A piece of paper from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) in Ontario cannot physically return a unit to a landlord. That job is done by the sheriff, formally the Court Enforcement Office attached to the Superior Court of Justice. To recover possession, the landlord has to file the order with the correct office before it expires and pay the enforcement fees. Below: the earliest filing date, the right office, the cost, what to expect on the day, and the tenant steps that can halt or delay things.
Overview
| Topic | What applies |
|---|---|
| Enforcer | Sheriff only; self-help by a landlord is never allowed |
| Legal status of the order | Treated like a writ of possession (s. 85 of the RTA) |
| Earliest filing | The date written in the order; 11 days after issue is typical |
| Office | Determined by where the unit is located |
| Lapse | Unfiled orders expire six months from their effective date (s. 81) |
| Charges | Under O. Reg. 294/92: $75 to file; $240 each time enforcement is attempted; mileage on top |
| Tenant's possessions | Must be retrievable for 72 hours after, from 8 in the morning to 8 at night |
| Possible pauses | L1 payment motions, ex parte set-aside motions, review stays, appeals to Divisional Court |
Why landlords cannot do it themselves
The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) at s. 39 bars a landlord from taking back possession except as the Act permits. The Board's own brochure, How a Landlord Can End a Tenancy, is explicit: if the tenant stays past the date in the order, the landlord still may not put them out or re-key the unit. Section 85 gives the order the force of a writ of possession, enforced in the identical way. A landlord who swaps the locks regardless invites a tenant application and a prosecution, and from July 1, 2026 an RTA offence can cost an individual up to $100,000 and a corporation up to $500,000 (s. 238).
The first filing date
Every eviction order states the date it can go to the sheriff. Interpretation Guideline 7 notes that this is commonly 11 days after the order issues, though no such period appears in the RTA. The Board may choose a shorter period where there was serious misconduct. Postponing enforcement under s. 83(1)(b) is possible too, though from September 21, 2026 that needs the landlord's agreement or compliance with s. 8.4 of O. Reg. 516/06.
Example: an order issued on Monday, March 1, 2027 that follows the usual pattern would become enforceable on Friday, March 12, 2027. Always go by the date printed in your own order.
Expedited orders. Some orders must carry a request that the sheriff move quickly (s. 84). They are orders based on drug-related illegal acts under s. 61(2)(a), and on notices for wilful or serious damage (s. 63), for impaired safety (s. 66), or for interference in a small building where the landlord also lives (s. 65).
L1 orders and the voiding amount. Arrears orders state a dollar figure that, if paid in time, cancels the eviction. Under s. 74(4), full payment of it (to the landlord directly, or deposited with the LTB) before the order becomes enforceable makes the order void, and the sheriff cannot act on a void order. Money paid in at the Board triggers a Board notice saying so (Rule 20.2). Check both with the tenant and with the LTB that nothing was paid before you file.
Finding the right office
Section 81 sends the order to the enforcement office responsible for the area where the unit is. Ontario has 49 such offices. Look yours up on the court locations page run by the Attorney General's ministry: pick the unit's municipality, then pick "Enforcement" as the office type. Court boundaries do not always follow municipal lines, so call the office if there is any doubt.
Filing methods:
| Area | How |
|---|---|
| Toronto | Since October 14, 2025, online through the Ontario Courts Public Portal: LTB residential eviction orders and the enforcement forms that go with them. Requires an Ontario.ca account and payment by debit, Visa or Mastercard. Submissions are reviewed inside 3 business days; if rejected, the card is not charged |
| Everywhere else | Mail it, or attend the enforcement office in person |
Include a copy of the LTB order plus any request or instruction your office requires. Since Ontario.ca refers vaguely to the "necessary enforcement forms", call ahead and ask which ones.
Six months, then it lapses
Under s. 81, an order left unfiled for six months from its effective date dies. Guideline 10 fills in three details:
- the landlord cannot start over with a new eviction application on the same ground once the order has lapsed;
- the six months are frozen during any stay from a Divisional Court appeal or an LTB set-aside or review (relying on Elguindy v. Galaxy Real Estate Core Ontario LP, 2024 ONSC 5911); and
- a filed order stays live for a year from its effective date (Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 60.10(4)), with extensions available from the court.
Fees
The fee schedule is O. Reg. 294/92 (Sheriffs – Fees) under the Administration of Justice Act. Relevant lines from Ontario's civil court fees page:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Filing an order that a sheriff must enforce (not one delivered to a land registrar) | $75 |
| Every enforcement attempt, successful or not (for writs of execution and orders not separately itemized) | $240 |
| Mileage, courthouse to unit and back | Per the kilometre allowance regulation, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 11 |
Ontario.ca says payment is made to the Enforcement Office when you file. Of everything on the fee list, those two lines ($75 and $240) are the ones that fit filing and enforcing an order; your office gives the exact total, mileage and all, at filing. Someone who cannot afford court fees may be able to use Ontario's court fee waiver process.
Landlords usually front this money. Should an L1 tenant void the order under s. 74(11) once these fees are paid, s. 74(15) obliges the Board to name the non-refundable sum the landlord laid out under the Administration of Justice Act, and to require the tenant to deposit it with the LTB by a set date for the voiding to hold. No deposit by then, and s. 74(17) lifts the stay so enforcement can resume.
Enforcement day
A date is scheduled; on it, the sheriff attends and hands possession to the landlord. The mechanics are not published by Ontario.ca or the LTB, such as notice to occupants, whether the landlord or an agent must attend, and who arranges a locksmith, so ask your office how it schedules and conducts enforcement.
Afterwards:
- Belongings. Three days (72 hours) must pass before anything the tenant left can be sold, kept or thrown out, and throughout that window it has to be available for collection near the unit, 8 in the morning until 8 at night (s. 41 of the RTA and s. 46 of O. Reg. 516/06). After that, s. 41 shields the landlord from liability for disposing of it.
- Money owed. Collecting any money awarded in the same decision is a separate exercise, done through Small Claims Court.
- Complaints about enforcement. Guideline 10 says to take them up with the sheriff; after a final order, the LTB cannot direct the sheriff further.
Steps that can halt or pause enforcement
Both sides need this list: landlords before hiring movers, tenants before the sheriff arrives. Rule 25 obliges whoever files a set-aside motion, or receives a stay or void notice, to deliver a copy to the enforcement office immediately.
| Tenant step | Effect |
|---|---|
| Paying the voiding amount on an L1 order before the enforceable date (s. 74(4)) | Voids the order; the sheriff cannot proceed |
| On an L1 order, after it becomes enforceable but before the sheriff acts: paying all that is owed (rent arrears, further rent, allowable NSF charges, costs), and filing a motion with an affidavit (s. 74(11)) | Once the LTB accepts the motion, the order is stayed (s. 74(13)) until a hearing at which the LTB voids the order or lifts the stay. Available only once in a tenancy (s. 74(12)) |
| On an L3 or L4 order made without a hearing, a set-aside motion (Motion to Set Aside an Ex Parte Order) within 10 days | A timely motion automatically stays the order. For L3 orders from September 21, 2026, setting aside requires that doing so not be unfair, ignoring changes in the tenant's situation after the notice or agreement (O. Reg. 516/06, s. 8.2) |
| Review request, due 15 days after an order made July 1, 2026 or later | Does not stay anything by itself; a stay must be requested and the Board rules on it (Rules 26.10, 26.11) |
| Divisional Court appeal, 30 days, law questions only (s. 210) | Per Tribunals Ontario, an automatic stay applies until lifted by the court or the Board |
Already paid the sheriff when one of these lands? Ask the office what happens to a file on hold, and file away the Board's stay or void notice.
Frequently asked questions
With an eviction order in hand, may the landlord change the locks?
No. Only the sheriff enforces. Re-keying the unit yourself can bring a tenant application and charges.
What is the time limit for filing with the sheriff?
Section 81 allows six months from the effective date, with the count suspended during any stay caused by an appeal, review or set-aside.
How are Toronto eviction orders filed?
Toronto accepts them online on the Ontario Courts Public Portal; the Toronto enforcement office also takes them by mail or at the counter.
What are the sheriff's fees?
O. Reg. 294/92 sets $75 for filing and $240 per enforcement attempt, with mileage added. Your local office confirms the total.
The tenant paid everything just before the sheriff's visit. What happens?
If it is an L1 order, the tenant may bring a s. 74(11) motion, once per tenancy. Acceptance of the motion stops enforcement pending a hearing, and voiding can be made conditional on the tenant covering the landlord's non-refundable sheriff costs.