The Ontario N1 Notice of Rent Increase: How to Raise Rent the Right Way

Checked against official Ontario sources on . General information, not legal advice.

In Ontario, a landlord who wants to raise the rent must give the tenant at least 90 days' written notice on a form approved by the Landlord and Tenant Board, which for most units is Form N1. The increase can take effect only once at least 12 months have passed since the tenant's last increase or since the tenant first rented the unit. An increase taken without proper notice is void, so the landlord has to serve a new notice and wait again.

What is the N1 Notice of Rent Increase?

Form N1, Notice of Rent Increase, is the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) form most Ontario landlords use to tell a tenant that the rent is going up. The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 says the notice must be in a form approved by the Board and must set out the landlord's intention to increase the rent and the amount of the new rent.

The form asks for the names and addresses of the tenants and landlords, the unit address, the date the new rent starts, the new total rent, and the amount and percentage of the increase. You also shade a box saying whether the increase is at or below the rent increase guideline, or above it.

The LTB's instructions warn that if you do not complete the form properly, your notice may not be valid and you may have to start over. Read the official instructions before filling it in.

How much notice do you need to give for a rent increase in Ontario?

At least 90 days' written notice. The Act says a landlord shall not increase the rent without first giving the tenant at least 90 days written notice. The 90 days run up to the date the new rent takes effect, so plan backwards from that date and leave some margin for delivery.

The same rule applies even when the Board has approved an above-guideline increase by order.

How often can a landlord raise rent in Ontario?

Once every 12 months. Under the 12-month rule in section 119 of the Act, a landlord may increase the rent only if at least 12 months have passed since the tenant's last rent increase, or, if there has not been one, since the day the unit was first rented to that tenant.

If a previous tenant assigned the unit to the current tenant within the 12 months before the increase date, the LTB's N1 instructions say you can increase the rent if at least 12 months have passed since the previous tenant's last increase.

How do you give an N1 rent increase notice?

  1. Confirm the effective date. Check that at least 12 months will have passed since the last increase or the start of the tenancy on the date the new rent begins.
  2. Work out the new rent. For most units the increase cannot be more than the guideline for that year without Board approval. See our rent increase guideline guide.
  3. Download the current Form N1 from the LTB's forms page and read its instructions.
  4. Fill in every section: all tenants' names, all landlords' names and your mailing address, the full unit address with postal code, the new rent and its start date, and the amount and percentage of the increase.
  5. Shade the box showing whether the increase is within the guideline or above it, and if above, whether it has been approved by an order or you have applied for one.
  6. Sign and date the notice as the landlord or the landlord's representative.
  7. Deliver it at least 90 days before the effective date, using a method the LTB accepts, and keep a copy with a record of how and when you served it.

The LTB's instructions list these ways to give the notice: hand it to the tenant or an adult in the unit, leave it in the tenant's mailbox or where mail is normally delivered, slide it under the door or through a mail slot, send it by fax to the tenant's home or business fax, send it by courier, or send it by mail.

You cannot give the notice by posting it on the door of the tenant's rental unit.

Does the tenant have to sign the N1?

No. The N1 is a notice, not an agreement. It is signed by the landlord or the landlord's representative, and the form has no place for a tenant signature. Section 118 of the Act also says a tenant who does not give notice to end the tenancy after receiving a rent increase notice is deemed to have accepted whatever increase the Act allows.

What is the difference between Form N1 and Form N2?

The LTB's N1 instructions say most landlords must use Form N1, with three exceptions:

  • Form N2 (Notice of Rent Increase, Unit Partially Exempt) is for units exempt from the rules in the Act that limit the amount of a rent increase. The N2 instructions give non-profit and other social housing units as examples.
  • Form N3 is for care home units.
  • Form N10 is used when landlord and tenant agree in writing to an above-guideline increase for capital work or a new or additional service. The N1 itself notes that no Notice of Rent Increase is required where an N10 has been signed.

The N2 has the same 90-day notice and 12-month rules as the N1, but no box about the guideline, because the guideline does not apply to those units.

What about units first occupied after November 15, 2018?

Under section 6.1 of the Act, the guideline and several related rules do not apply to a unit in a building, or entirely in an addition, where no part was occupied for residential purposes on or before November 15, 2018. Ontario's rent increase page describes this as new buildings, additions and most new basement apartments being exempt from rent control, and says the landlord must prove it if disputed.

The exemption removes the cap, not the process. The notice and 12-month sections of the Act are not on the list of exempt sections, and the LTB has said landlords of these units must still serve a notice of rent increase 90 days in advance on a Board-approved form and can only increase the rent once every 12 months.

The official sources we reviewed do not name which specific form (N1 or N2) to use for a post-2018 unit. If you are unsure, contact the LTB at 416-645-8080 or 1-888-332-3234 before serving.

What makes a rent increase void?

Section 116(4) of the Act says an increase is void if the landlord has not given the required notice, and the landlord must give a new notice before taking the increase. In practice, short notice, a missing form, or a notice served the wrong way can mean starting the 90 days over.

Timing cuts both ways. Under section 136, an increase is deemed lawful unless an application is made within one year after it was first charged. Ontario's rent increase page tells tenants they can dispute an improper notice or too-high increase at the LTB within 12 months after the amount was first charged.

Can you raise rent above the guideline?

Only with Board approval or a signed N10 agreement. Under section 126, a landlord can apply to the LTB (Form L5, Application for a Rent Increase Above the Guideline) because of an extraordinary increase in municipal taxes and charges, eligible capital expenditures, or security services provided by people the landlord does not employ. The application must be made at least 90 days before the first intended increase, and you still serve an N1.

If the order has not been issued yet, the tenant can choose to pay the increase in the notice or just the current rent plus the guideline. A tenant who pays only the guideline amount may owe the difference once the order is issued.

How Propmo helps

Propmo tracks each tenancy against the Ontario rent increase guideline for the effective year and the 90-day N1 notice window, shows notices once they are within 30 days of eligibility, and prepares the Form N1 details and a tenant notice email for the landlord to copy and review. It does not send either. Price: $35 CAD per unit per month.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I give a rent increase notice by email in Ontario?
Email is not among the delivery methods listed in the LTB's N1 instructions, which are handing it over, mailbox, under the door or mail slot, fax, courier and mail. Posting it on the door is specifically not allowed. Check with the LTB before relying on any other method.
What is the Ontario rent increase guideline for 2026?
Ontario's rent increase guideline page lists 2.1% for 2026 and 1.9% for 2027. The guideline is set for each calendar year and is the maximum most tenants' rent can rise in a year without LTB approval. See our full guideline guide for details.
Can I serve the N1 more than 90 days in advance?
Yes. The Act sets a minimum of at least 90 days' written notice, not a maximum. The increase still cannot take effect until 12 months have passed since the last increase or the start of the tenancy.
Do I need an N1 if my tenant agrees to the increase?
Generally yes, a landlord must give notice on a Board-approved form. The exception noted on the N1 is a signed N10 Agreement to Increase the Rent Above the Guideline, for capital work or a new or additional service, where no separate notice is required.
Does the guideline apply when a new tenant moves in?
No. Ontario's guideline page says the guideline does not apply to rental units upon turnover of a tenancy, when the landlord and new tenant agree on the rent. The 12-month rule then runs from the day the unit was first rented to that tenant.
What if I made a mistake on the N1?
The LTB warns that an improperly completed form may not be valid and you may have to start over. Because an increase without proper notice is void, the safest course is usually to serve a corrected notice with a fresh 90 days.

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