Editor's note, October 6, 2026: this article was reviewed and rewritten in our accuracy check. An earlier version contained dispute statistics and timelines we could not trace to a source; they have been removed or replaced with figures from the sources listed at the end of the article.
Ending a tenancy in Ontario is straightforward if you follow the notice rules. Get them wrong and you can owe rent after you've left. Here's what to do.
1. Work out your notice date
- Monthly tenancy: at least 60 days' written notice, and the termination date must be the last day of a rental period. If rent is due on the 1st, the last day is the end of a month.
- Fixed-term lease (for example one year): the termination date can't be earlier than the last day of the term, and you still need 60 days' notice.
- When a fixed term ends, you don't have to sign a new lease: the tenancy continues month to month on the same terms until someone ends it properly.
2. Give notice in writing
Use the Landlord and Tenant Board's Form N9 (Tenant's Notice to End the Tenancy), sign it and keep proof of when and how you delivered it. Your landlord can also agree to end the tenancy on a different date; put that agreement in writing, for example on Form N11.
3. Can't wait that long?
- Assign the lease: with the landlord's consent, someone else takes over your tenancy. A landlord can't refuse a proposed assignee arbitrarily, and if they refuse your request to assign at all, or don't respond within 7 days, the RTA lets you end the tenancy on shorter notice. The LTB's brochures explain the steps and deadlines.
- Agree an early end with your landlord (Form N11).
4. Your last month's rent deposit
If you paid a rent deposit when you moved in, it pays your last month's rent. You don't pay rent for that month; your landlord applies the deposit. Interest is owed on the deposit each year at the guideline rate (2.1% for 2026), and if your rent rose, your landlord may use the interest to top the deposit up to the new rent. A landlord can't keep the deposit for damage: in Ontario damage deposits aren't allowed, and a landlord who believes you caused damage must apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board.
5. Move-out checklist
- Clean the unit and repair any damage you caused (normal wear and tear isn't your responsibility).
- Take dated photos or video of every room after you've cleaned.
- Ask your landlord to do a walkthrough with you, and note anything agreed in writing.
- Return all keys, fobs and parking remotes; get any refundable key deposit back.
- Close or transfer hydro, internet and tenant insurance from your move-out date.
- Give your landlord your forwarding address in writing.
- Update your address with the CRA, Service Ontario (driver's licence, health card) and your bank.
6. If there's a dispute
Disputes about money owed after a tenancy ends, or about a deposit, are decided by the Landlord and Tenant Board, not by the landlord holding money back. If something can't be settled directly, the LTB's website explains the applications and timelines. Ontario's Rental Housing Enforcement Unit takes complaints about offences under the Act.
Frequently asked questions
Can my landlord show the unit after I give notice?
Yes. Once notice to end the tenancy has been given, the landlord may show the unit to prospective tenants between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., after making a reasonable effort to tell you first.
What if I leave before the termination date?
You're still responsible for rent up to the termination date in your notice unless the unit is re-rented or your landlord agrees otherwise in writing.
Do I get interest on my last month's rent deposit?
Yes: each year the landlord owes interest at the guideline rate (2.1% for 2026), which can be paid to you, credited against rent, or used to top up the deposit to match a higher rent.
Moving to a new rental? Browse rentals on Summitly, or ask Zara, Summitly's AI virtual agent, to work out your notice date.
