If you are reading this because home no longer feels safe, start here: you do not have to wait out a lease, and you do not need your landlord’s permission to leave. Ontario law gives tenants a faster exit through the N15 Notice, a short form that ends a tenancy in as little as 28 days when the tenant, or a child living with them, has experienced domestic or sexual violence or abuse.
This guide explains how the N15 works in plain language, what you need to attach, what your landlord can and cannot do with the information, and where to get support. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Form N15 is the notice a tenant gives a landlord to end a tenancy early because of domestic or sexual violence or abuse. The termination date must be at least 28 days after the landlord receives it, and the notice must come with either a signed Tenant’s Statement or a copy of a restraining order or peace bond. A landlord must keep the information confidential, and cannot advertise the unit for rent before the tenant has moved out.
What Is an N15 Notice in Ontario?
Form N15 is titled Notice to End your Tenancy Because of Domestic or Sexual Violence or Abuse. It is a tenant’s notice, issued under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, and it exists for one reason: so a person can leave a rental unit quickly without being trapped by a fixed-term lease or the usual 60-day notice rule that applies to an N9.
Two features set it apart from an ordinary move-out notice:
- It can end the tenancy on any date at least 28 days away, even in the middle of a fixed term.
- It protects privacy. The landlord is legally bound to keep what you share confidential.
Who Can Use the N15?
The notice is available to a tenant who has experienced domestic or sexual violence or abuse, or whose child living in the unit has. The abuse does not have to have happened in the rental unit itself, and it does not have to involve a spouse. The person responsible can be a current or former partner, a family member, or someone else.
You do not need a criminal conviction, a police report or a court order to use the N15. That is the purpose of the Tenant’s Statement, covered below.
What You Must Attach to the N15
An N15 on its own is not enough. It has to be accompanied by one of the following:
- A Tenant’s Statement — a signed statement on the LTB form confirming that you, or a child living with you, have experienced violence or abuse, and that you need to end the tenancy for that reason. A third party does not have to confirm it.
- A copy of a restraining order or peace bond related to the abuse.
Timing matters here. The supporting document must be recent: the form sets a 90-day window, so check the dates on your paperwork before you serve. If your documents are older than that, speak to a paralegal first rather than risk a notice being treated as invalid.
How the 28-Day Notice Works
The termination date you write on the form must be at least 28 days after the landlord receives the notice. It does not have to be the end of a rental month or the end of a lease term.
Practical points:
- Deliver the notice and the supporting document together, using a recognized method of service (hand delivery, mailbox, mail or courier).
- Keep a dated copy of everything you serve.
- Rent is still owed up to the termination date. Ending the tenancy early does not erase rent that has already come due.
- If you have a last month’s rent deposit, it is applied to your final month in the usual way.
What Your Landlord Can and Cannot Do
Once an N15 is served, the landlord has obligations:
Landlord must | Landlord cannot |
Keep your information and the Tenant’s Statement confidential | Share your details with other tenants, neighbours or third parties without a lawful reason |
Treat the tenancy as ending on the date you gave | Demand a penalty or “lease break” fee for leaving |
Wait until you have moved out before marketing the unit | Advertise the unit “for rent” while you still live there |
Breaching the confidentiality rules is serious. Fines under the Act can reach $50,000 for an individual and $250,000 for a corporation. If you believe your landlord has disclosed your information, a tenant paralegal can explain your options, which may include an application to the Board.
Planning the Notice Safely
Because the N15 is often served in a tense or unsafe situation, how and when you serve it can matter as much as what it says. A few practical ideas:
- Talk to a support service first. The helplines below can help you build a safety plan, including the timing of your move.
- Think about who delivers it. A trusted friend, relative or a paralegal’s office can deliver the notice or send it by courier, so you do not have to face your landlord in person.
- Keep copies somewhere safe. Store your own copy, proof of delivery and supporting documents outside the home, for example with a trusted person or in secure online storage.
- Be careful with what you share. The landlord is bound by confidentiality, but your abuser may live in the unit or know the building. Avoid discussing your reasons with neighbours.
- Line up your move. Having a safe place to go, and a plan for belongings, pets and children’s school or care, reduces the pressure as the 28 days run.
Joint Tenants and Shared Leases
Joint tenancies are the area where an N15 most often goes wrong. If more than one tenant is named on the lease, the rules about who must sign, and what happens to the other tenants, need care. A notice that is signed by only some joint tenants can be treated as void. Because getting this wrong can leave you still bound to the lease, it is worth having the paperwork reviewed before it goes out, especially if the other joint tenant is the person you are leaving.
Moving Out: A Practical Checklist
As the termination date approaches:
- Confirm the date in writing and keep your proof of service.
- Pay rent through the termination date, and ask how any last month’s rent deposit will be applied.
- Take dated photos of the unit’s condition on your way out.
- Return keys in a way you can prove, such as by courier or with a written receipt.
- Remove all belongings, since items left behind after the termination date may be treated as abandoned.
- Update your address with banks, employers, schools and government services, and ask providers to keep your new address confidential.
- If you need a safe forwarding address for the landlord, consider using a lawyer’s, paralegal’s or trusted person’s address.
What Landlords Should Do When They Receive an N15
If you are a landlord who receives an N15, your role is limited and your obligations are serious:
- Do not disclose the tenant’s information or the Tenant’s Statement to anyone without a lawful reason.
- Do not reject the notice or ask the tenant to prove their story. A properly completed Tenant’s Statement or order is what the law asks for.
- Do not advertise the unit until the tenant has moved out.
- Do not charge a penalty for ending the tenancy early.
- Check the paperwork for completeness, and if joint tenants are involved, get advice on how it affects the remaining tenants.
Mistakes here can lead to heavy fines, so it is worth getting advice early from a landlord paralegal.
N15 vs. Other Ways to Leave
N15 | N9 | N11 | |
Who gives it | Tenant | Tenant | Both sides agree |
Notice needed | 28 days | 60 days (end of period/term) | Date you agree |
Reason required | Yes, abuse | No | No |
Landlord’s consent needed | No | No | Yes |
Extra paperwork | Tenant’s Statement or order | None | Signed agreement |
If you have time and the situation allows, a standard notice may be simpler. When safety is the concern, the N15 is the faster, lower-friction route.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Serving the N15 without the Tenant’s Statement or order attached
- Choosing a termination date less than 28 days after delivery
- Forgetting that all joint tenants’ signatures may matter
- Relying on a verbal conversation with the landlord instead of a written notice
- Leaving belongings behind without making arrangements, since items left after the termination date may be treated as abandoned
- Posting about your move or your reasons where the landlord or others can see it
Where to Get Support
A legal notice is only one part of staying safe. These services are free and confidential:
- Emergency: 911
- Assaulted Women’s Helpline: 1-866-863-0511 (24 hours)
- Victim Support Line: 1-888-579-2888
Our team can handle the tenancy paperwork so you can focus on everything else.
Frequently Asked Questions About the N15 Notice in Ontario
How much notice do I have to give with an N15?
At least 28 days after the landlord receives it. The date does not have to match the end of a rental period or lease term.
Do I need a police report or court order to use the N15?
No. A signed Tenant’s Statement is enough. A restraining order or peace bond is the alternative.
Can my landlord refuse an N15?
No. It does not require the landlord’s agreement. The landlord’s role is to comply and keep your information confidential.
Do I still owe rent after serving an N15?
You owe rent through the termination date. The N15 ends the tenancy early but does not cancel rent that is due before then.
Can the landlord advertise my unit while I am still there?
No. The unit cannot be advertised for rent until you have moved out.
Can a child’s experience of abuse be the reason for the notice?
Yes. The notice is available if a child living in the unit has experienced domestic or sexual violence or abuse.
Will my landlord know the details of what happened?
The Tenant’s Statement confirms the situation, but the landlord is legally required to keep it confidential.
What happens to my rent deposit?
A last month’s rent deposit is applied to your final month in the usual way.
What if I am on a fixed-term lease?
The N15 can still end it early. You do not need to wait for the term to expire.
Need Help Serving an N15?
Kippel & Associates Legal Services helps tenants across Toronto and the GTA prepare and serve notices discreetly and correctly. If your landlord pushes back, our tenant eviction paralegal team can step in. Book a free consultation, or browse our FAQ page for more on Landlord and Tenant Board matters. For disputes over deposits or money owed after you leave, our Small Claims Court team can advise. Landlords who receive an N15 can also get guidance from our landlord paralegal services.
All Blogs
- N15 Notice Ontario: Leaving Your Rental in 28 Days Because of Domestic or Sexual Violence
- N14 Notice Ontario: What a Landlord Can Do When the Tenant Leaves but the Spouse Stays
- N10 Notice Ontario: Agreeing to a Rent Increase Above the Guideline
- N9 Notice Ontario: How Tenants Give Legal Notice to Move Out
- N11 Notice Ontario: What You Agree to When You Sign
- N13 Notice Ontario: What “Renoviction” Actually Requires Under the Law
- N1 Notice Ontario: What Landlords and Tenants Need to Know Before the Rent Goes Up
- N2 Notice Ontario: What Partially Exempt Really Means for Your Rent Increase
- N8 Form Ontario: Notice to End Tenancy for Persistent Late Rent Payment
- N2 Form Ontario: Notice of Rent Increase for Exempt Units Explained
