Landlord-Tenant Procedure Grid in Canada

Province-by-province procedure grid for residential landlords and tenants: tribunal, filing step, fee, and hearing, verified against official sources.

Written October 25, 2026 · Edited November 7, 2026 · 16 min read

Applies in: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories

The short answer

This guide is procedure only, not legal advice. It tells you which body hears a residential landlord-tenant dispute in each province and territory, how to file, what it costs, and what happens next. It does not tell you whether you will win, and it does not replace advice for your own file. Every province and territory runs its own system, with its own forms, notice periods, and deadlines. A notice that is valid in one province can be invalid in another. Use the row for your province, check the official page linked in the sources before you file, and keep every document.

The pattern is the same across the country, even though the names change. The landlord serves a notice on the province's own form. The tenant has a set window to pay, fix the problem, or dispute the notice. If the dispute is not resolved, one side files with the tribunal or rental office, pays the filing fee, serves the hearing package on the other side, and attends a hearing. The decision-maker issues a written order. If the losing side does not comply, the winning side enforces the order through the court or the sheriff. No landlord may remove a tenant personally.

The grid

British Columbia: Residential Tenancy Branch

Tribunal: Residential Tenancy Branch.
Landlord track: a ten day notice to end tenancy for unpaid rent or utilities. The tenant has five days to pay the overdue amount or dispute the notice. If neither happens, the landlord can apply for a direct request for an order of possession, a monetary order, or both.
Tenant track: if a landlord has not returned a deposit within 20 days of the tenancy ending, and has not applied to keep it, the tenant can apply for a direct request for a monetary order for the deposit, and may be eligible for double the amount.
Other notices: a one month notice must be disputed within 10 days, a two month notice within 15 days, and a four month notice within 30 days.
Fee: $100 for a direct request. A fee waiver exists for applicants with very low income or extraordinary expenses.
After filing: the Branch reviews the written submission, makes a decision, and prepares a proceeding package. The applicant must serve that package on the other party no more than three days after it is ready.

Alberta: Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service

Tribunal: Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service, run by Service Alberta.
Both roles: landlords and tenants file the same application process, claiming termination, damages, compensation, abatement, or return of a security deposit. A Tenancy Dispute Officer hears the case and makes an enforceable order.
Fee: $75, stated in the Service's rules of practice and procedure. The rules also state that a dismissed application may be re-filed after paying a new $75 fee, and that a file transferred to court requires paying the difference between the $75 fee and the court fee.
Service: the application package must be served on the other side, with proof of service filed, or the hearing may not proceed.
Note: claims above the Service's jurisdiction, and some complex matters, may be transferred to court.

Saskatchewan: Office of Residential Tenancies

Tribunal: Office of Residential Tenancies, with hearing officers deciding applications and issuing written orders.
Both roles: landlords and tenants file applications and evidence through the Office's online portal, and decisions are emailed or mailed to both parties.
Review: either party may submit a request to correct or clarify a decision within 15 days of the decision date. The fee for that review application is $50 and is non-refundable.
Appeal: all Office decisions may be appealed to the Court of King's Bench within 30 days of the decision date. A tenant appealing a rent or utility arrears claim must file a certificate of payment of rent, with one month's rent paid into the Office and held in trust.
Enforcement: the winning party enforces the decision. After the 30-day appeal period, a decision may be registered as a judgment of the Court of King's Bench.
Fee note: this row states the $50 review fee, which was verified on the Government of Saskatchewan page. The initial filing fee is not stated here, because it could not be verified from an official page. Check the portal before filing.

Manitoba: Residential Tenancies Branch

Tribunal: Residential Tenancies Branch.
Landlord track: a landlord whose tenant will not leave after a notice applies for an Order of Possession. The Branch schedules a hearing, a hearing officer decides whether the tenant must move out, and the order states the move-out date. If the tenant still does not leave, the landlord files and enforces the order in the Court of King's Bench.
Tenant track: a tenant who is owed money files a claim for compensation. The Branch schedules a hearing, the officer decides what is owed and sets a payment deadline, and the order can likewise be enforced in the Court of King's Bench.
Fee: $60 for an Order of Possession application, stated on the Branch's own page. A compensation claim uses a separate claim package with its own filing fee, so check that package before filing a money claim.
Mediation: the Branch tries to mediate most disputes before calling a hearing.

Ontario: Landlord and Tenant Board

Tribunal: Landlord and Tenant Board, part of Tribunals Ontario.
Landlord forms: L1 to evict for non-payment of rent and collect the rent owed, L2 to evict for other reasons, L9 to collect rent owed by a tenant who is still in the unit, and L10 to collect money owed by a former tenant. A tenant who receives an L9 and disagrees must attend the hearing and explain why.
Tenant forms: T1 to recover money the landlord owes, T2 for rights violations such as harassment or illegal entry, T5 to challenge a bad faith eviction notice, and T6 to seek repair and maintenance orders.
Fee: Form L9, dated 2026/09, states a $201 application fee, payable when the application is filed, and states that the Board will not process the application unless the fee is paid. A fee waiver request exists for applicants who cannot afford the fee.
Evidence: a tenant who plans to raise other issues at a rent arrears hearing must give the landlord and the Board a written description of each issue at least seven days before the hearing, and must give the landlord and the Board copies of supporting evidence at least seven days before the hearing.
Enforcement: an eviction order is enforced through the Court Enforcement Office, not by the landlord.

Quebec: Tribunal administratif du logement

Tribunal: Tribunal administratif du logement. In Quebec, the landlord is called the lessor and the tenant is called the lessee, and the lease is resiliated rather than terminated, but the procedure below uses landlord and tenant for consistency.
Landlord track: the landlord applies for resiliation of the lease and eviction, including for unpaid rent. If the tenant pays all outstanding rent, costs, and interest before the hearing, the lease may not be resiliated.
Tenant track: a tenant who receives a rent increase notice has one month to refuse it in writing, which triggers a Tribunal review of whether the increase is justified. A lease renews automatically unless a valid notice is given in the required window.
Fee: from April 1, 2026, an application regarding unpaid rent, an application relating to abandonment, and most other applications cost $92. Rent-fixing applications cost $59, $70, or $92 depending on whether the rent is $350 or less, more than $350 but not more than $600, or more than $600. Reinstatement on the roll and a motion to reopen a hearing cost $47. A person receiving last resort financial assistance is exempt from paying costs.
Notification costs: the Tribunal may order the defendant to refund notification costs, up to $13.15 for registered mail, $27 or $28 for bailiff service depending on the applicant type, or $7 for any other method.

New Brunswick: Residential Tenancies Tribunal

Tribunal: Residential Tenancies Tribunal, with Residential Tenancies Officers investigating and deciding.
Landlord track for nuisance or disturbance: the landlord first gives a written complaint to the tenant with specific details and instructions to stop. If the behaviour continues, the landlord applies to the Tribunal. The officer investigates, may inspect the premises, and may issue a Compliance Order as a final warning.
Next steps: if the tenant disobeys the Compliance Order, the officer may issue a Notice to Quit, which only a Residential Tenancies Officer can issue. If the tenant disobeys the Notice to Quit, the landlord submits an eviction request to the Tribunal, and the officer may give an Eviction Order.
Fee: the landlord pays a $75 non-refundable fee, payable at a Service New Brunswick centre, for a Residential Tenancies Officer or Sheriff to serve the Eviction Order.
Appeal: the officer's decision can be appealed by submitting a Notice of Application to a judge of the Court of King's Bench of New Brunswick within seven days after being notified.
Tenant track: a tenant files a Notice of Complaint or an Application for Assistance with the Tribunal, and the officer investigates the landlord's conduct in the same way.

Nova Scotia: Residential Tenancies Program

Tribunal: Director of Residential Tenancies, through the Residential Tenancies Program at Access Nova Scotia.
Both roles: landlords and tenants file an Application to the Director, Form J, to resolve disputes such as termination of tenancy and damages to property. Either side may file up to one year after the tenancy has ended. A respondent may file a counterclaim at any time while the original application is still open.
Mediation first: residential tenancy officers attempt mediation if both parties are interested. If mediation does not happen, a hearing is held, and the officer issues a decision called an Order of the Director.
Fee: $31.15 for the application. Applicants receiving Income Assistance, Social Assistance, or the Guaranteed Income Supplement may not have to pay the fee, and an applicant can ask for the fee to be awarded as part of the decision.
Service: after filing, the applicant receives a hearing package, serves a copy on the respondent, and files a Certificate of Service within seven days of applying. The hearing package should arrive within two days, or immediately when applying in person at Access Nova Scotia.

Prince Edward Island: Rental Office, with appeal to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission

Tribunal: the Residential Tenancy Office, often called the Rental Office, with Rental Officers hearing disputes. Appeals go to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission.
Hearing: all rental hearings are held by telephone. A Notice of Hearing is sent by email, mail, or another method approved by the Director, and states the date and time. The Rental Officer hears testimony and evidence from both sides and writes a decision.
Length: most hearings last 20 to 60 minutes, depending on the evidence, the witnesses, and the complexity of the dispute.
Representation: a party may have someone represent them, such as a lawyer, but representation is not mandatory. A party who cannot attend must contact the Rental Office to request a postponement.
Enforcement: a party granted an order may file it with the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island, as a judgment or with Sheriff Services depending on the nature of the order.
Fee note: no filing fee is stated for Prince Edward Island in this guide, because no current fee could be verified from an official source. Check the Rental Office before filing.

Newfoundland and Labrador: Residential Tenancies Office

Tribunal: Residential Tenancies Office, under the Consumer and Financial Services Division.
Both roles: landlords and tenants file applications, attend hearings before an adjudicator, and receive written decisions. A successful party may be reimbursed for reasonable hearing expenses, including the application fee.
Fee: $20, as shown in published 2025-26 Residential Tenancies decisions, where the application fee is repeatedly recorded as a $20 hearing expense. Confirm the current schedule with the Office before filing, because this figure comes from decisions rather than a fee schedule page.
Enforcement: an Order of Possession is enforced by the Office of the High Sheriff, not by the landlord. Decisions repeatedly state that the tenant must pay any sheriff costs if the sheriff has to enforce the order.

Yukon: Residential Tenancies Office

Tribunal: Residential Tenancies Office, under Community Services, Government of Yukon.
Both roles: landlords and tenants file an Application for Dispute Resolution, listing every issue, with a list of claimed items, individual dollar amounts, and a total for any monetary claim. An issue not raised before the hearing may not be considered.
Fee: $50, stated on the Yukon government's Application for Dispute Resolution form. Do not give a copy of the application to the respondent until the Office has accepted it and the fee has been paid or a fee waiver obtained.
Filing: submit the application in person at 307 Black Street, Whitehorse, or contact the Office if you cannot submit personally. An expedited hearing form exists for emergencies.
Mediation or adjudication: the Office offers mediation and, where mediation fails or is refused, adjudication by a hearing officer, whose decision is legally binding.

Northwest Territories: Rental Office

Tribunal: Rental Office, with rental officers hearing applications from landlords and tenants under the Residential Tenancies Act.
Eviction track: when a tenancy has ended but the tenant has not moved out, the rental officer holds a hearing, hears from both sides, and decides whether orders should be made. Rental officer orders can be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Enforcement: if an eviction order is issued, the landlord has six months to file it with the Clerk of the Supreme Court to get a writ of possession, along with an affidavit of service of the eviction order and an affidavit stating the order has not been obeyed. The sheriff then carries out the eviction.
Fee: $35 to file the writ of possession with the Supreme Court, payable by cheque or Visa. The sheriff charges a separate fee for expenses, and a deposit will likely be required before the eviction is carried out.
Fee note: no Rental Office filing fee is stated here, because none could be verified from an official source. Check the Rental Office forms page before filing.

What to prepare, in any province

The lease or tenancy agreement, with every addendum.
Every notice, in the exact form served, with proof of how and when it was served.
A rent ledger showing each month, each payment, and each missed payment, with receipts.
Photos of the unit's condition, dated, for damage or repair disputes.
Written messages with the other side about the dispute, in date order.
A one-page summary of what you are asking for and what evidence proves each point.

What this guide does not do

This guide does not state who is right in a dispute, what a notice period is for a ground not listed here, or what rent increase is allowed in your province. Those answers depend on the province's statute, the lease, and the facts. If the amount at stake is large, if an eviction is in progress, or if you have received a court document, get advice from a legal clinic, a tenant advocacy organization, or a lawyer or paralegal licensed in your province before the hearing date.

Related guides:

The procedure in five steps, in every province

Serve the correct noticeUse the province's own notice form for the ground you rely on, and keep proof of service
Wait out the notice periodFiling before the period ends can get the application dismissed
File with the tribunal or rental officePay the filing fee shown in the grid, or apply for a fee waiver where one exists
Serve the hearing package on the other sideThe other side must receive the application and the hearing date in time to respond
Attend the hearing and get a written orderBring the lease, notices, payment records, and photos; enforcement goes through the court or sheriff

Filing fees verified from official sources

British Columbia, direct request	$100
Alberta, RTDRS application	$75
Saskatchewan, request to correct or clarify a decision	$50
Manitoba, Order of Possession application	$60
Ontario, Form L9 as printed on the form	$201
Quebec, unpaid rent or other application, from April 1, 2026	$92
New Brunswick, eviction order service fee	$75
Nova Scotia, Application to the Director, Form J	$31.15
Newfoundland and Labrador, application fee shown in 2025-26 decisions	$20
Yukon, application for dispute resolution, per the 2019 form	$50
Northwest Territories, filing a writ of possession with the Supreme Court	$35

Fees change. Prince Edward Island is in the grid without a fee because no current fee could be verified. Check the tribunal or office page before you file.

Questions people ask

Which body hears a landlord-tenant dispute in my province?

It depends entirely on where the unit sits, because there is no national tribunal for this. British Columbia has its Residential Tenancy Branch and Ontario has its Landlord and Tenant Board, while Quebec runs the Tribunal administratif du logement, and the rest of the covered provinces and territories use a branch, office, or tribunal of their own. The grid names each one, and gives the filing fee only where an official page confirmed it.

Can a landlord evict a tenant without a hearing?

Not lawfully. A landlord who wants a tenant out after a dispute has to serve the right notice, wait, file, and get an order, and then a sheriff or bailiff enforces that order if the tenant stays. Lock changes and belongings left on the curb are not a lawful shortcut, and they can land the landlord with an order against them instead.

What does a tenant do first when a notice arrives?

Read it twice, slowly, and circle three things: the ground it claims, the date it takes effect, and the last day you can dispute it, because that dispute window is often short. A tenant in British Columbia who gets a ten day notice for unpaid rent, for instance, has just five days to pay the amount or dispute the notice, and once that window closes the hearing route may be gone. Put the notice with your lease and every rent receipt you have, and do not throw any of it away until the file is closed.

What happens at a landlord-tenant hearing?

Each side tells its version, shows its documents, and answers questions, and then the decision-maker writes an order. Some places try mediation first when both sides agree to it, which is what Nova Scotia officers do, while Prince Edward Island holds its hearings by telephone and most of them run somewhere between 20 and 60 minutes. Showing up with your paperwork in order matters more than showing up with a speech prepared.

How do I appeal a landlord-tenant decision?

Check the decision document itself first, because the deadline printed on it is the one that binds your file, and those deadlines swing wildly between jurisdictions. Saskatchewan gives 30 days to appeal to the Court of King's Bench, New Brunswick gives seven days from notification, and the Northwest Territories sends appeals to the Supreme Court.

Why is Nunavut not in the grid?

Because its current filing procedure and fee could not be confirmed from an official source while this draft was being written, and guessing at a tribunal procedure would be worse than leaving a gap. The territory does have a Residential Tenancies Office, so contact that office directly before you file anything there.

Sources

Government of British Columbia, Residential Tenancy Branch, direct request process — ten day notice, five day pay or dispute window, one month, two month, and four month dispute windows, $100 fee, three day service of the proceeding package:
Government of Alberta, Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service rules of practice and procedure, January 17, 2022 — $75 filing fee:
Government of Saskatchewan, settling disputes and steps to a hearing — $50 review fee within 15 days, appeal to the Court of King's Bench within 30 days:
Government of Manitoba, Residential Tenancies Branch, applying for an Order of Possession — $60 filing fee, hearing, enforcement in the Court of King's Bench:
Tribunals Ontario, Landlord and Tenant Board, Form L9 dated 2026/09 — $201 fee, seven day evidence rule:
Tribunal administratif du logement, costs exigible from April 1, 2026 — $92 for unpaid rent and other applications, $59, $70, and $92 rent-fixing bands, $47 reinstatement and reopening:
Service New Brunswick, Residential Tenancies Tribunal, dispute resolution process for nuisance and disturbance — $75 eviction order service fee, seven day appeal to the Court of King's Bench:
Government of Nova Scotia, Application to the Director, Form J — $31.15 fee, mediation, seven day Certificate of Service:
Prince Edward Island Rental Office, preparing for a hearing — telephone hearings, 20 to 60 minutes, appeal to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission, enforcement through the Supreme Court:
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Residential Tenancies decisions 2025-26 — $20 application fee recorded as a hearing expense:
Government of Yukon, Residential Tenancies Office, Application for Dispute Resolution — $50 fee:
Government of the Northwest Territories, Justice, evictions — rental officer hearing, appeal to the Supreme Court, six months to file, $35 writ of possession fee: