Guide · Ontario
Ontario Form N1, explained
Form N1 is the Landlord and Tenant Board’s Notice of Rent Increase. A landlord uses it to tell a tenant in writing that the rent will go up. Last checked October 26, 2026.
The two timing rules
- Notice: the tenant must get the form at least 90 days before the new rent starts.
- Frequency: in most cases, 12 months must have passed since the tenant moved in or since the last increase.
Ways to give the notice
The Board’s N1 instructions list these ways:
- Hand it to the tenant, or to an adult in the unit
- Leave it in the tenant's mailbox or where mail is normally delivered
- Put it under the door or through a mail slot in the door
- Send it by courier, fax or regular mail
If you send the form by mail, add 5 days: the Residential Tenancies Act (section 191) treats a mailed notice as given on the fifth day after mailing. A courier delivery counts the day after you give it to the courier, and an email counts the day it is sent, but only if the tenant has agreed in writing to get documents by email (Board Rules 3.1 and 3.9). Keep proof of when and how the form was given. Ask the Board if unsure.
When no N1 is needed
A landlord does not need to give a Notice of Rent Increase (Form N1) when the landlord and tenant have signed an Agreement to Increase the Rent Above the Guideline (Form N10). Printed on page 2 of Form N1 (checked 2026-10-26). The agreement is a separate Board form, so ask the Board how it works before using it.
What to check
- The new rent is within the guideline for the year it starts, unless the unit is exempt.
- The form is the current version from the Board, filled in fully and signed.
- The date the new rent starts leaves the full notice period.
Official source: Landlord and Tenant Board (Tribunals Ontario).
General information only, not legal advice. See the Disclaimer.