Ontario Form N13: Demolition, Renovation or Conversion

Use N13 only for a qualifying demolition, extensive repairs requiring vacancy, or conversion to non-residential use. These are three different legal grounds with different compensation and tenant-return rights.

This guide explains Form N13; only the PDF issued by Tribunals Ontario is the official form. Use the current PDF for any actual notice or agreement.

Which of the three N13 grounds applies?

• Reason 1 — demolition: the landlord genuinely intends to demolish the rental unit or complex.
• Reason 2 — extensive repairs or renovations: the work truly requires the unit to be vacant. A qualifying tenant may have a right to return after completion.
• Reason 3 — conversion: the unit or complex will be converted to a non-residential use. Ordinary cosmetic improvements are not enough for Reason 2.

Notice period and compensation

Usually, the date on the N13 must be at least 120 days after valid service and must be the last day of the rental period or fixed term. A tenant-owned mobile/land-lease home has a special minimum of one year in the relevant situations. After receiving N13, the tenant may give an earlier 10-day N9.

• Demolition or conversion: generally three months’ rent for buildings with at least five residential units, or one month’s rent for fewer than five; an acceptable alternative unit can satisfy the relevant option.
• Renovations without exercising a right to return: the same size-based ordinary compensation framework generally applies.
• Renovations with a written right-to-return request: compensation can instead be the lesser of the relevant one-/three-month amount and the rent for the renovation period, or a qualifying alternative unit.

Other rules apply to certain mobile/land-lease homes and government-ordered demolition/repairs. Required compensation must usually be paid by the termination date.

Complete the N13 — field by field

1. People and address: identify every tenant and landlord, including unit number and postal code.
2. Termination date: calculate the 120-day period (or relevant special period), add deemed delivery time and align with the rent period/fixed term.
3. Reason: select demolition, repairs/renovations, or conversion. Describe the actual work and dates, not merely “renovations.”
4. Permits and authorization: answer the permit question accurately and check any additional municipal renovation-licensing rules.
5. Signature: sign/date and keep the completed N13 and every attachment.

Renovation right to return — September 2026 rules

For qualifying repairs/renovations, the tenant should tell the landlord in writing before moving out that they intend to return, and keep their address/contact details updated. For qualifying written notices on or after September 21, 2026, the landlord must give on-time written information about expected completion, changes and readiness for occupancy. If work finishes on or after that date, the landlord must give 60 days’ notice to reoccupy. This 60-day return notice is not the original N13 termination period.

What happens after service?

The landlord may apply using L2, attaching N13 and the Certificate of Service, within 30 days after the notice termination date. A tenant may contest whether the reason or claimed vacancy requirement is genuine. For certain renovation right-to-return T5 applications, the updated deadline is two years after moving out or six months after renovation completion, whichever is later; other bad-faith T5 grounds have different rules.

Where the city requires a renoviction licence or other approval, an N13 is not a substitute for that authorization. Check local rules before service.

Common mistake to avoid

Do not use the same compensation or “60-day” explanation for all N13 reasons. Demolition, conversion and renovation-with-return are legally different.

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