Managing your rental
When an Ontario landlord can give an N13: the 120-day notice, compensation, the right to return and the renovation licences Toronto, Hamilton and London require.
By the Tenant.ca teamUpdated 4 min read
Section 50 of the Residential Tenancies Act lets a landlord end a tenancy to demolish the unit, to convert it to a use other than housing, or to do repairs or renovations so extensive that they need a building permit and vacant possession. Work that can be done with the tenant in place, or without a permit, is not a ground.
This page is general information, not legal advice. It reflects the Residential Tenancies Act, the province's pages and the Landlord and Tenant Board's forms as checked on October 19, 2026. If a tenancy is already in dispute, speak to a lawyer or licensed paralegal.
The date must be at least 120 days after the notice is given and fall on the last day of a rental period or the end of a fixed term (section 50); the Board's instructions add five days for mail and one business day for courier. The Board will not order an eviction unless the landlord has obtained all the permits or authorizations the work needs, and the form asks which ones you have.
The Act sets the amounts by building size and by whether the tenant comes back:
For renovations, the notice must tell the tenant they can return when the work is done if they tell the landlord in writing before moving out (sections 50 and 53). The Board's instructions say a returning tenant pays no more than the lawful rent they would have paid without the interruption.
A 2023 amendment to section 50 will also require a report from a qualified person confirming the work needs the unit vacant; on e-Laws on October 19, 2026 it was still marked as waiting to come into force, while the Board's brochure already describes the report. Check the Board's current N13 instructions before you give one.
The Board's instructions point out that some municipalities also require a licence. Toronto's Rental Renovation Licence applies when an N13 is given for renovations that need the unit vacant: the landlord applies within seven days with the building permit and a qualified person's report, and must provide temporary housing or rent-gap payments, a moving allowance, and three months of rent-gap payments if the tenant does not return; the City lists the fee at $728 per unit from January 1, 2026.
Hamilton requires a renovation licence within seven days of serving an N13 when the tenant has to move out for the work. London requires a Rental Unit Repair Licence within seven days of issuing an N13 for repairs that need a building permit, and Waterloo requires a rental housing renovation licence when tenants must move out for renovations.
For the owners we manage for, we plan the timeline around the 120-day notice and the city licence, prepare the notice on the Board's form, coordinate contractors and permits with you, and keep the tenant informed about their right to return. Whether to renovate is always your decision.
Management is $98 per month plus HST for a condo or apartment and $148 per month plus HST for a house, and the first 60 days of the agreement are a trial period.
