How to File a T1 Tenant Application for a Rent Rebate in Ontario

What is a T1 Tenant Application for a Rebate?

Form T1 is the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board application used when a landlord, landlord's agent or superintendent collected money they should not have collected or when a landlord failed to pay money that the Residential Tenancies Act requires them to pay.

The official form is called Tenant Application for a Rebate, but it covers more than rent overpayments. Depending on the circumstances, it can be used for illegal rent, illegal charges, deposits, unpaid interest, certain N12 or N13 compensation and other specific money claims.

Which problems can you claim on Form T1?

The LTB lists eight reasons for making a T1 application. Select only the reason or reasons that actually apply to your situation.

1. Illegal rent: your landlord charged rent above the lawful amount and you paid it.
2. Illegal charge: you paid an amount that the landlord, landlord's agent or superintendent was not legally allowed to collect, such as certain premiums, fees, commissions, bonuses, penalties or other prohibited charges.
3. Last month's rent deposit not returned or applied: after you moved out, the landlord neither used the deposit for the final rental period nor returned it.
4. Deposit kept when you could not move in: you entered into a tenancy agreement, the landlord did not allow you to take possession, and the landlord did not return the deposit you paid.
5. Interest on the rent deposit: the landlord owes you interest on the last month's rent deposit.
6. Unpaid N12 or N13 compensation: the landlord served an applicable termination notice but did not pay required compensation by the termination date.
7. Proceeds from personal property: the landlord sold property you left behind in circumstances permitted by the Residential Tenancies Act but did not pay you the proceeds you were entitled to receive.
8. Failure to disclose an Order Prohibiting a Rent Increase: the landlord did not give the required notice about an OPRI affecting the rental unit.

How long do you have to file a T1 application?

Deadlines are critical. The T1 instructions state that illegal-rent claims concern rent overcharged in the previous 12 months, and illegal-charge claims can only cover charges paid in the previous 12 months.

You must also generally apply within 12 months where the landlord improperly retained a last month's rent deposit, retained a deposit after refusing to let you move in, failed to pay required N12 or N13 compensation, or failed to pay proceeds from the sale of personal property when those proceeds became payable.

Do not wait until the end of the limitation period. If LTB staff determine that an application was filed too late, it can be refused or dismissed.

How do you calculate your T1 rebate?

Claim the amount you can explain and support. The T1 form requires you to state how much you believe the landlord owes and, for several grounds, explain how you calculated it.

For illegal rent, prepare a 12-month rent history

If you claim that you paid illegal rent, the T1 instructions require a rent history for the previous year. If you have lived in the unit for less than one year, provide the history from the date you moved in to the present.

List each rent amount you paid, the dates that amount applied and separately charged amounts paid to the landlord. Compare what you actually paid with what you say was the lawful rent and claim the difference.

For charges or deposits, identify each payment separately

For an illegal charge, record what the payment was for, when you paid it, who received it and how much you paid. For a retained deposit, state the amount and explain when and why it should have been returned or applied.

Is there a maximum amount you can claim?

Yes. The T1 instructions state that the most the LTB can order based on the claim is $50,000. If you believe the landlord owes more than $50,000 and you want to pursue the full amount, the instructions tell you to apply to court rather than the LTB.

The LTB also warns that once it issues an order based on the T1 application, you no longer have a claim to amounts above that $50,000 limit from the landlord for the same matter.

How much does it cost to file Form T1?

As of September 2026, the standard T1 filing fee is $53. The fee is reduced to $48 when you file through the Tribunals Ontario Portal. LTB filing fees are non-refundable.

An individual who meets the LTB's financial eligibility requirements can request a fee waiver. The LTB's current Practice Direction on Fee Waiver confirms that fee waivers are available to eligible individuals who are a party to, or directly affected by, an application. Businesses and organizations cannot receive an LTB fee waiver.

How do you file Form T1 online?

The easiest official route is the Tribunals Ontario Portal. T1 applications can be completed and paid through the portal. The portal guides applicants through the process and accepts Visa credit, Visa debit, Mastercard credit and Debit Mastercard.

Online filing also gives you access to functions such as checking the file status, uploading evidence, exchanging messages and documents, and using the portal's dispute-resolution tools.

Can you file a T1 without using the online portal?

Yes. The T1 instructions allow filing by mail or courier to the appropriate LTB office. Tribunals Ontario also states that some ServiceOntario centres accept LTB applications in person.

Payment methods depend on how you file. For mail or courier filings, certified cheques and money orders must be payable to the Minister of Finance, and credit-card payment requires the LTB Credit Card Payment Form. In-person ServiceOntario locations that accept LTB filings have additional payment options.

Fax filing is now restricted. The LTB generally no longer accepts ordinary fee-bearing applications by fax. Limited urgent fax filing may be available for applications without a fee or where a fee waiver applies and the applicant cannot use a computer or internet or visit a ServiceOntario location.

What evidence should you prepare?

The evidence depends on your T1 ground, but useful records can include:

• your tenancy agreement and amendments;
• rent receipts, bank statements or electronic payment records;
• rent-increase notices;
• records showing an illegal fee or other charge;
• proof of a last month's rent deposit;
• communications about returning a deposit;
• N12 or N13 notices and evidence about compensation;
• letters, emails or text messages with the landlord;
• records relating to property sold by the landlord;
• an OPRI or documents concerning an Order Prohibiting a Rent Increase.

Keep your originals. Tribunals Ontario states that evidence may include documents, photographs, audio, video, emails, texts and other relevant material.

When must you submit your hearing evidence?

Unless the LTB orders or directs otherwise, parties must provide the LTB and the other parties with the evidence they intend to rely on at least 7 days before the hearing. Evidence that responds to another party's evidence is generally due at least 5 days before the hearing.

Uploading evidence to the Tribunals Ontario Portal does not necessarily mean you have served it on the other party. Unless the parties have a written agreement allowing service through the portal, you must also give the other party a copy using an accepted method.

What happens after you file?

LTB staff review the application and supporting filing requirements. The official instructions warn that an incomplete application or one missing the required fee can be refused, and staff also check whether applications are filed on time.

If the case proceeds to a hearing, the LTB normally sends the parties the application and Notice of Hearing. In some cases, the LTB may order the applicant to serve documents instead.

The parties can present their evidence and arguments at the hearing. If the adjudicator finds that the landlord collected money unlawfully or failed to pay money owing under a valid T1 ground, the LTB can order payment to the tenant.

When should you use a different LTB form?

T1 is designed for the specific money claims listed in the form. It is not the general application for every landlord-tenant problem.

If your main issue is that the landlord failed to repair or maintain the rental unit, see Helpydo's guide on filing a T6 maintenance application against an Ontario landlord.

A landlord seeking permission for an above-guideline rent increase uses a different process. Helpydo separately explains how an Ontario landlord applies for an above-guideline rent increase.

Common T1 mistakes to avoid

• Filing after the applicable 12-month deadline.
• Using T1 for a problem that belongs on another LTB application.
• Selecting a T1 reason without explaining how the facts fit that reason.
• Claiming an amount without showing how it was calculated.
• Forgetting the required rent history for an illegal-rent claim.
• Submitting the application without the filing fee or an approved fee-waiver request.
• Assuming documents uploaded to the portal have automatically been served on the other party.
• Waiting until the hearing to disclose evidence that should have been exchanged earlier.