any security or key deposits as required. Keep all communication in writing. The cleaner the move-out record, the stronger any L10 or Small Claims case.
Scenario 6: You Need to Withdraw the N4
There are situations where a landlord wants to withdraw an N4 that has already been served. The most common are: the N4 contains an error that would void it at the LTB hearing, the parties have reached a payment agreement, and the landlord no longer wants to pursue eviction, or the landlord realizes the arrears figure was wrong.
Withdrawing an N4 is straightforward. The landlord communicates the withdrawal in writing to the tenant. Either an email or a signed letter works. The notice is then void from the date of withdrawal. The landlord cannot rely on it as the basis for an L1 application going forward. Withdrawing one N4 does not prevent serving a fresh one. If the underlying problem persists, the landlord can serve a corrected N4 for the current arrears figure. The new N4 starts its own 14-day waiting period from the date of fresh service
Withdrawing an N4 is sometimes the right move strategically. If the N4 contains a defect that a tenant’s paralegal will use at the L1 hearing to win a dismissal, withdrawing and re-serving a clean notice is often faster than fighting the dismissal at the hearing months later. The trade-off is that the 14-day clock restarts.
Document the withdrawal clearly. Keep the original N4, the withdrawal communication, and any fresh notice in the same file. The LTB may ask for the chain at the hearing.
Scenario 7: You Discover an Error in the N4 You Already Served
Landlords sometimes realize, days into the waiting period, that the N4 they served has a problem. A wrong termination date. A missed partial payment in the arrears total. A misspelled tenant name. Any of these will sink the L1 at the hearing.
The right response depends on how serious the error is and how far along the waiting period is.
If the error is minor and the L1 could still survive it, the landlord may decide to proceed and address it at the hearing. This is risky. Self-represented landlords almost always underestimate how strictly the LTB applies procedural rules.
If the error is material and the L1 will likely be dismissed, the safer path is to withdraw the defective N4 immediately and serve a corrected one. The waiting period clock restarts on the corrected notice. Yes, that means a delay of 14 more days before filing the L1. But 14 more days is far less expensive than a dismissed L1 four months from now, which would force the landlord to start over entirely.
How to tell which category the error falls into is not always obvious. A paralegal review of the served N4 can answer the question in 15 minutes. Most defects are catchable before they reach the hearing.
For the full walkthrough of every N4 field and the most common mistakes, see our complete N4 notice guide.
What You Cannot Do During the N4 Waiting Period
During the 14-day waiting period, the landlord’s legal obligations are the same as any other point in the tenancy. The N4 does not unlock any additional landlord rights. The list below covers the most common mistakes landlords make during the waiting window that damage their case at the LTB.
Do not change the locks
Even if the tenant has missed payment. Even if the unit looks empty. Until the sheriff enforces an order, the unit remains the tenant’s possession. Locking out the tenant is a breach of section 24 of the RTA.
Do not refuse rent payments
Accept every payment the tenant offers, including partial. Refusing rent is itself a violation under the RTA. Partial payments do not void the N4, so accepting them does not give up any rights.
Do not pressure the tenant verbally
Repeated phone calls. Late-night visits. Threatening messages. Contact with the tenant’s employer or family about the debt. Each of these gives the tenant a Section 82 issue or a T2 application that delays the eviction.
Do not interfere with vital services
No turning off heat. No shutting off water. No cutting electricity. Section 21 of the RTA prohibits interference with vital services, regardless of any rent dispute.
Do not file the L1 before the termination date
Filing the L1 even one day before the termination date passes will get the application rejected at intake or dismissed at the hearing. Day 15 is the earliest. Not day 14.
Bill 60: What’s Changing for the N4 Window
Ontario’s Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, passed Royal Assent on November 24, 2025. As of publication, the RTA amendments are not yet in force. Tribunals Ontario has confirmed they await Cabinet proclamation.
When the changes take effect, the N4 window itself will shrink:
• The termination notice period for monthly tenancies drops from 14 days to 7 days, so the entire waiting period becomes half as long.
• Tenants raising section 82 maintenance or interference issues at the L1 hearing will need to deposit 50% of the claimed arrears with the LTB before those issues can be heard.
• The window to request a review of an LTB order shortens from 30 days to 15 days. Until proclamation, the 14-day rule continues to apply. We will update this guide when the changes come into force.
When to Hire a Paralegal
The Landlord and Tenant Board allows landlords to handle their own N4 notices, file their own L1 applications, and represent themselves at hearings. Many do. None of that means self-representation is the right choice during the N4 waiting period.
What happens after N4 served is the highest-stakes 14-day window in the eviction process. The decisions a landlord makes during these two weeks determine the strength of the L1 application that follows, and through that, the outcome of the hearing months from now.
What is at stake when a landlord goes in alone:
• A defective N4 sets the entire case up to fail. If the N4 has any error, the L1 it supports gets dismissed at the hearing. Catching that defect early enough to withdraw and re-serve is the difference between a four-month delay and a complete restart.
• Partial payment scenarios get mishandled. Landlords overstating arrears on the L1 because they did not properly track partial payments during the waiting period is one of the most common reasons L1 applications fail.
• Section 82 risks get created during the waiting window. A pressured phone call. An aggressive email. Any of these can become a tenant defence at the L1 hearing and reduce the eviction order or refuse it entirely.
• The L1 filing window moves with every day of delay. Filing on day 15 vs day 20 means the hearing comes 5 days sooner. Multiply that across the months-long LTB queue and the delta in recovered rent is significant.
When to call us
Engage a paralegal at any of the following points:
• Before you serve the N4 if you are not 100% confident in the form. Reviewing before service is cheaper than withdrawing and re-serving later.
• Immediately after serving the N4 if the tenant has a paralegal or is sophisticated enough to fight.
• During the waiting period if the tenant starts paying partial amounts and you are not certain how to apply them to the ledger.
• Day 15 if you have not yet filed the L1 and want to ensure it is filed cleanly the first time.
• Any time the tenant raises section 82 issues, maintenance complaints, or other defences during the waiting period.
• The moment you realize the N4 you served has an error that may affect the L1.
Earlier engagement is almost always cheaper than later engagement. The most expensive case to fix is a dismissed L1 that we have to restart from a fresh N4.
Sturino Walker Legal Services prepares N4s, manages the waiting period, files L1 applications, and represents Ontario landlords at the LTB hearing. We work landlord-side only. You get a written fee estimate at the outset that covers the N4, the L1, the hearing, adjournments, and required motion work, so you know what you are committing to before you engage us. Call 905-738-7171 for a case review.
FAQ: What Happens After N4 Served
What happens after the N4 is served and the tenant pays in full?
If the tenant pays the full amount of arrears listed on the N4 plus any new rent that has come due before the termination date, the N4 is automatically voided under section 59(3) of the Residential Tenancies Act. The tenancy continues as if the notice had never been served.
The landlord cannot file an L1 application based on that N4. If the tenant misses rent again later, the landlord must serve a fresh N4.
What happens after the N4 is served and the tenant pays partial rent?
Partial payments do not void the N4. The notice stays valid as long as the full amount owed is not paid by the termination date.
The landlord must accept the partial payment under the RTA, document it carefully, and apply it against the oldest arrears first. After the termination date passes, the landlord can file the L1 for the remaining unpaid balance.
What is the N4 waiting period in Ontario?
The N4 waiting period is the window between when the tenant receives the N4 and the termination date on the notice. For monthly tenancies, this is 14 days. For weekly or daily tenancies, it is 7 days.
During the waiting period, the tenant can void the N4 by paying the full arrears plus any new rent that has come due. If they pay within this window, the tenancy continues.
Can I withdraw an N4 after I serve it?
Yes. A landlord can withdraw an N4 at any time by communicating the withdrawal in writing to the tenant. Withdrawal is appropriate when the N4 contains an error that would void it at the LTB hearing, when the tenant has paid the full arrears, or when the landlord no longer intends to pursue eviction.
Withdrawing one N4 does not prevent the landlord from serving a fresh one if rent issues continue.
What if the tenant pays after the 14 days but before I file the L1?
If the tenant pays the full arrears plus any new rent after the termination date but before the landlord files the L1 application, the landlord cannot file the L1 based on arrears that have been paid in full.
If the tenant pays only after the L1 has been filed, the tenant must also pay the LTB filing fee to fully void the proceeding.
Does accepting rent void an N4 in Ontario?
Accepting rent does not automatically void an N4. The notice is voided only if the tenant pays the full amount owed before the termination date.
Landlords must accept any rent payment a tenant offers under the RTA, but partial payments do not invalidate the notice. Carefully document each payment received with the date, amount, and method to keep the rent ledger accurate for any future LTB application.
What happens after the N4 is served and the tenant moves out?
If the tenant moves out by the termination date and leaves the rental unit empty, the tenancy ends. The landlord cannot file an L1 application because the L1 requires the tenant to still be in possession of the unit. To recover any unpaid rent the tenant left owing, the landlord uses the L10 application at the LTB (the ‘Application to Collect Money a Former Tenant Owes’), which has a one-year filing deadline from the move-out date. Small Claims Court is the alternative; both jurisdictions cap at $50,000.
What happens if the N4 termination date passes and the tenant has not paid?
If the tenant has not paid the full arrears and has not moved out by the termination date, the landlord can file an L1 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board starting the day after the termination date.
The L1 asks the LTB to order eviction and rent recovery. There is no maximum deadline for filing the L1, but earlier filing means an earlier hearing and less accumulated arrears.
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