Most LTB hearings are Zoom hearings scheduled in blocks, not appointments. Sign in 15 minutes early, expect to wait, and present your own case — the adjudicator is neutral and cannot advise you.
The outcome is usually decided beforehand: evidence filed seven business days ahead, and the right forms served five business days ahead.
What actually happens at an LTB hearing?
Less ceremony than people expect, and more waiting. The Board’s own description is the honest one: “In most cases, your hearing will be scheduled as part of a ‘hearing block’ where a number of files will have the same start time,” and “you may have to wait for much of the day, so make arrangements for childcare or to be absent from work or school.”
Sign in early. The LTB asks parties to log onto the video link or call in “at least 15 minutes prior to your hearing,” and warns that if you are not in the hearing room when your case is called, “your hearing may go ahead without you.” That is not a formality — the Board states that if you do not attend and nobody appears for you, the adjudicator can dismiss your application or decide it without you.
Once your file is called, you and the other side question witnesses, put in relevant documents and make arguments. Section 184 of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 applies the Statutory Powers Procedure Act to Board proceedings, and section 183 directs the Board to adopt “the most expeditious method” that still gives everyone an adequate chance to be heard. Expeditious is the operative word.
How will my hearing be held, and how long is the wait?
Virtually, in most cases, and the wait depends on what was filed. The Board schedules three formats — virtual, written and in person — and says plainly that “in most cases, a virtual hearing will be scheduled” and that “the LTB decides what type of hearing to hold.” Written hearings are used mainly for above-guideline increase applications and rent-reduction variations. In-person hearings happen only on an approved accommodation request.
On timing, the LTB’s service timelines page reports L1 and L9 rent applications being scheduled within roughly three months of filing, most other application types within five to seven months, and urgent matters such as illegal lockouts within five to six weeks. Orders are said to issue within 30 days of the hearing in most cases, and if you have nothing after 60 days the Board invites an email to LTB@ontario.ca.
What do I have to file, and by when?
This is the part that decides most hearings. The deadlines below are the ones the LTB publishes on its application and hearing process pages.
| What | Who | Deadline before the hearing | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence — documents, photos, texts, recordings | Either party | At least 7 business days | Late evidence may not be accepted; the adjudicator decides what is admitted |
| Responding evidence | Either party | At least 5 days | Only for material answering the other side’s evidence |
| Issues a Tenant Intends to Raise at a Rent Arrears Hearing | Tenant | At least 5 business days | Without it you may not be able to raise maintenance, harassment or illegal rent |
| L1/L9 Application Information Update | Landlord | 5 business days | Tells the Board what has changed since filing |
| Request for the Board to Issue a Summons | Either party | As early as possible | You must pay the witness to attend |
| Accommodation Request | Either party | “As soon as possible” | The only route to an in-person hearing or an ASL interpreter |
| Request for French-Language Services | Responding party | “Well in advance” | An application filed in French gets a bilingual hearing automatically |
File through the Tribunals Ontario Portal if your application type uses it, and serve the other party separately unless you have both signed the Consent to Disclosure through Tribunals Ontario Portal form. The Board is explicit that uploading to the portal is not by itself service on the other side.
One more caution about evidence: the LTB reminds parties that an item “does not automatically become evidence once it has been given to the LTB or the other parties,” and that caselaw and written legal argument may be accepted but are not evidence. Photographs with dates on them beat adjectives.
Who is in the hearing, and can someone speak for me?
The applicant, the respondent, any representatives, any witnesses and the adjudicator. You do not need a representative, but you may have one — and the Board’s rules are broader than most people realise. A representative “may be a lawyer or paralegal you hire,” or “a person who is not a lawyer or paralegal,” including a friend or relative, or someone the Law Society allows to provide legal services without a licence. If your representative is not a licensee and you cannot attend, you must give them written permission.
You can also bring a support person. The Board says a support person “is not considered a representative as long as they don’t speak for you in the hearing or mediation.”
For interpretation, French and sign language are provided — sign language through an Accommodation Request. For any other language, the Board says it does not usually provide interpreters and you are expected to arrange one yourself.
Can the case settle before the adjudicator hears it?
Often, yes, and the Board pushes hard in that direction. Parties on the portal can use the Online Dispute Resolution tool to negotiate directly; if they agree, or reach an impasse, a Dispute Resolution Officer is assigned. Section 194 gives the Board power to attempt settlement through mediation, and section 194(5) is the backstop: “If there is no settlement, the Board shall hold a hearing.”
Settlements at the Board are unusually powerful. Section 194(2) provides that a settlement “may contain provisions that contravene any provision under this Act” — with one guardrail in section 194(3), which caps any agreed rent increase at the guideline plus three per cent. Read anything you are asked to sign in mediation as carefully as you would read a lease.
What happens after — and how long do I have to challenge it?
The adjudicator may give a decision on the day or reserve it, but either way you get a written order. If you want written reasons, the Board says to ask at the hearing or in writing within 30 days of the date on the order.
Then the clocks start, and one of them is much shorter than it used to be.
| Step | Deadline | Fee | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Request to Amend an Order (clerical or calculation error) | 30 days | No charge | LTB guidance; Interpretation Guideline 15 |
| Request to Review an Order (serious error, or unable to participate) | 15 days | $58 | s.209(3), in force 1 July 2026 |
| Motion to Set Aside an Ex Parte Order (L3 or L4 only) | 10 days | No charge | LTB guidance; order is stayed on filing |
| Appeal to the Divisional Court, question of law only | 30 days | Court fees apply | s.210(1) |
| Motion to Void an Eviction Order for Arrears of Rent | Before the order is enforced | No charge | s.74(11); LTB fee schedule |
The 15-day review deadline is new. The Board’s operational update of 30 June 2026 records that “the timeline to request a review of an LTB order is shortened from 30 days to 15 days,” and section 209(3) now says exactly that, subject to the Board extending time where it considers it “just and appropriate.” If you disagree with an order, diarise it the day it arrives.
Enforcement is a separate world. Section 209(1) makes an order final and binding; section 85 gives an eviction order the same effect as a writ of possession; and the Board’s brochure states flatly that “only the Sheriff can evict a tenant” and that “the LTB does not enforce an order.” A money order goes to Small Claims Court instead. And section 81 gives an eviction order a shelf life: it expires six months after it takes effect if it is not filed with the sheriff in that time.
Can the Board refuse to evict?
Yes, and it must at least consider doing so. Section 83(2) provides that where a hearing is held, the Board “shall not grant the application unless it has reviewed the circumstances and considered whether or not it should exercise its powers” to refuse or to postpone enforcement. Section 83(1) gives it both of those powers outright.
Section 83(3) goes further and requires refusal where the Board is satisfied that the landlord is in serious breach of their own responsibilities or a material covenant, or that the application was brought because the tenant complained to a government authority, tried to enforce their legal rights, or is involved with a tenants’ association. If any of that describes your file, it belongs in your evidence, not in your closing remarks.
The takeaway
An LTB hearing rewards preparation and punishes assumptions. Block the whole day, sign in early, and get your documents in seven business days ahead with proof you served them. Know before you log on which of section 83’s outcomes you are actually asking for — refusal, a delay, a payment plan, or a decision on the money. And once the order lands, read it the same day, because the review window is now 15 days rather than 30.
Hearing coming up and a property decision behind it?
Plenty of LTB files are really property questions in disguise — whether to hold the unit, sell it tenanted, or wait. Send me the file number, the application type and the address, and I will give you a straight read on the market side while you handle the tribunal side. No pitch, no obligation.
connect@jatindua.com · 437-987-1925 · Book a free consultation
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Frequently asked questions
Are LTB hearings in person or on Zoom?
Most are on Zoom. The Landlord and Tenant Board schedules three types of hearing: virtual, written and in person, and states that in most cases a virtual hearing will be scheduled and that the LTB decides the format. A virtual hearing can be joined by video or by telephone using the details in the notice of hearing. In-person hearings are only scheduled on an approved accommodation request.
How long does it take to get an LTB hearing in Ontario?
It depends on the application. The LTB’s published service timelines say L1 and L9 rent applications are scheduled within approximately three months of filing, most other application types within five to seven months, and urgent matters such as illegal lockouts within five to six weeks. Those figures come from the Board’s own service timelines page, which still cites 2024 caseload data, so treat them as indicative.
What do I need to file before my LTB hearing?
Evidence should reach the LTB and the other party at least seven business days before the hearing, or five days for responding evidence. A tenant who wants to raise maintenance, harassment or illegal rent at a rent arrears hearing must complete and serve the Issues a Tenant Intends to Raise form at least five business days before. Landlords on an L1 or L9 must file the L1/L9 Application Information Update five business days before.
How long do I have to challenge an LTB order?
Fifteen days for a review. Section 209(3) of the Residential Tenancies Act, as amended with effect from 1 July 2026, requires a request to review a decision or order to be submitted within 15 days of issuance unless the Board extends the time. That replaced the previous 30 days. A separate appeal to the Divisional Court under section 210 must be brought within 30 days and only on a question of law.
Sources
- Landlord and Tenant Board — Application and hearing process. Mediation and ODR, hearing formats, who attends, what happens on the day, evidence and filing deadlines, orders, reviews, appeals and the Board’s service timelines. Accessed 23 August 2026.
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17 (e-Laws). Sections 74, 81, 82, 83, 85, 183, 184, 194, 206, 207, 209 and 210, including the 15-day review timeline added by 2025, c. 14, Sched. 12, s. 11 in force 1 July 2026. Consolidation current from 1 July 2026.
- Landlord and Tenant Board — Forms, filing and fees. Current fees, including $58 to request a review of an order and no charge for a motion to void an eviction order for arrears or to set aside an ex parte order. Accessed 23 August 2026.
- Landlord and Tenant Board — Operational Update: Legislative Changes at the LTB. Confirms the review deadline moving from 30 days to 15 days and the mandatory Payment Agreement form from 1 July 2026.
- Landlord and Tenant Board — How a Landlord Can End a Tenancy. The statement that only the Sheriff can evict a tenant and that the LTB does not enforce its own orders. Last updated July 2026.
- Landlord and Tenant Board — If a Tenant Does Not Pay Rent. Payment plans, paying into the Board in trust, and what a member can order at an arrears hearing.
- Government of Ontario — Renting in Ontario: your rights. Confirms the right to attend a hearing and explain why you should not be evicted, and lists Legal Aid Ontario contact details. Page updated 2 July 2026.
Related reading
- The N4 notice for non-payment of rent, explained
- The Ontario LTB forms guide — which form does what
- The T2 application and tenant rights, explained
About the author — Jatin Dua, Etobicoke real estate agent
I am Jatin Dua, a licensed Realtor with RE/MAX Quantum Realty, working out of 799 The Queensway in Etobicoke. I write about Ontario tenancy rules because they shape what a property is worth to a buyer, what a seller can deliver on closing and what an investor can actually do with a unit. Everything on this page is checked against the statute, the regulations and the Landlord and Tenant Board’s own published material rather than against what people say online.
I sit through enough of these on the property side to know that the single biggest predictor of how a hearing goes is whether someone filed their documents on time. It is a dull answer, and it is the true one.
Reach me at connect@jatindua.com or 437-987-1925.