Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) charges fees for applications, review requests, hearing recordings and copies, and the Fee Waiver Request is how a person on a low income asks to skip them. It is open to tenants and landlords alike, as long as the person asking is an individual. A household living mainly on income support qualifies, and so does one whose income sits under the published limits. A business never does.
Summary
| Eligible | People (not businesses or organizations) who are parties to, or directly affected by, a case |
| Timing | At any stage of a case, before the fee is paid |
| Time limit | There isn't one, but a waiver only covers fees from the day it is approved onward |
| Filing | Goes on top of the filing it relates to; mail, courier or ServiceOntario. Licensed representatives can use the Portal (Rule 2.1) |
| Cost | Asking is free |
| Outcome | The LTB sends back a copy stamped approved or denied; no further form |
The legal basis
Section 181.1 of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) is the source of the power: acting under its Rules, the Board may waive or defer a fee, in whole or in part, "for low-income individuals in appropriate circumstances". Rule 2 then says the Board's own form must be used, and that anyone meeting the criteria printed on it gets the waiver.
An approval reaches further than the one fee in front of you. The Practice Direction on Fee Waiver says it covers every Board fee on the application you are a party to, from the approval date forward.
Do you qualify?
There are two routes. You only need one.
Route 1: your household lives on income support
The main source of household income must be one or more of these:
- Canada Pension Plan
- War Veterans' Allowance
- Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
- Ontario Works
- Old Age Security paired with the Guaranteed Income Supplement (OAS on its own does not count)
Route 2: your household income is under the limit
Total what everyone in the household brings in each month, gross, before any tax or deduction, and from all sources. Compare it with this table:
| Number of people | Monthly gross income must be under |
|---|---|
| One person | $1,650 |
| Two people | $2,475 |
| Three people | $2,840 |
| Four people | $3,390 |
| Five or more | $3,940 |
These numbers appear on the current form and in the fee waiver Practice Direction (August 14, 2026 version). "Household" here means three kinds of people only: you, a spouse, and children who depend on you.
Quick check. A tenant living with a spouse and one dependent child is a household of three. If the two adults together earn $2,700 a month before deductions, that is under $2,840, so Route 2 is met.
When it makes sense to file one
It fits any individual, landlord or tenant, who owes an LTB fee and meets one of the two routes. Common examples: a tenant filing an application, a small landlord filing an L-application, either side filing a Request to Review, or anyone ordering something with a fee attached, such as a hearing recording ($16.15).
Partnerships, corporations and other organizations are shut out entirely. It also does not help once you have already paid. Waivers are not backdated, and LTB fees are non-refundable.
Completing the form
Part 1 – General Information. Name, mailing address, daytime phone number and email.
Part 2 – Reason for Request. Pick one reason. Never both. - Route 1 (Reason 1 on the form): tick every income support program that is the household's main income. - Route 2 (Reason 2 on the form): mark how many people live in the household, then enter everyone's combined monthly income, gross, from every source.
Part 3 – Declaration. Read before you sign. Your signature confirms three things: the answers are complete and true; you understand RTA s. 234 makes misleading or false filings an offence; and the Board may demand financial paperwork to test what you wrote. Add your signature and the date.
Leave the "For Office Use Only" box alone; that is for staff.
Sending it in
- Put it on top of whatever you are filing: the application, the request form, or your written note asking the LTB for something like copies. The form prints this instruction in bold.
- For the filing method, the LTB forms page names mail or courier and ServiceOntario.
- If you have a lawyer or paralegal licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, Rule 2.1 lets them complete it in the Tribunals Ontario Portal using information you give them.
- The Practice Direction gives just two filing routes: drop it off at ServiceOntario, or mail it to an LTB office. Fax shows up in one place only, the line about timing: whether you used ServiceOntario, mail or fax, the answer arrives by mail within a week.
Why requests get denied or held up
- The applicant is a company. A numbered company that owns a rental property cannot get a waiver. Only people can.
- Household income is understated. The figure is gross and covers every source, a spouse's pay and rental income included. Leaving income out breaches s. 234, and the Board can verify by asking for records.
- Both reasons ticked, or none. The form needs exactly one.
- Relying on OAS alone. Without the Guaranteed Income Supplement, Old Age Security does not satisfy Reason 1.
- Sending it separately, or tucking it behind the application. Its place is page one of the matching filing.
- Not paying after a refusal. Suppose no payment information went in with the filing and the request is turned down. Once the Board reaches you, the Practice Direction allows three business days to pay; after that the application is sent back. On a deadline-driven filing, that delay can be costly.
After you file
Staff review it and return a copy marked either Approved or Denied (criteria not met). With an approval, the filing is processed free, and so are later Board fees in that same case. If your financial situation changes partway through, the Practice Direction allows a fresh request.
FAQ
Are fee waivers only for tenants?
No. Landlords who are individuals qualify on the same two reasons. Being a landlord is not the bar; being a corporation or other organization is.
What are the 2026 income limits?
Gross monthly household income has to be under $1,650 (one person), $2,475 (two), $2,840 (three), $3,390 (four) or $3,940 (five or more).
Can I submit it on the Tribunals Ontario Portal myself?
Only licensed paralegals and lawyers get that option under Rule 2.1, filing for their clients. Self-represented people are pointed to courier, mail and ServiceOntario on the LTB forms page, while the August 14, 2026 Practice Direction speaks of just ServiceOntario and mail. Since no Portal path for unrepresented filers is described in either, check with the Board first.
Do I have to prove my income?
Possibly. By signing the declaration you accept that financial records can be requested.