Ontario N10 Form Explained: Agreeing to a Rent Increase Above the Guideline, Step by Step

In Ontario, the N10 is the Landlord and Tenant Board form that a landlord and a tenant both sign when the tenant chooses to pay more than the yearly rent guideline in return for something concrete: capital work on the unit, or an extra or brand-new service. For the landlord, it raises rent past the guideline without a trip to the Board. For the tenant, it comes with protections built in: a cap of guideline plus 3% (so 4.9% where the higher rent begins in 2027), a five-day window to cancel, and a six-day minimum wait before anything changes. A signed N10 takes the place of an N1 notice.

Quick facts

What an N10 actually does

RTA s. 121 allows an above-guideline deal when the landlord:

1. has completed, or commits to, a specified capital expenditure (a defined piece of capital work); or
2. has introduced, or commits to introduce, a new or additional service.

Validity checklist. The agreement must:

• [ ] use the Board-approved form;
• [ ] show the new rent amount;
• [ ] tell the tenant they may cancel;
• [ ] name the date the change starts.

The ceiling. Under s. 121(3), the most the rent may rise is the guideline plus 3% of what the previous lawful rent was. With a 1.9% guideline for 2027, any N10 increase starting that year tops out at 4.9%.

No separate notice. The signed agreement replaces the usual notice, so the s. 116 requirement of 90 days does not apply (s. 121(6)). An N1 already served for a date matching or following the N10's start date becomes void when the N10 kicks in (s. 121(7)).

Is the N10 the right tool? A quick check

Ask whether the tenant is getting something real and specific. The official instructions point to new kitchen cupboards. New appliances would also qualify, as would a service the household has never had.

Choose another route if:

• Only parking or a prescribed service is being added. RTA s. 123 covers that increase "as prescribed", whenever it happens, and the 12-month rule does not limit it.
• Rent control does not cover the unit. Section 121 is unavailable for s. 6.1 units (first occupied after November 15, 2018) and for the social and other housing in s. 7. Their rents are not held to the guideline anyway.
• The work covers the whole building and tenants refuse to sign. The landlord's option is an above-guideline application to the Board, the L5, which also means serving an N1 on every tenant.
• Someone is linking it to a lease renewal. Tenants: a tenancy carries on without any new signature. An N10 should only ever be a fair swap of rent for work or a service.

The clocks that matter

1. One year between increases. Twelve months must separate the start date from the last increase, or from move-in if there has been none (RTA s. 119; item 2 of the form).
2. Five days to reconsider. Within five days after signing, a tenant may cancel by written notice to the landlord (s. 121(4)).
3. Six-day wait. Nothing can take effect until six days after signing at the earliest (s. 121(5)). Neither of these short periods can be shortened by the Board (O. Reg. 516/06, s. 56).
4. Two years to complain. Where the work or service never happens, the tenant may apply up to two years after the higher rent began (s. 122(2)).

Example: both sides sign on Tuesday, May 4, 2027 and choose July 1, 2027 to start. That is comfortably past the six-day wait, but it only works if the tenant's previous increase, or move-in, was on or before July 1, 2026.

Filling in the N10, step by step

The version in use is dated 01/04/2022 and is two pages long.

1. Tenants. Name everyone on the tenancy; add a mailing address for anyone who gets mail elsewhere.
2. Landlords. Name each one, with a mailing address.
3. The unit. Full street address, unit number and postal code.
4. Your New Rent. Three entries: - the start date (dd/mm/yyyy), which must be six or more days after the last signature and 12 or more months after the prior increase; - the full new rent; - how often it is paid (monthly, weekly, etc.).

Calculate from the current lawful rent, meaning what can legally be charged today. For 2027, a lawful rent of $1,350.00 can rise by at most 4.9% (1.9% plus 3%), or $66.15, giving a ceiling of $1,416.15. 5. Details of the Work or New or Additional Service. Precision protects both sides. Per the instructions, describe the job or service, name the item (with brand or model number when that helps), explain installation, and give the completion or start date. Attach more sheets as needed. 6. Important Information (page 2). Leave this printed text exactly as it is. It covers the cancellation right, the six-day and 12-month rules, and the tenant's two-year right to apply. 7. Signatures. All tenants and all landlords print their full names and phone numbers, sign and date. By signing, the landlord is committing to deliver the work or service. 8. Office Use Only. Nothing goes here.

Signing, copies and records

There is no service step, because both parties sign. The tenant's cancellation period runs from signing, so give them their copy immediately.

Landlord's file should hold:

• [ ] the original, signed agreement;
• [ ] when each person signed;
• [ ] evidence the work was finished or the service began (invoices, photos, delivery slips).

With no written cancellation inside the five days, the new rent starts on the agreed date.

Problems that sink an N10

1. Exceeding the cap. Anything beyond guideline plus 3% breaks s. 121(3) and is not lawful rent. Apply the guideline for the year the increase begins.
2. Starting too soon. A date under six days from signing is barred by s. 121(5).
3. Skipping the one-year gap. The N10 does not displace s. 119.
4. Loose wording like "upgrades" or "improvements". Without an identified capital expenditure or service, s. 121(1) is not met, which hands the tenant a strong T4 point.
5. Failing to deliver. In a T4 under s. 122, the Board may rule that part or all of the extra amount was invalid from its first day and order a rebate.
6. Resisting a timely cancellation. Rejecting a cancellation sent inside the five days, or pressuring a tenant to stay in the deal, overrides a statutory right (s. 121(4)).
7. Signing one for an exempt unit. Since s. 121 has no application there, the paper achieves nothing.

After the agreement is signed

Landlords: once five days pass without written cancellation, the higher rent runs from the start date, and your next increase must wait a full year from it.

Tenants, a short checklist:

• [ ] keep your copy and note the signing date;
• [ ] to cancel, put it in writing to the landlord inside five days;
• [ ] watch for the promised work or service;
• [ ] if it never comes, you (or a former tenant) have two years from the start of the increase to file a T4; the Board can order the extra rent refunded.

Frequently asked questions

How high can an N10 go in 2027?

Where the increase starts in 2027, the limit is 1.9% plus 3%: 4.9% on top of the previous lawful rent.

Does the landlord still need to serve an N1?

No. The signed N10 does that job. An earlier N1 naming a later date is cancelled when the N10 takes effect.

I signed as a tenant and regret it. Can I cancel?

Yes, by written notice to your landlord within five days of signing. And the new rent cannot begin until six days after the signing date.

What if the promised work never happens?

Apply to the LTB within two years of the date the increase began. The Board may declare the above-guideline part invalid, in whole or in part, and order you repaid.

Official sources

• N10 form (PDF)
• N10 Instructions (PDF)
• Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, ss. 6.1, 7, 116, 119 and 121–123
• O. Reg. 516/06 (General), s. 56
• Residential rent increases (ontario.ca)
• LTB Forms, filing and fees

Last reviewed October 31, 2026. General information, not legal advice for your situation. Always use the current version of the form from the LTB.