How to fill in the Ontario N1 (Notice of Rent Increase)
A field-by-field summary of the Landlord and Tenant Board's own instructions for Form N1. Every rule below is quoted from the Board's N1 instructions (PDF), the version dated November 30, 2015 that the Board links on its Forms, filing and fees page. This page is not the form. Download the official N1 form (PDF) from the Board. Last verified: 2026-11-09.
To get your own figures for the dollar fields, use the Ontario rent increase calculator. After you press Calculate, follow its "Fill in Form N1 with these figures" link and your numbers will show here.
1. Check that N1 is the right form
The instructions say: "Most landlords must use this form (Form N1) when increasing the rent. However, there are three exceptions:"
- "Use Form N2 to increase the tenant’s rent if the rental unit is exempt from the rules under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (the RTA) limiting the amount of the rent increase."
- "Use Form N3 (Notice to Increase the Rent and/or Charges for Care Services and Meals) if the rental unit is in a care home."
- "Use Form N10 if you and the tenant have agreed to increase the rent above the guideline because you: have done or will do capital work, or have provided or will provide a new or additional service."
The calculator flags units first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018, which ontario.ca says are mostly exempt from the guideline. Whether your unit is exempt is a question for the Board.
2. Timing
- "You can increase the rent if at least 12 months have passed since the date of the last rent increase or since the date the tenant moved into the rental unit."
- "If the previous tenant assigned the rental unit to the current tenant within the 12 months before the increase date, you can increase the rent if at least 12 months have passed since the previous tenant’s last rent increase."
- "You must give the tenant the Notice of Rent Increase at least 90 days before the date you will increase the tenant’s rent."
The calculator counts both dates for you: the 12-month date and the date notice must be given by.
3. The form, field by field
First, the instructions warn: "Read these instructions before completing the notice and follow the instructions carefully. If you do not complete the form properly, your notice may not be valid and you may have to start over."
| Part of the N1 | What the instructions say (quoted) | From the calculator |
|---|---|---|
| To | "fill in the name of the tenant to whom you want to give the notice. If there is more than one tenant living in the rental unit, fill in the names of all of the tenants." | Nothing |
| From | "fill in your name and mailing address. If there is more than one landlord, fill in the names of all of the landlords." | Nothing |
| Address of the Rental Unit | "fill in the complete address of the rental unit, including the unit number (or apartment or suite number) and the postal code." | Nothing |
| Your New Rent: date | "Fill in the date the rent will increase." | The effective date you entered (see above) |
| Your New Rent: amount | "Fill in the total amount, in dollars and cents, the tenant will be required to pay on the date the rent will increase. Then, fill in how often the tenant will pay rent, for example monthly." | New rent (see above). The calculator assumes monthly rent. |
| Explanation of the Rent Increase: amount | "Fill in the amount, in dollars and cents, by which you are increasing the tenant’s rent. Then, fill in whether the tenant is required to pay rent by the month, by the week or by some other period (for example, quarterly)." | Increase (see above) |
| Explanation of the Rent Increase: percentage | "Fill in the percentage by which the rent will increase." | The guideline percentage (see above), if you increase by the full guideline |
| Does the rent increase need approval? | "Shade the appropriate box to show whether the rent increase is less than or equal to the guideline or whether it is more than the guideline under the RTA." And: "If you are increasing the rent by more than the guideline, shade the appropriate box to show whether the increase has already been approved by an order or whether you are waiting for the Board to issue an order approving the rent increase above the guideline." | The calculator's figure is at the guideline, never above it |
| Signature | "If you are the landlord, shade the circle marked “Landlord”. If you are the landlord’s representative, shade the circle marked “Representative”. Fill in your name and phone number. Then, sign the notice and fill in the date you sign the notice." | Nothing |
| Representative’s Information (if applicable) | "If you are the landlord’s representative, fill in your name and phone number. Then, fill in your name, company name (if applicable), and mailing address. Include your phone number and fax number, if you have one." | Nothing |
The calculator gives the maximum increase at the guideline. If you are raising the rent by less, use your own amount and percentage. On increases above the guideline, the instructions add: "If you have applied to increase the rent above the guideline but the Board has not yet issued an order approving the rent increase, the tenant can choose to pay: the increased rent set out in the notice, or the current rent plus the guideline increase."
4. The Board's worked example
The instructions show the arithmetic with the 2015 guideline (1.6%): "The current rent is $1000.00." "$1000.00 x 1.6% = $16.00" and "$1000.00 + $16.00 = $1016.00. The new rent is $1016.00." The method is the same today, but the guideline changes each year. The calculator uses the current figures (2.1% for 2026, 1.9% for 2027) from ontario.ca.
5. Giving the notice to the tenant
"There are many ways that you can give this notice to your tenant. You can:"
- "hand it directly to the tenant or to an adult in the rental unit,"
- "leave it in the tenant's mailbox or where mail is ordinarily delivered,"
- "place it under the door of the rental unit or through a mail slot in the door,"
- "send it by fax to a fax machine where the tenant carries on business or to a fax machine in their home,"
- "send it by courier, or"
- "send it by mail."
And: "You cannot give the tenant this notice by posting it on the door of the tenant’s rental unit."
The instructions do not say whether mail or courier adds extra days to the 90. The calculator counts 90 calendar days and adds nothing for delivery, so check with the Board if you are mailing close to the deadline.
Questions
The instructions point to the Landlord and Tenant Board at tribunalsontario.ca/ltb. Its Customer Service Officers "can provide you with information about the Residential Tenancies Act and the LTB's processes; they cannot provide you with legal advice." Neither can this page: it is a summary of the Board's published instructions, which are dated 2015 and may have been updated since. If the Board's current form or instructions differ from this summary, follow the Board.
Related workbook
To record rent received and expenses for each property over the year, see the Rental Property Income & Expense Tracker, a paid spreadsheet by Kyle Falk. The Small Landlord Records Bundle includes it with three other landlord record sheets. This page stays free either way.