Your first stop for self-help is a review of our FAQs. Take a look at the ever increasing collection of questions asked by Ontario’s small-scale landlords as well as the actual answers provided by Landlord’s Self-Help Centre.
Yes, the tenant is correct. In order to serve notices to the tenant by email there has to be consent by both parties. The Standard Form of Lease includes a section in which both parties can consent to service by email, it must be checked off in order to serve any type of notice by either party. The tenant can also consent in writing for service by email at any time during the tenancy. The landlord should keep in mind that the tenant can withdraw their consent at any time during the tenancy.
This is true, landlords and tenants may consent in writing at any time to service of documents by email but be aware that the consent to service by email may be revoked at any time by giving notice in writing to the person or party.
For more information on serving documents visit the Landlord Tenant Board’s website and refer to Rule 3 at https://tribunalsontario.ca/documents/ltb/Rules/LTB%20Rules%20of%20Procedure.html#r3
There is always a chance that the tenant will deny receiving documents, however as long as you have delivered them by one of the acceptable methods and then provided the Board with a Certificate of Service, an adjudicator will usually be satisfied that the documents have been served.
A landlord may give a 24-hour written notice of entry to the tenant by:
a) handing it to an apparently adult person;
b) placing it in the tenant’s mailbox or where mail is ordinarily delivered;
c) sliding it under the tenant’s door;
d) posting it on the tenant’s door;
e) facsimile to the residence or place of business;
f) courier or mail with additional time added; or
g) email if the person or party receiving it has consented in writing to service by email
Consent to service by email may be revoked at any time by giving notice in writing to the person or party.
Note: Only the notice of entry may be posted on the door. If you must serve any other document to a tenant, do not post on the door.
For more information on serving documents visit the landlord and Tenant Board’s website and refer to Rule 3 at https://tribunalsontario.ca/documents/ltb/Rules/LTB%20Rules%20of%20Procedure.html#r3.
Recent changes to the Residential Tenancies Act now allow landlords the option of serving tenants documents through email. Landlords must have consent in writing by the tenant in order to be able to serve documents by email but be aware that the consent to service by email may be revoked at any time by giving notice in writing to the person or party.
For more information on serving documents visit the Landlord Tenant Board’s website and refer to Rule 3 at https://tribunalsontario.ca/documents/ltb/Rules/LTB%20Rules%20of%20Procedure.html#r3
Other methods of service for a termination notice are the following:
- handing it to the person;
- leaving the notice in the mailbox or where mail is normally delivered;
- placing the notice under the door of the rental unit;
- handing it to an adult person in the rental unit;
- sending it by courier; or
- sending it by regular mail (allow 5 days for delivery).
You do not have to give anything else to the tenant once you have served a notice of termination, but you will have to complete a Certificate of Service form if or when an application is made to the Landlord and Tenant Board for an eviction order.