The rule change every Ontario tenant should know

For tenants in Ontario who received an N12 notice. As of October 2026.

An N12 is the notice a landlord gives when they, a family member or a caregiver want to move into your unit. Since September 21, 2026, the rules for these notices have changed. How much notice you got now decides whether you are paid anything.

The problem: a new rule on compensation

Before the change, a landlord who ended a tenancy with an N12 had to pay one month’s rent or offer another unit you accept. Tribunals Ontario says that for N12 notices served on or after September 21, 2026:

• If the landlord gives at least 120 days’ notice, they no longer have to pay compensation or offer another acceptable unit.
• If the landlord gives less than 120 days’ notice, the existing compensation rules still apply.
• This change does not apply to N12 notices served for a purchaser’s own use of the unit.

The safeguard: the 60-day move-in rule

• From September 21, 2026, the landlord or the other person named must normally move in within 60 days of the date in the N12.
• If they do not, and you file a T5 application (Landlord Gave a Notice of Termination in Bad Faith), the N12 is presumed to have been given in bad faith.
• The landlord can try to rebut that presumption at the T5 hearing.
• Tribunals Ontario says this 60-day rule does not apply to N12 notices served for a purchaser’s use of the property.

Check your notice

1. Date served. Was it served on or after September 21, 2026?
2. Notice length. Count the days between when you got it and the termination date. Is it at least 120 days?
3. Who is moving in. The landlord or family (landlord’s own use), or a buyer (purchaser’s own use)?
4. Form version. Tribunals Ontario says older versions of the N12 and other forms are no longer accepted as of November 30, 2026.

What you can do

1. Keep the notice and note the date you got it.
2. Know that the notice alone is not an eviction order. If you do not move out, the landlord can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board, and you can dispute the application at the hearing.
3. If you move out, watch whether the person named actually moves in within 60 days of the date in the notice.
4. If you believe the notice was given in bad faith, read about the T5 application on the Tribunals Ontario site.
5. Get help early from a community legal clinic or a licensed professional before you decide.

The point to remember

On a landlord’s own-use N12 served from September 21, 2026, 120 days’ notice can mean no compensation. In return, the landlord must normally move in within 60 days, or bad faith is presumed if you file a T5.

Check the official pages before you act:

• Tribunals Ontario, LTB Operational Update: Legislative changes effective September 21, 2026
• Landlord and Tenant Board, How a Landlord Can End a Tenancy (brochure)

Join the conversation

Have you received an N12 since September 21? Share your questions in the comments. Please do not post addresses, names or documents.

This article is general information on Canadian law, as of October 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create a representative relationship. Always consult a licensed legal professional for your specific situation.