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N4 - Non-Payment of Rent

The N4 notice is used when a tenant has not paid rent in full. It's the first formal step in the eviction process for arrears.

When to use N4​

Use an N4 when:

  • Rent is past due (even by 1 day)
  • You want to begin the formal eviction process
  • Informal reminders haven't worked
tip

You can serve an N4 as soon as rent is late. There's no waiting period after the due date.

Notice requirements​

RequirementDetails
Notice PeriodMinimum 14 days (7 days for daily or weekly tenancies)
Termination DateRTA s.59(1)(b) sets only a floor — any date on or after the minimum is valid; it does not need to fall on the last day of a rental period or month
Arrears AmountMust accurately reflect what's owed

How to generate an N4​

OntarioLandlord uses a 3-step notice wizard:

Step 1: Select property and lease​

  1. Navigate to Notices → Generate Notice (or from a collections case)
  2. Select the property and lease with arrears
  3. Verify arrears on the rent ledger (shown automatically)

Step 2: Generate the notice​

  1. Go to Notices in the sidebar
  2. Click Generate Notice
  3. Select the lease with arrears
  4. Click N4 - Non-Payment

Step 3: Review pre-filled data​

OntarioLandlord automatically fills in:

  • Tenant name and address
  • Landlord information
  • Rental unit address
  • Total arrears from rent ledger
  • Breakdown by period

Step 4: Set termination date​

The termination date field defaults to the earliest date the law allows — 14 days from the notice date, or 7 days for daily/weekly tenancies (RTA s.59(1)(b)).

  • This is a floor, not a fixed date — you can pick any later date (e.g. to align with month-end or add a buffer), and the field is directly editable
  • Click Use earliest date to reset back to the computed minimum
  • Typing a date before the minimum shows an inline error and blocks generation — RTA s.59(1)(b) only sets a "not earlier than" floor, so nothing before it is valid
  • Dates more than 90 days out trigger a warning (not a block) so you notice an unusually distant termination date before generating

Step 5: Validate and generate​

Click Generate PDF to:

  1. Run final validation
  2. Create the PDF
  3. Save to your Notice History

What gets validated​

Our LTB Rules Engine checks:

CheckDescription
Arrears existCannot generate N4 if no arrears
Minimum termination dateTermination date is at least 14 days away (7 for daily/weekly) — a later date is fine, an earlier one is blocked
Amount accuracyMatches rent ledger calculations
Manual arrears rowsWhen entering arrears by hand, rows must be numeric and non-empty; fabricated or non-numeric balances are rejected server-side
Manual arrears entry

If a lease has no native payment data to compute arrears from, you can enter the arrears breakdown manually. A zero-balance or credit period is accepted (e.g. the tenant overpaid a prior period), but empty, non-numeric, or clearly fabricated row values are rejected before a notice can be generated.

After generation​

Once the N4 is generated:

  1. Preview the completed PDF
  2. E-sign the notice using the built-in e-signature integration
  3. Email the notice directly to the tenant
  4. Generate a Certificate of Service as proof of delivery

After serving the N4​

Auto-void on payment​

Per RTA s.59(1), the N4 is void if the tenant pays all arrears plus any new rent that became due at any point before you file an L1 application with the LTB — not just before the termination date. If full payment comes in after the termination date but before you've filed L1, the notice is still void:

  • The N4 is automatically voided — OntarioLandlord detects the payment and updates the notice status
  • Once you've filed L1, a later full payment no longer voids the notice automatically
  • The associated collections case (if any) is updated

Partial payments during void period​

Payment intents — accept and continue, accept and void, reject, or pause legal proceedings — exist as a concept for a partial payment during the N4 void period, but the prompt isn't currently surfaced anywhere in the UI (see that page for details).

If tenant doesn't pay​

If the termination date passes without full payment:

  1. You can file an L1 Application with the LTB
  2. Export your Arrears Evidence Package for the hearing
  3. Keep tracking payments (may affect hearing)

Creating evidence package​

For an LTB hearing, export an evidence bundle:

  1. Go to Evidence Exports
  2. Click Create New Export
  3. Select Arrears Evidence
  4. Choose the lease
  5. Download the PDF package

The package includes:

  • Cover page with parties and property
  • Complete rent ledger (all periods)
  • N4 notice copy
  • Payment history

See Arrears Evidence for details.

Common questions​

Can I serve an N4 if the tenant is just a few days late?​

Yes. There's no minimum lateness requirement. However, consider whether formal action is necessary for brief delays.

What if the tenant makes a partial payment?​

Update your rent ledger with the payment. If arrears remain, the N4 is still valid for the remaining amount. The termination date doesn't change.

Can I serve another N4 if this one is voided?​

Yes. If the tenant falls into arrears again after voiding an N4, you can serve a new one.

How do I serve the notice?​

The N4 must be served properly. Common methods:

  • Hand delivery to tenant
  • Leaving in mailbox (add 5 days to notice period)
  • Email (if tenant agreed in writing)

OntarioLandlord supports email serving with delivery tracking and Certificate of Service generation. You can also print and hand-deliver.