Last updated July 12, 2026 · Legislation and effective dates can change; verify current rules before acting.
Short answer: Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, received Royal Assent on November 27, 2025 and amends the Residential Tenancies Act. It rolls out in stages through 2026. On July 1, 2026, tenants gain an explicit right to install a window or portable air conditioner where the landlord provides no cooling. On September 21, 2026, the N4 non-payment notice period drops to roughly 7 days, and a landlord who gives at least 120 days’ notice on an N12 may avoid the usual one-month compensation. The window to request a review of an LTB order shrinks from 30 days to 15. Maximum RTA fines double. The changes cut both ways, and good faith and documentation still govern outcomes.
What is Bill 60 and when does it take effect?
Bill 60 is the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025. It received Royal Assent on November 27, 2025 and amends the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), building on earlier changes from Bill 97. The point most landlords miss is that it does not all switch on at once.
The rollout is staged:
- July 1, 2026. Tenants gain an explicit right to install a window or portable air conditioner where the landlord does not provide cooling.
- September 21, 2026. The bigger procedural changes land: the shortened N4 period, the N12 compensation change, and the tighter review window.
Between those dates, some rules are live and some are not. If you are serving notices in the summer of 2026, check which regime applies to the specific step you are taking. Acting on the wrong effective date is one of the most common ways a well-intentioned landlord loses a case on a technicality.
How does the N4 change affect non-payment evictions?
This is the change that matters most day to day. The N4 is the notice a landlord serves for non-payment of rent. Under the previous rules, a monthly tenant had roughly 14 days to pay the arrears before the landlord could file with the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).
Effective September 21, 2026, that window is reduced to about 7 days, roughly half. In practice, a landlord can begin the formal process about a week sooner on arrears.
That sounds like a straightforward win for landlords, and on timing it is. But two cautions belong on the record:
- A shorter notice does not shorten the hearing queue. The N4 window is only the first step. The LTB backlog still governs how quickly you actually get a hearing.
- The N4 must still be served correctly. A defective N4 (wrong dates, wrong arrears figure, wrong service method) gets dismissed, and a shorter window gives you less room to correct a mistake.
The tighter timeline rewards landlords who track rent precisely and act early. It punishes sloppy records.
What changed for N12 personal-use evictions?
The N12 is the notice used when a landlord, a purchaser, or a close family member intends to move into the unit. Historically, an N12 came with a requirement to pay the tenant one month’s rent in compensation.
Effective September 21, 2026, a landlord who gives at least 120 days’ notice on an N12 may avoid that one-month compensation requirement. Give the tenant more runway, and you may not owe the payment.
Read the next sentence carefully, because it is where landlords get into trouble. The good-faith requirement does not change. An N12 has to reflect a genuine intention to use the unit as stated. If a tenant believes the eviction was a pretext (to re-rent at a higher price, for example), they can bring a bad-faith claim at the LTB. Bill 60 makes the penalties for that worse, not better, because it doubles the maximum RTA fines.
So the N12 change is a genuine convenience for landlords with a real personal-use need and enough lead time. It is a trap for anyone tempted to use it as a workaround.
What else does Bill 60 change at the LTB?
Several procedural and enforcement changes travel with the headline items:
- Review window cut in half. The time to request a review of an LTB order drops from 30 days to 15 days. If an order goes against you, you have far less time to act. Calendar it the day you receive the order.
- Maximum fines double. For individuals, the RTA maximum rises from $50,000 to $100,000. For corporations, from $250,000 to $500,000. These are ceilings, typically reserved for offences such as bad-faith evictions, not routine penalties, but they signal the direction of enforcement.
- Faster scheduling, on paper. The LTB is directed to schedule faster, especially for non-payment cases, and the province has committed to appointing more adjudicators and reporting on the backlog.
On that last point, temper expectations. The backlog is real as of mid-2026, with hearings historically taking roughly three to seven months to reach. A directive to move faster is not the same as a cleared docket. Plan your timelines around the system as it actually functions, not as the statute hopes it will.
Do tenants gain anything under Bill 60?
Yes, and it is worth knowing so you are not caught off guard. Effective July 1, 2026, tenants have an explicit right to install a window or portable air conditioner in a unit where the landlord does not provide cooling. There can be reasonable conditions (safe installation, and in some cases a modest charge for electricity where the unit is separately metered or the arrangement allows), but a blanket refusal is no longer safe ground. If your standard lease or house rules prohibit tenant-installed AC outright, that clause needs a second look before summer.
Is the 2026 rent increase guideline part of Bill 60?
No. This is separate, but landlords ask about it in the same breath, so it belongs here. The 2026 rent increase guideline is 2.1%, down from 2.5% in 2025. It applies to most rent-controlled units first occupied on or before November 15, 2018. To raise rent within the guideline, a landlord must give at least 90 days’ written notice using Form N1, and can raise rent for the same tenant no more than once every 12 months. Units first occupied after November 15, 2018 generally sit outside guideline control, but the notice and timing rules still apply.
Why does this make tenant screening more important, not less?
Here is the practitioner’s read. Bill 60 gives landlords faster arrears timelines and, in some cases, lighter N12 compensation. That is real. But it also shortens your margin for error, doubles the downside of a bad-faith misstep, and does nothing to guarantee a quick hearing.
The most reliable way to benefit from tighter timelines is to not need them. A tenant who pays reliably never triggers an N4. The eviction process (faster or not) is the expensive, uncertain end of a decision you made at the application stage.
That is where genuine due diligence earns its keep. A proper, legally compliant tenant background check (verifying identity, employment and income, previous tenancy history, and public records within the bounds of the Ontario Human Rights Code and PIPEDA) reduces the odds you ever meet the LTB. It is not about screening people out for prohibited reasons. It is about confirming that the facts an applicant states are the facts. When timelines tighten and penalties rise, getting the first decision right matters more than moving quickly on the last one.
For the day-to-day headaches that land after move-in, our companion piece Tenant Troubles? How Private Solutions Investigators Assist Landlords covers what a landlord is actually allowed to look into. For the up-front process, see our evergreen guide, How to Screen a Tenant Legally in Ontario.
Ontario legal context
Residential tenancies in Ontario are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act and administered by the Landlord and Tenant Board. Notices such as the N1, N4, and N12 are prescribed forms with strict content and service requirements, and screening practices are constrained by the Ontario Human Rights Code and by federal privacy law (PIPEDA). Bill 60 amends the RTA on a staged schedule through 2026, and effective dates and details can shift with regulation. A licensed investigator can gather and document facts lawfully; decisions about notices, compensation, and eviction should be made with a licensed Ontario lawyer or paralegal who can apply the current rules to your situation.
Not legal advice
This article is general information about investigative practice in Ontario, not legal advice. Laws change and every situation is different. For advice about your specific circumstances, consult a licensed Ontario lawyer or contact a licensed investigator directly.
Frequently asked questions
When does the 7-day N4 notice period take effect in Ontario?
The shortened N4 non-payment notice period is scheduled to take effect September 21, 2026 under Bill 60. It reduces the notice window to about 7 days, roughly half the previous window for monthly tenancies, so a landlord can begin the formal LTB process about a week sooner on arrears. The good-faith and procedural rules for serving an N4 still apply.
Can a landlord avoid paying N12 compensation under Bill 60?
As of the September 21, 2026 change, a landlord who gives at least 120 days’ notice on an N12 for personal, purchaser, or family use may avoid the usual one-month compensation requirement. The good-faith requirement does not go away. A tenant can still challenge a bad-faith eviction at the LTB, and the penalties for acting in bad faith are real.
What is the 2026 Ontario rent increase guideline?
The 2026 rent increase guideline is 2.1%, down from 2.5% in 2025. It applies to most rent-controlled units first occupied on or before November 15, 2018. A landlord must give at least 90 days’ written notice using Form N1, and can raise rent no more than once every 12 months for the same tenant.
How much did RTA fines increase under Bill 60?
Bill 60 doubles the maximum fines under the Residential Tenancies Act. For individuals, the maximum rises from $50,000 to $100,000. For corporations, it rises from $250,000 to $500,000. These are ceilings for offences such as bad-faith evictions, not automatic penalties.
Does Bill 60 fix the LTB backlog?
Not immediately. Bill 60 directs the Landlord and Tenant Board to schedule faster, especially for non-payment cases, and the province has committed to appointing more adjudicators and reporting on the backlog. The backlog remains real as of mid-2026, with hearings historically taking roughly three to seven months to reach.