The One-Year Clock on LTB Claims: Limitation Periods Every Ontario Tenant Should Know
The Landlord and Tenant Board is not an open-ended forum. Most tenant applications must be filed within one year under the Residential Tenancies Act — not th...
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a claim at the Landlord and Tenant Board?
For most tenant applications, one year from the day the conduct occurred, under section 29(2) of the Residential Tenancies Act. Claims for money the landlord collected illegally (illegal rent increases, unlawful fees or deposits) have their own one-year limit under section 135(4), measured from when the money was collected.
Isn't the limitation period two years like other legal claims?
No. The two-year period under the Limitations Act, 2002 is the default for civil court claims, but it generally does not govern applications to the LTB. The RTA sets its own, shorter one-year periods, and they control at the Board. The two-year period mainly matters if a claim is large enough to be pursued in court instead.
I have had serious disrepair for three years — can I still claim?
Possibly. If the disrepair is ongoing, the one-year clock can run from when it is finally fixed, so the application may still be in time. But the remedy is usually limited: a rent abatement generally reaches back only the 12 months before you file. Waiting therefore reduces what you can recover even when the application itself is not late.
Does moving out give me more time to file?
No. Section 29 lets a former tenant apply, but moving out does not pause or reset the one-year clock — it keeps running after you leave. If you have a claim, file before the year is up, whether or not you still live there.
My landlord wants years of unpaid rent — can the LTB order all of it?
While you are still living in the unit, the Board can order arrears up to its monetary limit, which rose to $50,000 on October 1, 2025. Once the tenancy has ended, a former landlord generally cannot use the LTB for arrears at all and must sue in Small Claims Court under the two-year limitation period.
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