You cannot enforce it yourself. The Landlord and Tenant Board states that an eviction order “can only be enforced by the Court Enforcement Office of the Superior Court of Justice” and that the LTB does not enforce orders. The rule comes from RTA s. 85 (an eviction order has the effect of a writ of possession), s. 39 (no recovery of possession without a Board order), s. 40 (distress abolished) and s. 141 of the Courts of Justice Act. The order expires six months after the day it takes effect if not filed with the sheriff — from the eviction date, not the issue date (s. 81). Filing costs a $75 filing fee and a $240 enforcement fee plus mileage, and you must attend to accept possession or pay both again. Until the order is executed, sections 21, 22, 23 and 24 still bind you completely.
You have an eviction order. The termination date has passed. The tenant is still in the unit. What you do in the next few days decides whether this ends in a few weeks or turns into a case against you.
You cannot enforce it. Only the sheriff can.
The Landlord and Tenant Board publishes this under the heading “Only the Sheriff can evict a tenant”:
“If a tenant doesn’t leave the rental unit by the termination date in the eviction order, a landlord cannot personally enforce the order (remove a tenant from a rental unit or change the locks). An eviction order can only be enforced by the Court Enforcement Office of the Superior Court of Justice (also called the ‘Sheriff’s Office’). The LTB does not enforce an order.”
One accuracy point, because it gets quoted wrongly. There is no single section of the Residential Tenancies Act that says this in terms. The rule is built from four provisions working together, and anyone citing you a single section for it has not read them.
| Provision | What it does |
|---|---|
| RTA s. 85 | “An order evicting a person shall have the same effect, and shall be enforced in the same manner, as a writ of possession.” |
| RTA s. 39 | “A landlord shall not recover possession of a rental unit subject to a tenancy unless, (a) the tenant has vacated or abandoned the unit; or (b) an order of the Board evicting the tenant has authorized the possession.” |
| RTA s. 40 | “No landlord shall, without legal process, seize a tenant’s property for default in the payment of rent or for the breach of any other obligation of the tenant.” Distress is abolished |
| Courts of Justice Act s. 141(1) | “Unless an Act provides otherwise, orders of a court arising out of a civil proceeding and enforceable in Ontario shall be directed to a sheriff for enforcement.” |
Section 141(2) adds that a sheriff who believes execution may give rise to a breach of the peace “may require a police officer to accompany the sheriff and assist”. And section 234(w) of the RTA makes it an offence to “unlawfully recover possession of a rental unit”.
The six-month clock, and where it actually starts
Section 81:
“An order of the Board evicting a person from a rental unit expires six months after the day on which the order takes effect if it is not filed within those six months with the sheriff who has territorial jurisdiction where the rental unit is located.”
Two things people blur. The six months runs from the day the order takes effect — the eviction date in the order — not from the day it was issued or mailed. And what stops the clock is filing with the sheriff. The RTA puts no further statutory deadline on when the sheriff must then execute.
Contrast the tenant-side order under section 31(3), which runs on far shorter clocks: it expires at the end of the fifteenth day after issuance if not filed with the sheriff, and at the end of the forty-fifth day if it is filed.
One related deadline changed on 1 July 2026: the window to ask the LTB to review an order dropped from thirty days to fifteen.
What filing actually costs and requires
The Superior Court publishes a form for this, SS-0418, and it expressly contemplates an LTB order rather than only a court writ. The fees are printed on the form itself.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Filing fee | $75.00 |
| Enforcement fee | $240.00 |
| Travel allowance | $0.30 per kilometre in Southern Ontario, $0.305 in Northern Ontario, for the distance from the enforcement office to the eviction address and return |
| Miscellaneous disbursements | Variable |
The Ministry of the Attorney General confirms the mechanics: “The sheriff is responsible for enforcing certain court orders and judgments, including tribunal orders… Fees are paid to the Enforcement Office at the time an enforcement request is filed, either in person or by mail.” Payment is by cash, cheque or money order to the Minister of Finance, debit or credit card. Find your local office through the Government of Ontario court locations page with the court type filter set to Enforcement.
What the form asks for, and why
The form is more demanding than most landlords expect, and its own header explains why: “Failure to provide the information requested within this form may cause a delay in the execution of the order due to possible safety risk to the Enforcement Officer(s) and others, which must be assessed prior to conducting any enforcement activities.”
You will be asked for the eviction address and nearest major intersections; the type of premises; a scheduling contact; for an apartment building, the on-site superintendent’s name and phone number and whether the superintendent has keys — and if not, “will locksmith be provided?”; the number of occupants and children and whether occupants are elderly or children are infants; pets, by type, number and size; and safety disclosures covering suspected unlawful activity, violence or drugs, prior police attendance, quarantine, family crisis, severe illness or hoarding, accessibility or mobility concerns, and whether the proceeding was bilingual.
Two operational notes printed at the foot of the form, and both cost money.
“1. Pets left on the premises are the landlord’s/mortgagee’s responsibility”.
“2. The landlord/agent or mortgagee/agent must be present in order to accept vacant possession of the premises. If the landlord/agent is not present, the Enforcement Officer(s) cannot execute the order. In the event the landlord/agent fails to attend on the date and at the time scheduled and later contacts the Enforcement Office to ask for execution of the order, an enforcement fee and appropriate mileage expenses must again be paid.”
Miss the appointment and you pay the $240 and the mileage again. Put it in the diary properly.
Expedited enforcement, in narrow cases
Section 84 requires the Board to request that the sheriff expedite enforcement where the order is based on an N6 involving an illegal act, trade, business or occupation under clause 61(2)(a), or on a notice under sections 63, 65 or 66 — the serious damage, serious impairment of safety and small-building grounds. It is a request, and it is expressly “subject to clause 83(1)(b)”.
Changing on 21 September 2026. Section 83(1)(b), the Board’s power to postpone enforcement, gains the words “subject to any prescribed limitations or conditions”, and new section 8.4 of O. Reg. 516/06 permits postponement only where the landlord consents, or where it would not be unfair — and on any ground other than an N12 or N13, only where there are additionally compelling grounds.
What you must not do while you wait
This is where landlords lose. Read the words “before the day on which an order evicting the tenant is executed” carefully, because they appear in the statute deliberately.
| Section | Prohibition |
|---|---|
| s. 21(1) | A landlord shall not, during occupancy and before the day the eviction order is executed, withhold or deliberately interfere with the reasonable supply of any vital service, care service or food |
| s. 22 | A landlord shall not, during occupancy and before the day the eviction order is executed, substantially interfere with the reasonable enjoyment of the unit |
| s. 23 | “A landlord shall not harass, obstruct, coerce, threaten or interfere with a tenant.” No time limit at all |
| s. 24 | A landlord shall not alter the locking system during the tenant’s occupancy without giving the tenant replacement keys |
| s. 25 and s. 26 | A landlord may enter only in accordance with s. 26 or s. 27 — emergency, consent at the time, regular cleaning under the agreement, showing to prospective tenants between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. after notice of termination, or 24 hours’ written notice specifying the reason, day and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. |
Holding an unexecuted eviction order changes nothing about any of this. Sections 21 and 22 bind you right up until the order is executed, and section 24 binds you throughout the tenancy. The order is permission for the sheriff to act. It is not permission for you to act.
What it costs you if you do it anyway
Under section 31(1) the Board may order that you not engage in further such activity; order you to pay the tenant for repairing or replacing damaged or disposed-of property and for other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses; order an abatement of rent; order you to pay the Board an administrative fine not exceeding the greater of $10,000 and the monetary jurisdiction of the Small Claims Court — which since 1 October 2025 is $50,000; order the tenancy terminated; or make any other order it considers appropriate.
A tenant has one year from the conduct to apply, under section 29(2).
Separately, prosecution. Section 234(w) makes unlawfully recovering possession an offence, and since 1 July 2026 the maximum fines under section 238 are $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation, up from $50,000 and $250,000. That is a different thing from the administrative fine, and both are available.
What I would do, in order
- Diarise the six months from the date the order takes effect, not from the date on the envelope. File before it, not near it.
- Fill out SS-0418 properly the first time. The form says incomplete information causes delay because the office has to assess officer safety. Every blank you leave is a week.
- Sort out keys and a locksmith before you file. The form asks, and the answer determines whether the appointment can go ahead.
- Be there. If you are not present to accept vacant possession the officers cannot execute the order, and rescheduling costs the enforcement fee and mileage again.
- Plan for the pets. The form says in terms that pets left on the premises are your responsibility.
- Do nothing yourself in the meantime. No lock change, no service interruption, no pressure. Sections 21, 22 and 24 run until execution, and section 23 has no end date at all.
- If the order was based on serious damage or an illegal act, ask about section 84. The Board is required to request expedited enforcement in those cases.
What is not on this page
No case law. No estimate of how long the sheriff takes after filing, because the RTA imposes no deadline and I found no published service standard for it. And no advice on your particular order — if a tenant has filed a review or a motion to set aside, that changes the position and you need a paralegal or a lawyer, not an article.
Holding an eviction order on an Etobicoke or GTA property?
If the endgame is selling rather than re-renting, the sequence matters and the wrong order costs money. Send me the address and where you are in the process and I will tell you what the property is worth vacant against tenanted, and whether it is worth waiting for possession at all. On the enforcement steps themselves I will tell you to use a paralegal, because that is the honest answer. No cost and no obligation.
connect@jatindua.com · 437-987-1925 · Book a free consultation
Confidential. Read personally and answered within 24 hours. I never share, sell or distribute your information.
Free tool — AI home value estimator
Instant Home Valuation
What’s your home
worth today?
Answer six quick questions and get an instant value range built from current Toronto & GTA sale data — property type, size, condition, lot and location all weighted the way a real pricing conversation weighs them. Takes about ninety seconds.
Reading recent GTA sale data…
Building your estimate
Estimated market value
—
$0–$0
Most likely value $0 · roughly $0 per square foot
What moved the number
Starting from the area baseline for your property type, here’s what each answer added or subtracted.
Market context
Recent local averages for comparison.
—
A range is a starting point.
A strategy is what sells.
This model doesn’t know that your neighbour’s identical semi went $80,000 over asking last month, or which two upgrades actually pay back in your area. That conversation is free and takes twenty minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the locks once I have an eviction order?
No. Section 24 of the Residential Tenancies Act prohibits a landlord from altering the locking system during the tenant’s occupancy without giving the tenant replacement keys, and the Landlord and Tenant Board states plainly that a landlord cannot personally enforce an eviction order or change the locks. Only the Court Enforcement Office of the Superior Court of Justice can enforce the order. Section 234(w) makes unlawfully recovering possession an offence.
Who actually enforces an eviction order in Ontario?
The Court Enforcement Office of the Superior Court of Justice, also called the Sheriff’s Office. Section 85 of the RTA gives an eviction order the same effect and manner of enforcement as a writ of possession, and section 141(1) of the Courts of Justice Act directs orders arising out of a civil proceeding to a sheriff for enforcement. The LTB itself does not enforce its orders.
How long do I have to enforce an eviction order?
Six months, and the clock starts earlier than most landlords think. Section 81 provides that an order evicting a person expires six months after the day on which the order takes effect if it is not filed within those six months with the sheriff having territorial jurisdiction where the unit is located. It runs from the day the order takes effect, meaning the eviction date specified in it, not from the date the order was issued or mailed. Filing with the sheriff stops the clock, and the RTA sets no further deadline for the sheriff to execute.
What does it cost to have the sheriff enforce an eviction?
The fees are printed on the Superior Court’s form SS-0418: a filing fee of $75.00 and an enforcement fee of $240.00, plus a travel allowance of $0.30 per kilometre in Southern Ontario or $0.305 per kilometre in Northern Ontario for the distance from the enforcement office to the eviction address and return, plus any miscellaneous disbursements.
Do I have to be there when the sheriff attends?
Yes, and it costs money if you are not. Form SS-0418 states that the landlord or agent must be present in order to accept vacant possession, that if they are not present the enforcement officers cannot execute the order, and that where the landlord fails to attend at the scheduled date and time and later asks for execution, the enforcement fee and appropriate mileage expenses must again be paid.
What happens to the tenant’s pets?
They become your problem. Form SS-0418 states in terms that pets left on the premises are the landlord’s or mortgagee’s responsibility. The form also asks in advance for the type, number and size of pets at the unit, so the enforcement office can plan for them.
Can I turn off the utilities or stop services to encourage the tenant to leave?
No, and the statute is drafted specifically to close that off. Section 21(1) prohibits a landlord from withholding or deliberately interfering with the reasonable supply of any vital service, care service or food during the tenant’s occupancy and before the day on which an order evicting the tenant is executed. Section 22 uses the same formula for substantial interference with reasonable enjoyment. Holding an unexecuted eviction order does not change either.
What can a tenant do if I lock them out?
Apply to the Board within one year of the conduct under section 29(2). Under section 31(1) the Board may order that you not engage in further such activity, order you to pay for repairing or replacing the tenant’s damaged or disposed-of property and other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, order an abatement of rent, order you to pay the Board an administrative fine not exceeding the greater of $10,000 and the monetary jurisdiction of the Small Claims Court, order the tenancy terminated, or make any other order it considers appropriate. Separately, unlawfully recovering possession is an offence under section 234(w), and since 1 July 2026 the maximum fine under section 238 is $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation.
Can an eviction be expedited?
In narrow cases. Section 84 requires the Board, in an order based on a notice under section 61(1) involving an illegal act, trade, business or occupation described in clause 61(2)(a), or on a notice under section 63, 65 or 66, to request that the sheriff expedite enforcement. Those are the serious damage, serious impairment of safety and small-building grounds. It is a request rather than a guarantee, and it is expressly subject to clause 83(1)(b).
Is the Board’s power to delay enforcement changing?
Yes, on 21 September 2026. Section 83(1)(b) is amended to begin with the words subject to any prescribed limitations or conditions, and new section 8.4 of O. Reg. 516/06 provides that the Board may postpone enforcement only if the landlord consents, or if it would not be unfair to the landlord or other tenants where the application is based on a notice under section 48, 49 or 50, and for any other application only if it would not be unfair and there are compelling grounds.
Related reading
- Everything that changes in Ontario tenancy law on 21 September 2026
- The LTB hearing: what to expect
- The N4 notice explained
- Can my landlord enter or show my unit? The Ontario entry rules
Sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these, and each was read on 1 September 2026. Primary sources only — statute, regulation, and the government or agency that administers the rule. Where I could not verify something from a primary source, the page says so instead of guessing.
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, sections 39, 40, 81, 84 and 85. Government of Ontario e-Laws, consolidated text read 1 September 2026. Section 85 provides that an order evicting a person has the same effect and is enforced in the same manner as a writ of possession. Section 39 bars a landlord from recovering possession unless the tenant has vacated or a Board order authorises it. Section 40 abolishes distress. Section 81 provides that an eviction order expires six months after the day it takes effect if not filed with the sheriff within those six months. Section 84 requires the Board to request expedited enforcement in certain illegal act and serious damage cases. Accessed 1 September 2026.
- Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.43, section 141. Government of Ontario e-Laws, read 1 September 2026. Provides that unless an Act says otherwise, orders of a court arising out of a civil proceeding and enforceable in Ontario shall be directed to a sheriff for enforcement, and that a sheriff who believes execution may give rise to a breach of the peace may require a police officer to accompany and assist. Accessed 1 September 2026.
- How a Landlord Can End a Tenancy — Landlord and Tenant Board. Landlord and Tenant Board, Tribunals Ontario, brochure last updated July 2026. Under the heading Only the Sheriff can evict a tenant, states that a landlord cannot personally enforce an eviction order or change the locks, that an eviction order can only be enforced by the Court Enforcement Office of the Superior Court of Justice, and that the LTB does not enforce an order. Accessed 1 September 2026.
- Eviction Information Requirements Form SS-0418 — Ontario Superior Court of Justice (PDF). Ontario Superior Court of Justice, form SS-0418 revision 08/19. Prints a filing fee of $75.00 and an enforcement fee of $240.00, plus a travel allowance of $0.30 per kilometre in Southern Ontario and $0.305 in Northern Ontario for the distance from the enforcement office to the eviction address and return. States that pets left on the premises are the landlord’s responsibility, and that the landlord or agent must be present to accept vacant possession or the officers cannot execute the order, with the enforcement fee and mileage payable again on a rescheduled attendance. Accessed 1 September 2026.
- Civil court fees — Government of Ontario. Government of Ontario, page updated 9 April 2026. States that the sheriff is responsible for enforcing certain court orders and judgments including tribunal orders, that the duties are carried out by the Enforcement Office, and that fees are paid to the Enforcement Office at the time an enforcement request is filed. Accessed 1 September 2026.
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, sections 21 to 27, 29, 31 and 234. Government of Ontario e-Laws, consolidated text read 1 September 2026. Sections 21 and 22 bind a landlord until the day an eviction order is executed. Section 23 prohibits harassment, obstruction, coercion, threats and interference. Section 24 prohibits altering the locking system without giving the tenant replacement keys. Section 29(2) sets a one-year limitation on a tenant application. Section 31(1)(d) permits an administrative fine not exceeding the greater of $10,000 and the monetary jurisdiction of the Small Claims Court. Section 234(w) makes unlawfully recovering possession an offence. Accessed 1 September 2026.
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17. Government of Ontario e-Laws, consolidated text read 1 September 2026 through the e-Laws JSON API. Consolidation period from 1 July 2026; last amendment 2025, c. 14, Sched. 12. The consolidation carries twenty-eight not-yet-in-force amendment notes dated 21 September 2026, each in the form “Note: On September 21, 2026, the day named by order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council…” Accessed 1 September 2026.
- O. Reg. 516/06, General, under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. Government of Ontario e-Laws, consolidation period 21 July 2026, last amended by O. Reg. 241/26. Carries seven not-yet-in-force notes dated 21 September 2026, adding sections 8.1 to 8.4 and a new Part II.1. Accessed 1 September 2026.
- LTB Operational Update: Legislative Changes at the Landlord and Tenant Board. Tribunals Ontario, 30 June 2026. States that some changes come into effect on 1 July 2026 and others outlined in Bills 60 and 97 are to take effect in September 2026, and that Tribunals Ontario and the LTB will provide information as it becomes available. Lists the 1 July changes including the review deadline shortening from thirty days to fifteen, and the increased maximum fines. Its reference to section 236 is a mis-citation; the penalties are in section 238. Accessed 1 September 2026.
About the author — Jatin Dua, Etobicoke real estate agent
I’m the Broker of Record at RE/MAX Quantum Realty, 799 The Queensway in Etobicoke. I write these pages the same way I work a file: read the primary source, quote it, date it, and say plainly where the source is silent or where two sources disagree. If a figure on this page has no citation beside it, that is a mistake and I want to hear about it.
I work with buyers, sellers, renters and investors across Etobicoke, Mimico, Humber Bay Shores, New Toronto, Long Branch, Alderwood and Stonegate–Queensway. connect@jatindua.com or 437-987-1925.