September 2, 2026 | Blog

The Landlord Won at the LTB — Then the Tenant Filed a Review. Can the Order Still Be Enforced?

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After months of notices, evidence, hearings and waiting, the Landlord and Tenant Board finally issues its order.

The landlord gets the result they were waiting for.

The first reaction is often:

“Finally. It’s over.”

Then another notice arrives.

The tenant has filed a:

Request to Review an Order.

For many Ontario landlords, this immediately creates another question:

The LTB already issued the order. Can I still move forward with it?

The answer depends on something very important:

What is the current status of the order?

A review request does not automatically mean the tenant has won. It also does not automatically cancel the original order.

But if the order has been stayed, enforcement is a different story.

Here is what Ontario landlords need to understand.


What Is a Request to Review an LTB Order?

A Request to Review is a formal process asking the LTB to reconsider one of its final orders.

It is not simply:

“I lost and I disagree, so I want another hearing.”

Under the current LTB rules, a review may be considered in circumstances including where a party was not reasonably able to participate in the proceeding, where the order resulted from a serious error, or where there is new evidence that could not reasonably have been obtained earlier and would likely have affected the result.

The LTB can conduct a preliminary review and dismiss a request that does not meet the required test.

In fact, the LTB’s own guidance says that simply alleging that an order is wrong will usually not be enough.

So:

Requesting a review does not mean the original decision has been overturned.


Important 2026 Change: The Review Deadline Is Now Shorter

Ontario landlords should also be aware that the rules changed recently.

For an LTB order issued on or after July 1, 2026, a Request to Review generally must be filed within:

15 days after the order is issued.

For orders issued before July 1, 2026, the previous 30-day deadline applies.

Someone filing late must also request an extension and explain the delay.

This is particularly important when dealing with a newly issued order in 2026.


Does Filing a Review Automatically Cancel the Original Order?

No.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions.

A Request to Review and a stay of an order are related, but they are not the same thing.

Under the current LTB Rules of Procedure, a party can request a stay as part of the review request or later during the review process.

The LTB can then decide whether to stay the original order. It can also later lift a stay.

So don’t automatically assume:

“The tenant filed a review, therefore my order disappeared.”

It didn’t.

But you also shouldn’t automatically assume:

“I already won, so nothing has changed.”

The next question is critical.


What Is a Stay?

A stay essentially puts enforcement of an order on hold.

The LTB explains it very clearly:

An order that is stayed cannot be enforced.

For example, suppose a landlord receives an eviction order.

The tenant then requests a review and asks the LTB to stay that eviction order.

If the LTB grants the stay, the landlord cannot simply ignore it and continue enforcing the original eviction order as though nothing happened.

The original order may still exist.

But:

its enforcement has been paused.


Review ≠ Stay

This distinction is extremely important.

Think of them as two separate questions.

Question 1:

Has someone requested a review of the order?

Question 2:

Has the order actually been stayed?

The answer to Question 1 does not automatically answer Question 2.

Under the current rules, a party requesting review can ask for a stay and must explain why the stay is necessary and what harm or prejudice could result if it is refused. The LTB can grant or lift a stay at any point during the review process.

That’s why landlords should focus on the actual LTB documents and current order status—not simply the fact that a review was filed.


A Simple Example

Suppose a Toronto landlord successfully obtains an LTB eviction order.

The order states that the tenancy is terminated and provides the relevant enforcement date.

The tenant then submits a Request to Review.

The landlord sees the review request and thinks:

“They already lost. I’m continuing with the eviction.”

That could be risky if the LTB subsequently issues an interim order staying the eviction order.

Once the order is stayed:

it cannot be enforced while that stay remains in effect.

The landlord needs to review the latest documents carefully before taking the next enforcement step.


What Happens When the LTB Receives the Review Request?

The LTB first conducts a preliminary review.

At that stage, it can take different actions.

For example, it may dismiss the request because it was filed too late, dismiss it because the required grounds have not been established, extend the filing deadline where appropriate, or direct that a review hearing be held.

It may also make interim orders where appropriate.

The LTB’s current Interpretation Guideline also states that, at the preliminary review stage, the reviewing adjudicator decides whether the original order should be stayed while the review request is being considered.

This is why landlords should carefully read every new document received after the original order.


What If the Review Is Dismissed?

Suppose the tenant requests a review.

The LTB examines the request and decides that it does not meet the requirements.

The review is dismissed.

Under Rule 26.14, if the review request is dismissed, the LTB will:

lift any stay and confirm the order under review.

At that point, the landlord should work from the latest LTB order and confirm what enforcement steps are available.

Again, don’t rely only on the original order sitting in your file.

Always read the newest order.


What If the LTB Allows the Review to Proceed?

If the request survives the preliminary stage, the LTB may schedule a review hearing.

The review hearing may take place electronically, in writing or in person, depending on how the LTB decides to proceed.

After the review, the LTB may ultimately leave the original outcome in place or issue a new order affecting the earlier decision.

A stay may also remain in place while the review is being dealt with.

This means the landlord needs to continue monitoring the case even though the original hearing has already happened.


A Stay Can Also Have Conditions

Another detail landlords sometimes overlook:

A stay is not always just “yes” or “no.”

The LTB can impose conditions when staying an order.

For example, an interim order may contain requirements that one or both parties must follow while the review is pending.

So when you receive an Interim Order, don’t just look for the word:

“Stayed.”

Read the entire document.

There may be deadlines, payment requirements or other directions that matter to the case.


What About an Appeal to Divisional Court?

A review and an appeal are also different procedures.

LTB decisions may be appealed to Ontario’s Divisional Court on a question of law.

Importantly, the LTB states that an appeal to Divisional Court automatically stays the LTB order until the court deals with the matter, subject to the applicable process for lifting that stay.

So landlords should not confuse:

Request to Review

with:

Appeal to Divisional Court.

The consequences for enforcement can be different.


Review Is Also Different From a Motion to Set Aside

There is another LTB procedure that can create confusion.

A Motion to Set Aside an Ex Parte Order is not the same as a Request to Review.

For certain set-aside motions filed by the deadline, the LTB states that the order is automatically stayed and cannot be enforced until a final decision is made.

This is another reason landlords should not treat every post-order application as though it follows the same rules.

When you receive something after an LTB order, identify exactly what it is:

Review?

Stay?

Set-aside motion?

Appeal?

The name of the procedure matters.


Landlords Should Check These Four Things

After receiving notice that the tenant has requested a review, don’t rely on assumptions.

Check:

  1. What is the current status of the review?
    Has it just been filed? Has it been dismissed? Has a review hearing been ordered?
  2. Has the original order been stayed?
    If it has, the stayed order cannot be enforced.
  3. Has the LTB issued a new Interim Order, Direction or other document?
    The newest document may change what happens next.
  4. Is the original order currently enforceable?
    This is ultimately the question that matters before taking the next enforcement step.

Don’t Rely on an Old Screenshot or the Original Order Alone

Suppose you received an eviction order on Monday.

You downloaded it, saved it and sent it to your property manager.

On Wednesday, the tenant filed a review.

On Friday, the LTB issued an Interim Order staying the eviction.

If someone only looks at Monday’s original order, they are working with outdated information.

That’s why good LTB case management requires a chronological file containing:

the original application,

hearing information,

the original order,

the review request,

any stay request,

interim orders,

directions,

review-hearing notices,

and the final review decision.

With an LTB matter, the newest document can be the most important one.


Winning the Hearing Is Not Always the End of the Process

For landlords who have already waited months for an LTB decision, receiving another application can be extremely frustrating.

But the safest approach is not to assume either extreme.

Don’t assume:

“The tenant filed a review, so I lost everything.”

And don’t assume:

“I already won, so the review doesn’t matter.”

Instead, ask:

What is the status of my order today?

That’s the practical question.


Final Thoughts

An LTB order is an important milestone.

But sometimes it is not the final step.

If a tenant files a Request to Review after an order is issued, Ontario landlords should immediately distinguish between:

the review itself

and

whether the order has been stayed.

A review does not automatically mean the original order has been cancelled.

But an order that has been stayed cannot be enforced while the stay remains in effect.

For landlords in Toronto, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Mississauga and across the GTA, careful document management becomes especially important once an LTB case reaches this stage.

At Topromanage, we believe landlords shouldn’t stop tracking an LTB matter simply because an order has arrived.

After receiving an order, keep checking:

Has anything new been filed?

Has the LTB issued another order?

Is there a stay?

What is the current enforceability of the order?

Because in an LTB case:

Getting the first step right matters.

But every step after the order matters too.

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