To serve an N12 or N4 notice in Ontario, hand it to the tenant or an adult in the unit, leave it in the mailbox or under the door, or send it by fax, courier or mail. Do not post it on the door. Count the days from the day after you give it, add delivery days for mail or courier, and complete a Certificate of Service so the LTB can see when and how it was served.
How to serve an N12 or N4: the methods the LTB lists
The LTB's instructions for the N4 (non-payment of rent) and the N12 (landlord's, a family member's or a purchaser's use) list the same six ways to give the notice to a tenant.
| Method | When the notice counts as given |
|---|---|
| Hand it to the tenant or to an adult in the rental unit | The day you do it. No extra days are listed |
| Leave it in the tenant's mailbox or where mail is normally delivered | The day you do it. No extra days are listed |
| Place it under the door or through a mail slot in the door | The day you do it. No extra days are listed |
| Fax it to a fax machine at the tenant's business or home | The date imprinted on the fax |
| Send it by courier | Add one business day for delivery |
| Send it by mail or Xpresspost | Add five days for delivery |
The instructions say not to count the day you give the notice. The termination date is counted from there. Whatever method you pick, keep a copy of the notice and a record of when and how you gave it.
Can you serve an N12 or N4 by email?
Not on the strength of the N4 or N12 instructions. Both list the six methods above, and email is not one of them.
Email appears in the LTB's separate brochure on serving documents. It says you may serve by email only if the person has agreed in writing to accept documents that way, for example in the standard lease or by signing the LTB's Consent to Service by Email. For a tenant who has moved out, it allows email only if consent was given during the tenancy. That brochure is dated March 2022 and is aimed at documents in an application. Whether a tenant's written consent covers a notice of termination before any application is a question for the LTB or a licensed paralegal.
Until you have an answer, use one of the six listed methods for the notice itself. Email can be a courtesy copy.
How to count the days: worked examples
Both sets of instructions use the same rule. Do not count the day you give the notice, and add delivery days for courier and mail.
N4 example. Since September 21, 2026 the N4 termination date must be at least 7 days after you give the notice.
- Hand-delivered on Monday, October 5, 2026: the earliest termination date is Monday, October 12.
- Sent by courier on Monday, October 5: add one business day (Tuesday, October 6), then seven days. The earliest date is Tuesday, October 13.
- Mailed on Monday, October 5: add five days (October 10), then seven days. The earliest date is Saturday, October 17.
N12 example. An N12 needs at least 60 days from delivery. The termination date must be the last day of the rental period or, for a fixed term, the last day of the term. Say the notice is handed over on October 5, 2026 and rent is due on the first of the month. Sixty days later is December 4, so the first date that works is the end of that rental period, December 31, 2026.
On an own-use N12, compensation is not required if the termination date is at least 120 days after you give the notice. One hundred and twenty days after October 5 is February 2, 2027, so the first rental-period end that works is February 28, 2027. Check your own dates against the LTB's current instructions, because a termination date that is too early does not meet the form's rules.
Mistakes that put an application at risk
The LTB's brochure warns that if you do not serve a document you were required to serve, your application or motion may be dismissed. These are the slips to avoid.
- Posting the notice on the door. The instructions say you cannot. The Certificate of Service form adds that the only document that can be properly served this way is a notice of entry under section 27 of the Residential Tenancies Act, unless a Member orders otherwise.
- Counting wrong or choosing a short date. A termination date earlier than the minimum does not meet the form's rules. See the examples above.
- Using an old form. The LTB updated the N4 and N12 on September 21, 2026 and says previous versions stop being accepted on November 30, 2026. Download the current form from its forms page each time.
- Wrong N4 amount. The total from the Total Rent Owing table on page three belongs in the box on page one.
- Missing signature or date. The landlord signs and dates the N4.
- Serving one tenant out of several. Serve and record each tenant named on the lease.
For the wider process, see our guides to the N4 notice and N12 evictions.
Prove you served it: the Certificate of Service
If you later apply to the LTB, you must send a copy of the notice and a Certificate of Service. The N4 instructions say you need one with an L1. The N12 instructions say to file an L2 with a copy of the N12 and the certificate, no later than 30 days after the termination date. The earliest day to file an L1 is the day after the termination date in the N4.
The LTB's form asks for the file number if there is one, the rental unit address, your name, the date you gave the document, the form number of the notice, who received it and the method. Tick the box that matches how you served it: handed to the person, handed to an adult in the unit, mailbox, under the door or mail slot, courier, fax, mail or Xpresspost, or another method with details. If you served more than one tenant on the same date in the same way, there is a box for that, and you attach a list of names and addresses.
The person who served the notice must sign. The form has options for landlord, tenant, representative or other, so someone besides the landlord can serve and sign. The form also says it is an offence to file false or misleading information with the LTB, so fill it in honestly and from your own notes.
Keep what backs it up: a copy of the notice, courier or Xpresspost receipts, and a dated note of the time and place if you delivered by hand.
Who serves the notice, and who keeps the record
Decide before you serve who will deliver it, who writes the proof and who tracks the dates that follow. Each notice sets off a chain: a termination date, a filing window and, for the N12, a compensation rule.
D&D Property Management's lease management work tracks renewal and notice dates and keeps lease records in one place. Its rent collection administration prepares an N4 when the owner decides to proceed. Legal advice, and any decision to apply to the LTB, belongs to the owner with a lawyer or licensed paralegal. The first consultation is free and the scope is agreed in writing.
Serving notice questions landlords ask
Can I serve an N12 by email in Ontario?
The LTB's N12 instructions list hand delivery, mailbox, under the door, fax, courier and mail. Email is not on that list. The LTB's brochure on serving documents allows email only with the person's written consent. Ask the LTB or a licensed paralegal whether that consent covers a notice of termination before relying on it.
Can you tape an N4 to the tenant's door?
No. The N4 instructions say you cannot give the tenant the notice by posting it on the door. The LTB's Certificate of Service form says the only document that can be properly served that way is a notice of entry under section 27 of the Residential Tenancies Act, unless a Member orders otherwise.
When is a mailed N4 considered given?
The LTB's instructions say to add five days for delivery when you send an N4 by mail or Xpresspost, and not to count the day you give it. If you mail it on October 5, it counts as given on October 10, and the termination date must be at least seven days after that.
Who can serve a notice on my behalf?
The Certificate of Service must be signed by the person who served the notice, and the form has options for landlord, tenant, representative or other. So someone other than the landlord can deliver it. That person should keep notes of the date, time and method, because they may be the one who signs.
What happens if a notice is served incorrectly?
The LTB's brochure says that if you do not serve a document you were required to, your application or motion may be dismissed. Check the method, the dates and the form version, and if you doubt that a notice was valid, ask the LTB or a licensed paralegal before you file.
Let D&D Property Management Handle It
Professional property management for landlords across Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and the surrounding Region.
Get a Free ConsultationKey Takeaways
- The LTB's N4 and N12 instructions list six ways to give notice: by hand, mailbox, under the door, fax, courier or mail. Do not post the notice on the door.
- Do not count the day you give the notice. Add one business day for courier and five days for mail, then the minimum notice: 7 days for an N4, 60 days for an N12.
- Email is not on the instruction lists. The LTB's serving brochure allows it only with written consent, so ask before relying on it for a notice.
- A Certificate of Service, signed by the person who served, goes with the L1 or L2. Keep receipts and notes.
- Use the current N4 and N12 forms. Older versions stop being accepted on November 30, 2026.
Sources & References
Discuss property management
Describe the property type and the management responsibilities you want to discuss.
Prefer to send the details first? Request a quote or call (519) 501-5003.