Ontario Form N12: Landlord or Purchaser’s Own Use

Use N12 only when a qualifying person genuinely intends to occupy the rental unit, generally for at least one year. The notice is not itself an eviction order. Rules effective September 21, 2026 make the landlord’s own-use compensation depend on notice length.

This guide explains Form N12; only the PDF issued by Tribunals Ontario is the official form. Use the current PDF for any actual notice or agreement.

Which N12 reason is allowed?

• Reason 1 — landlord’s own use: an individual landlord, eligible close family member or caregiver intends in good faith to move in and occupy the unit for at least one year. A corporation cannot give an N12 for its own personal use.
• Reason 2 — purchaser’s own use: a qualifying purchaser/family member/caregiver intends to move in, the residential complex has three or fewer units, and an agreement of purchase and sale exists. Additional condominium/co-op exceptions can bar use of N12.

Calculate the date and compensation separately

The minimum N12 notice is 60 days and its termination date must be the last day of a rental period or fixed term. The 120-day rule is not a new universal minimum notice period: for landlord’s own use (Reason 1), if the N12 is given on or after September 21, 2026 and the termination date is at least 120 days afterward, the landlord generally need not pay the usual one-month compensation or offer an acceptable alternative unit. With less than 120 days, that compensation requirement remains. Purchaser-use Reason 2 does not receive this exception.

Fill in the N12 — actual fields

1. To / From and unit: enter every tenant and landlord and the full rental-unit address.
2. Termination date: meet the 60-day minimum and rent-period/fixed-term alignment; account for mailed or courier delivery.
3. Reason: select landlord or purchaser use and the precise intended occupant. Do not leave the relationship ambiguous.
4. Sign: landlord/authorized representative signs and dates; keep a complete copy and proof of service.

Serve it and understand the next step

Valid methods include personal delivery, an adult at the rental unit, mailbox/under-door delivery or approved mail/courier methods. Do not post an N12 to the tenant’s door. The landlord may file L2 with a copy of N12 and a Certificate of Service, no later than 30 days after the notice’s termination date. The LTB normally holds a hearing before eviction.

Tenant rights and the 2026 changes

A tenant can challenge the landlord’s good faith at the hearing and may give an earlier 10-day N9 after receiving an N12. For landlord-own-use notices, a person’s failure to occupy within 60 days after the stated termination date can trigger a rebuttable presumption of bad faith on a T5 application under the new rules. That presumption is not applied to purchaser-use notices in the same way.

An N12 is not a way to replace a tenant at a higher rent. Condo, severance and co-op situations require special screening.

Common mistake to avoid

Do not confuse 60 days (minimum notice) with 120 days (possible landlord-own-use compensation exception). The purchaser-use rules differ.

Related Ontario tools