It is illegal for an Ontario landlord to change the locks, remove a tenant's belongings, or otherwise force a tenant out without a Landlord and Tenant Board order enforced by the Sheriff — even if the tenant owes rent or has broken a lease term. A locked-out tenant can apply urgently to the LTB for an order restoring access, and landlords who conduct illegal lockouts face significant financial penalties.
- Only the Landlord and Tenant Board can order an eviction, and only the Sheriff can physically enforce it — a landlord can never lawfully do either themselves.
- Changing the locks without giving the tenant a replacement key is one of the most common forms of an illegal lockout.
- Owing rent or breaching a lease term does not give a landlord the right to lock a tenant out — proper LTB process is still required.
- A locked-out tenant can apply to the LTB for an urgent order restoring access, sometimes resolved on an expedited basis.
- Landlords who conduct illegal lockouts face significant financial penalties, often well exceeding any amount they were trying to collect.
- Tenants should document everything — photos, texts, witnesses — as soon as a lockout occurs.
The Legal Framework
Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act makes one thing absolute: only the Landlord and Tenant Board can issue an eviction order, and only the Sheriff can physically carry it out. A landlord cannot lawfully change locks, remove a tenant's belongings, shut off utilities, or otherwise force a tenant out — regardless of the reason, and regardless of how justified the landlord believes they are.
Even where a landlord has a completely valid reason to end a tenancy — unpaid rent, serious property damage, illegal activity — they must still go through the LTB and Sheriff process. Taking matters into their own hands is illegal regardless of the underlying justification.
What Counts as an Illegal Lockout
An illegal lockout occurs whenever a landlord (or management company) prevents a tenant from entering their home without a Board order — most commonly by changing the locks and not providing a replacement key, but also by other means such as removing a door, disabling entry systems, or removing belongings to make the unit unusable.
Common (and Illegal) Landlord Justifications
Landlords sometimes wrongly believe a lockout is justified in certain circumstances — none of the following actually permit it:
- Unpaid rent — even significant arrears require the N4 notice and LTB process, not self-help
- Lease violations — damage, noise, or other breaches still require the appropriate notice and application
- The tenant is "clearly" moving out — assumptions about a tenant's intentions do not substitute for proper notice
- An expired fixed-term lease — as explained in our guide on overholding tenancies, a tenancy does not automatically end when a lease term expires
Your Remedies If You're Locked Out
A tenant who has been illegally locked out can apply to the LTB for an urgent order requiring the landlord to restore access — given the seriousness of being shut out of your home, these applications can often be addressed on an expedited basis compared to a standard hearing. Beyond restoring access, a tenant can also seek compensation for the disruption, any damaged or lost property, and other losses caused by the lockout.
Document everything the moment a lockout occurs: photos of the changed locks, texts or emails to your landlord demanding access, and the names of any witnesses. This evidence is critical to both restoring access quickly and pursuing compensation.
Consequences for Landlords
Illegal lockouts carry serious financial risk for landlords. Beyond being ordered to immediately restore access, landlords can face compensation orders to the tenant for the disruption and any losses, and in some cases additional penalties — consequences that frequently far exceed whatever issue prompted the landlord to act unlawfully in the first place.
A landlord frustrated by two months of unpaid rent changes the locks on a tenant's unit while the tenant is at work, without ever filing an LTB application. The tenant applies urgently to the LTB, which orders the locks changed back immediately and awards the tenant compensation for the lockout — while the landlord must still separately pursue the unpaid rent through the proper N4 and application process.
What to Do Right Now
- Contact your landlord immediately in writing, demanding access and documenting the request.
- Take photos of the changed locks or any other evidence of the lockout.
- Apply to the LTB urgently for an order restoring access.
- Get legal advice promptly — both to restore access quickly and to preserve your claim for compensation.
If you've been illegally locked out, call our Toronto landlord & tenant lawyers immediately at 416-274-2222.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Owing rent does not give a landlord the right to lock you out. Even for non-payment of rent, the landlord must serve the correct notice (N4), apply to the LTB, and obtain an order enforced by the Sheriff before you can be lawfully removed.
Contact your landlord immediately to demand access, document the situation with photos and any communication, and apply to the LTB urgently for an order restoring your access — this can often be addressed on an expedited basis given the urgency.
Yes. Removing a tenant's belongings without a proper LTB order and Sheriff-supervised process is illegal, in addition to any illegal lockout itself, and can support an additional claim for damages related to lost or damaged property.
Landlords who conduct illegal lockouts can face significant financial penalties from the LTB, including orders to pay the tenant's damages, compensation for the lockout itself, and in some cases additional fines — penalties that often far exceed whatever the landlord was trying to accomplish.
Generally, a tenant cannot change the locks without the landlord's consent, just as a landlord cannot change them without providing the tenant a key. Consult the specific terms of your lease and get advice before taking this step.
Because being locked out of your home is urgent, the LTB has processes to address these applications more quickly than a standard hearing, though exact timing depends on current Board workload and the specific circumstances of your case.
Being locked out does not automatically eliminate rent obligations, but it is a serious factor the LTB will weigh, and any compensation ordered against the landlord can offset amounts otherwise owed. Get advice on how these issues interact in your specific situation.