What we do
Check the dates
We confirm when the tenant moved out and that the one-year filing period is still open.
Sort the claim
We separate rent, compensation, NSF charges, utilities, damage and other out-of-pocket costs, as the form requires.
Compare the total with the limit
We check the total against the Board's monetary limit before you decide where to claim.
Prepare and file the L10
We complete the L10 with the calculations and file it with the Board.
Serve the former tenant
We serve the application and Notice of Hearing at the tenant's current address and file the Certificate of Service on time.
Present the claim
We disclose your evidence before the deadline and present the claim at the hearing.
The forms involved
- L10
Application to Collect Money a Former Tenant Owes
Claims rent, compensation, NSF charges, utilities, damage and interference costs after the tenant has moved out.
Form and instructions at the Landlord and Tenant Board (opens in a new tab)
How the timing works
- Tenant moves outMust be on or after September 1, 2021.
- File the L10No later than one year after move-out.
- Serve the tenantAt least 30 days before the hearing.
- Certificate of ServiceFiled at least 20 days before the hearing.
- Share evidenceAt least 7 days before the hearing.
- HearingThe Board decides what is owed.
How the process runs
Once your tenant has moved out, there is no notice to give. As the landlord, you file an L10 with the Board, or a legal representative signs it for you. It can cover unpaid rent, compensation for any time the tenant stayed after the tenancy ended, and NSF cheque charges. It can also cover utility costs the tenancy agreement required the tenant to pay, the cost to repair or replace property that the tenant, an occupant or a guest damaged wilfully or negligently, and out-of-pocket costs caused by substantial interference with your reasonable enjoyment (RTA ss. 87, 88.1, 88.2, 89).
The tenant must have moved out on or after September 1, 2021, and you must file no later than one year after they moved out. If they left without proper notice, the Act limits the rent you can claim and looks at whether you took steps to minimize your losses (RTA s. 88).
For most applications the Board serves the documents. For an L10, you serve the application and the Notice of Hearing on each former tenant at least 30 days before the hearing. You then file a Certificate of Service at least 20 days before the hearing (LTB Rules 5.8 and 5.16).
The Board’s monetary limit
The Board can order payment of up to the greater of $10,000 and the monetary limit of the Small Claims Court (RTA s. 207(1)). The LTB’s L10 instructions put that maximum at $50,000. If your claim is larger, the Act lets you start a proceeding in a court of competent jurisdiction instead, and that court can use the powers the Board would have had (s. 207(2)). If you claim at the Board, any amount above its limit is extinguished once it issues its order (s. 207(3)).
Where applications go wrong
- Late filing. The L10 cannot be filed more than one year after the tenant moved out, or for a tenant who moved out before September 1, 2021.
- Tenant still in the unit. The L10 is only for a tenant who has left. While they still live there, the L1, L2 or L9 is used instead.
- Service at the old unit. The former tenant’s copy cannot be left at the rental unit. It goes to where they live now, by a permitted method.
- Late Certificate of Service. If it is not filed at least 20 days before the hearing, the Board may cancel the hearing and close the file without refunding the fee.
- Claims under the wrong reason. Damage and utility costs have their own reasons on the form and cannot be claimed as interference costs. NSF charges can only be claimed with rent or compensation. Normal wear and tear is not undue damage.
- Evidence not shared. Bills, photos, invoices and estimates must go to the former tenant and the Board at least seven days before the hearing.
Fees
The steps below are each priced on their own. Board filing fees are separate and are paid to the Board.
Board application
Application filed with the Board, with evidence collected and submitted.
Hearing representation
Preparation and representation at the Board or Divisional Court.
No two matters are alike, so we price yours once we know the facts. You will know the fee before any work starts.
Screening call: 15 minutes, complimentary. Full consultation: 45 minutes, $150 incl. HST.
Book the complimentary callQuestions
How long do I have to file after my tenant moves out?
You must file no later than one year after the tenant moved out. The LTB’s form puts it as no more than 365 days after the day they left. The tenant must also have moved out on or after September 1, 2021. The L10 asks for the move-out date, and once the year has passed, the L10 cannot be filed.
My tenant left without notice. How much rent can I claim?
The Act sets the period. If the tenant left with no notice, rent is owing up to the earliest termination date a proper tenant’s notice could have set, counted from the day you knew, or ought to have known, that they had left. If they gave notice that did not follow the Act, the same rule applies from that notice. If you re-rent sooner, the claim ends when the new tenant is entitled to move in. The Board also looks at whether you took steps to minimize your losses.
What if I do not know where my former tenant lives now?
You can leave the current address blank on the L10, but you must still serve the application and Notice of Hearing at least 30 days before the hearing, and not at the old unit. Service can be in person, by mail or courier where the former tenant now lives, or by email if they agreed in writing during the tenancy and you can prove they received it. If none of these work, you can ask the Board for alternative service at least 40 days before the hearing.
Sources (21)
Legal statements on this page come from Ontario's laws and regulations, the Landlord and Tenant Board's own forms, instructions and rules, and the other official sources listed below.
- No notice of termination is needed before an L10; filing requires only the completed L10 and the application fee (L10 instructions, Section C). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- A landlord may apply for an order requiring a tenant or former tenant to pay arrears of rent, and compensation for use and occupation after the tenancy ended (RTA s. 87(1), (3)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Applications against a former tenant must be made no later than one year after the tenant ceased to be in possession (RTA ss. 87(1.1), 87(3.1), 88.1(2), 88.2(2), 89(1.1)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- NSF cheque bank charges and landlord administration charges may be included (RTA s. 87(5)); NSF charges can be claimed only together with rent or compensation (L10 form, Part 4, Reason 2). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- Out-of-pocket expenses from a tenant's failure to pay utility costs required by the tenancy agreement (RTA s. 88.2). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Costs to repair or replace property damaged wilfully or negligently by the tenant, an occupant or a person permitted in the complex (RTA s. 89(1)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Out-of-pocket expenses from substantial interference with the landlord's reasonable enjoyment or lawful rights; not costs recoverable under s. 88.2 or 89 (RTA s. 88.1). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The L10 may be signed by the landlord or a legal representative (L10 form, Part 6). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- The L10 is only for a tenant who moved out on or after September 1, 2021, and cannot be filed more than one year after the move-out date or while the tenant still lives in the unit (L10 instructions, Section A). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- If the tenant still lives in the unit, the L9, L1 (after an N4) or L2 is used instead (L10 instructions, Section A). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- Where a tenant leaves without proper notice, arrears are limited to the earliest termination date a valid notice could have given, capped if the unit is re-rented, and the Board considers whether the landlord took steps to minimize losses (RTA ss. 16, 88). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The LTB usually serves applications, but the landlord must serve the L10 and Notice of Hearing at least 30 days before the hearing (LTB Rules 5.1, 5.8; L10 instructions, Section E). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- The Certificate of Service for an L10 must be filed at least 20 days before the hearing; otherwise the hearing may be cancelled and the fee is not refunded (LTB Rule 5.16; L10 instructions, Section E). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- The former tenant's copy cannot be left at the rental unit; service is at their current residence by a permitted method (RTA s. 191(1.0.1); LTB Rule 3.3; L10 instructions, Section E). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The Board may order payment up to the greater of $10,000 and the monetary jurisdiction of the Small Claims Court (RTA s. 207(1)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- The most the LTB can order on an L10 claim is $50,000 (L10 instructions, Part 4 note). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- A person whose claim exceeds the Board's monetary jurisdiction may commence a proceeding in any court of competent jurisdiction, which may exercise the Board's powers (RTA s. 207(2)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- If a party claims at the Board, rights above the Board's monetary jurisdiction are extinguished once the Board issues its order (RTA s. 207(3)). Ontario e-Laws (opens in a new tab)
- Damage and utility costs must not be claimed under the substantial interference reason (L10 form, Part 4, Reason 5). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- Normal wear and tear is not considered undue damage (L2 instructions, Part 3, Damage). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)
- Evidence must be given to the other parties and the Board at least 7 days before the hearing (LTB Rule 19.1; L10 instructions refer to Rule 19). Tribunals Ontario (opens in a new tab)