N9 Form Ontario: How to End Your Tenancy the Right Way

To end a tenancy in Ontario, give your landlord Form N9 (Tenant's Notice to End the Tenancy) at least 60 days before your move-out date, and make that date the last day of a rental period (for example, the 31st if rent is due on the 1st). If you're in a fixed-term lease, the date can't be earlier than the last day of the term. Weekly or daily tenants need 28 days, and mailing the notice adds 5 days.

Below: the exact timelines, special cases like February moves and roommates leaving, and what to do when you need out of a lease early.

Key takeaways

Use Form N9 from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) website. A text saying "I'm moving out" is risky.
60 days' notice for monthly and fixed-term tenancies; 28 days for weekly or daily.
The date must be the last day of a rental period. In a fixed term, it can't be before the term ends.
Mailing? Add 5 days.
Leaving mid-lease? Agree with your landlord (N11), assign the lease, or sublet.
Roommates: one co-tenant's notice generally doesn't end the tenancy for everyone.
Your last month's rent deposit covers your final month.

This is general information, not legal advice. For your situation, contact the Landlord and Tenant Board or a community legal clinic through Legal Aid Ontario or Steps to Justice.

How much notice do you need?

Your situation	Minimum notice	Termination date
Month-to-month tenancy	60 days	Last day of a rental period
Fixed-term lease (e.g. one year)	60 days	No earlier than the last day of the term
Weekly or daily tenancy	28 days	Last day of a rental period
Moving out February 28/29	Notice by January 1	Last day of February
Moving out March 31	Notice by February 1	March 31
Landlord gave you an N12 or N13	10 days	Any date at least 10 days after your notice, before the landlord's date
Landlord refused, or didn't respond to, your request to assign	30 days	Notice must be given within 30 days of your request
Landlord didn't provide the Standard Lease within 21 days of your written request	60 days	Last day of a rental period, even during a fixed term

If you mail your N9, add 5 days to these periods (for example, 65 days instead of 60).

There's also a separate process for tenants leaving because of domestic or sexual violence or abuse: Form N15, with 28 days' notice and supporting documents. A legal clinic or the LTB can help with that form.

Working out your date: examples

Rent due on the 1st

You want to move out on June 30, 2027.

Hand-delivered N9: deliver by May 1, 2027 (60 days before).
Mailed N9: mail by April 26, 2027 (65 days before).

Rent due on the 15th

Your rental period runs from the 15th to the 14th. To leave in summer, your termination date would be something like August 14, not August 31. Give your N9 at least 60 days before August 14.

End of a one-year lease

Your lease runs September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027. To leave when it ends, deliver your N9 by July 2, 2027. If you don't give notice, your tenancy simply continues month to month; you don't need to sign a new lease to stay.

How to fill out and deliver the N9

Download the current N9 from the LTB's forms page. Forms are updated from time to time, including in 2026.
Fill in the landlord's name, every tenant's name, the rental unit address and your termination date.
Sign it. If there's more than one tenant on the lease and you're all leaving, everyone should sign.
Deliver it by handing it to your landlord, leaving it at the landlord's address in the way the rules allow, or mailing it (add 5 days). Use email only if the landlord agreed in writing to receive notices that way; many Standard Leases cover this in Section 3.
Keep proof: a photo of the signed form, the date and how you delivered it.

You don't file the N9 with the LTB; it goes to your landlord.

After you give notice

Showings: once notice is given, your landlord can show the unit to prospective tenants between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. without written notice, as long as they make a reasonable effort to let you know first.
Your last month: your rent deposit covers your final rental period, so don't pay rent for that month. Make sure you've received any interest owed on it. See our guide to last month's rent deposit rules.
Changing your mind: a notice you've given generally can't be cancelled on your own. If you want to stay, ask your landlord, and get their agreement in writing.
Not leaving on time: if you stay past your termination date, the landlord can apply to the LTB to evict you and may claim compensation.

Leaving a fixed-term lease early

A regular N9 can't end a fixed-term lease before its last day. Here are your realistic options:

1. Agree with your landlord (Form N11)

Ask whether they'll end the tenancy early. If they agree, sign an N11 (Agreement to End the Tenancy). Read it carefully; once signed, you have to leave on that date.

2. Assign the lease

An assignment transfers your lease to a new tenant, who takes over your place and your obligations. Your landlord can:

Agree to assignment in general, and then can't unreasonably refuse a specific person you propose
Refuse assignment altogether, or not respond within 7 days, in which case you can give notice to end your tenancy within 30 days of your request

3. Sublet

Subletting means someone else lives in your unit for a period while you remain the tenant and plan to come back. You stay responsible to the landlord. This suits a summer away, not a permanent move.

Option	You stay responsible?	Landlord consent needed?
N11 agreement	No, after the agreed date	Yes
Assignment	No, the new tenant takes over	Yes (and can't refuse a specific person unreasonably once they agree in principle)
Sublet	Yes	Yes (can't refuse unreasonably)
Just leaving	Possibly, for rent until a lawful end date	n/a

If you simply move out without proper notice, you can still owe rent until the tenancy ends legally, though the landlord has a duty to make reasonable efforts to re-rent and reduce their losses. Our full guide to sublets and assignments in Ontario walks through each step.

When a roommate leaves

Shared leases make ending a tenancy trickier.

Everyone is leaving: all co-tenants sign one N9.
One person is leaving: a single co-tenant's N9 generally doesn't end the tenancy for the others. The tenancy continues for the people staying, and the person moving out may still be on the hook for rent unless the landlord agrees to take them off the lease or a replacement takes over their spot.
The roommate isn't on the lease: if they rented a room from you rather than from the landlord, the arrangement is between you two. Your written house agreement should say how much notice they owe you.

The easiest fix is a written plan made before anyone moves in: notice periods between roommates, who finds the replacement, and how the departing person's share of the deposit is handled. A roommate agreement is the place for that.

Things a landlord can't make you do

Sign an N9 at the same time you sign your lease, or as a condition of renting
Sign an N9 or N11 because they'd like you to leave; ending your tenancy is your choice unless the LTB orders otherwise
Forfeit your deposit or pay a "break fee" as a penalty for leaving

Move-out checklist

N9 delivered at least 60 days (or 65 if mailed) before the last day of a rental period
Termination date isn't before the end of any fixed term
Photo or copy of the signed N9 and proof of delivery
Last month covered by your rent deposit; interest received
Unit cleaned and photographed on move-out day
Keys and fobs returned with written confirmation; key deposit refunded
Forwarding address given to your landlord

Moving on, together

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Find your next roommate or home on ColivEase and make your next move a smooth one.

Frequently asked questions

How much notice do I need to give my landlord in Ontario?

For monthly and fixed-term tenancies, at least 60 days' written notice on Form N9, with the move-out date on the last day of a rental period. For daily or weekly tenancies, it's at least 28 days. Add 5 days if you mail the notice.

Can I end a one-year lease early in Ontario?

Not with a regular N9. In a fixed-term lease, the termination date can't be earlier than the last day of the term. Your options are to agree with the landlord to end early (Form N11), assign the lease to someone new, or sublet. If the landlord refuses to let you assign, you can give notice within 30 days of your request.

Do I have to give notice at the end of a fixed-term lease?

Yes, if you want to leave. A fixed-term lease doesn't end on its own; it usually continues month to month. To move out on the last day of the term, give your N9 at least 60 days before that date.

Can my landlord make me sign an N9 when I sign the lease?

No. A notice to end the tenancy signed at the time you enter into the lease, or as a condition of getting the lease, is generally void, with limited exceptions such as certain student residences. Signing an N9 is always your decision.

Is there a shorter notice rule for February and March?

Yes. If you want to move out on the last day of February, notice given by January 1 is enough. For March 31, notice given by February 1 is enough. Add extra time if you mail it.

Does my last month's rent deposit cover my final month?

Yes. The rent deposit must be applied to your last rent period, so if you give proper notice, you don't pay rent for that final month. Your landlord also owes any interest on the deposit.