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Order to Evict in Winter:
Legal and Possible Despite the Common Contrary Urban Myth
Last Updated: August 22 2026
Question: Can a residential tenant in Ontario be evicted during the winter?
Answer: White Owl Legal can help explain how winter does not automatically block an eviction in Ontario, because there is no Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 rule that makes winter evictions illegal; instead, the Landlord Tenant Board has discretion under Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 to refuse to grant an eviction or to postpone enforcement after reviewing the circumstances, which can include hardship concerns during winter. If you are facing an eviction or want to challenge timing, contact (289) 839-3075 for paralegal guidance on your rights, next steps, and how section 83 discretion may affect whether enforcement is delayed.
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Understanding Whether a Tenant May Be Evicted During Winter
The belief that a residential tenant cannot be evicted during the winter is false. There is nothing within the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, Chapter 17, being the law that governs residential tenancies, that prevents a wintertime eviction; however, the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 does contain section 83 which provides an adjudicator at a hearing of the Landlord Tenant Board to make discretionary decisions that may involve delaying an eviction and the reasoning for doing so may be because it is winter. Specifically, section 83 of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 states:
Note: Please contact White Owl Legal by phone at: (289) 839-3075 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.
83 (1) Upon an application for an order evicting a tenant, the Board may, despite any other provision of this Act or the tenancy agreement,
(a) refuse to grant the application unless satisfied, having regard to all the circumstances, that it would be unfair to refuse; or
(b) order that the enforcement of the eviction order be postponed for a period of time.
(2) If a hearing is held, the Board shall not grant the application unless it has reviewed the circumstances and considered whether or not it should exercise its powers under subsection (1).
(3) Without restricting the generality of subsection (1), the Board shall refuse to grant the application where satisfied that,
(a) the landlord is in serious breach of the landlord’s responsibilities under this Act or of any material covenant in the tenancy agreement;
(b) the reason for the application being brought is that the tenant has complained to a governmental authority of the landlord’s violation of a law dealing with health, safety, housing or maintenance standards;
(c) the reason for the application being brought is that the tenant has attempted to secure or enforce his or her legal rights;
(d) the reason for the application being brought is that the tenant is a member of a tenants’ association or is attempting to organize such an association; or
(e) the reason for the application being brought is that the rental unit is occupied by children and the occupation by the children does not constitute overcrowding.
(4) The Board shall not issue an eviction order in a proceeding regarding termination of a tenancy for the purposes of residential occupation, demolition, conversion to non-residential rental use, renovations or repairs until the landlord has complied with section 48.1, 49.1, 52, 54 or 55, as the case may be.
(5) If a tenant has given a landlord notice under subsection 53 (2) and subsection 54 (2) or (4) applies, the Board shall not issue an eviction order in a proceeding regarding termination of the tenancy until the landlord has compensated the tenant in accordance with subsection 54 (2) or (4), as applicable.
(6) Without restricting the generality of subsections (1) and (2), if a hearing is held in respect of an application under section 69 for an order evicting a tenant based on arrears of rent arising in whole or in part during the period beginning on March 17, 2020 and ending on the prescribed date, in determining whether to exercise its powers under subsection (1) the Board shall consider whether the landlord has attempted to negotiate an agreement with the tenant including terms of payment for the tenant’s arrears.
(7) Subsection (6) applies with respect to any application described in that subsection that,
(a) is made on or after the day subsection 17 (3) of Schedule 4 to the Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act, 2020 comes into force; or
(b) was made before that day and was not finally determined before that day.
(8) For greater certainty, subsection (6) applies whether or not a date has been prescribed for the purposes of that subsection.
Accordingly, the Landlord Tenant Board adjudicator may refrain from ordering an eviction during the winter months by, among other things, issuing an Order to Evict with a delayed eviction date. However, it is false to believe that just because the Landlord Tenant Board adjudicator may refrain from ordering a wintertime eviction that a wintertime eviction is unlawful, impossible, or even unlikely. Depending on the circumstances, a wintertime eviction can indeed happen.
Summary Comment
The belief that a wintertime eviction is forbidden is an urban myth. It appears that many people falsely believe a wintertime eviction is illegal merely because the Landlord Tenant Board has the discretion to avoid ordering a wintertime eviction and, whereas the Landlord Tenant Board may frequently exercise that discretion, the urban myth was, incorrectly, born.
NOTE: A significant volume of online searches for “lawyers nearby” or “top lawyer in” typically indicates a desire for prompt and effective legal support rather than a particular label. In Ontario, paralegals who are licensed are governed by the same Law Society that supervises lawyers and are permitted to advocate for clients in specific litigation areas. Core to this role are advocacy, legal analysis, and procedural expertise. White Owl Legal provides legal representation within its licensed parameters, focusing on strategic positioning, preparation of evidence, and compelling advocacy directed at securing timely and beneficial outcomes for clients.
