Plain-language answer
LTB paperwork uses a compact legal vocabulary. Here are the terms tenants ask about most. Member: the adjudicator who runs the hearing and makes the decision. Applicant and respondent: the person who filed the application and the person responding to it. Adjournment: postponing a hearing to a later date — requested, not automatic. Mediation: a voluntary process where an LTB mediator helps both sides try to settle before a hearing decision.
Consent order: an order recording terms both sides agreed to — it is generally binding like any other order, so understand it fully before agreeing. Ex parte: an order made without a hearing where the other side participates, allowed only in specific circumstances (for example, some applications after a breached settlement). Set aside: a request to cancel certain orders — commonly ex parte orders or orders made when a party missed the hearing — so the matter can be heard properly; deadlines are generally short. Review: a request asking the LTB to reconsider an order on limited grounds, such as a serious error; also deadline-bound.
Two more that matter: abatement, a reduction of rent sometimes ordered to reflect problems like unaddressed maintenance; and sheriff or Court Enforcement Office, the only body that can enforce an eviction order. None of these words changes your rights by itself — but knowing them keeps documents from being intimidating, and helps you ask better questions.
Why it matters
Orders and notices are written in these terms, and misreading them has consequences — especially set-aside and review deadlines, which are short and unforgiving.
Tenants who know the vocabulary participate more effectively: asking for an adjournment properly, understanding what consenting to an order means, and recognizing when a document signals something urgent.
Facts that affect the answer
Based on the information available, these are the kinds of facts that commonly change how a situation like this is assessed:
- Which document you actually have — a notice, an application, a Notice of Hearing, or an order all mean different things.
- Whether an order was made on consent, after a contested hearing, or ex parte — this affects what options may exist.
- Whether you attended the hearing, since missed hearings connect to set-aside processes.
- The date on any order, because set-aside and review windows generally run from it.
- Whether enforcement steps have started.
Evidence to preserve
Preserve these now, in their original form
- Every LTB document you receive, kept complete with all pages.
- Envelopes or emails showing when each document arrived.
- Notes from hearings or mediation sessions, dated.
- Anything you signed, especially settlement or consent documents.
- A running list of deadlines mentioned in any document, checked against the originals.
Common mistakes
- Consenting to an order at a hearing without understanding it is generally binding — ask duty counsel first.
- Missing set-aside or review deadlines because an order sat unopened.
- Assuming "adjournment" is granted just by asking or not showing up — non-attendance risks an order in your absence.
- Confusing a landlord's notice with a Board order and treating either one incorrectly as a result.
- Trying to decode a confusing order alone instead of taking it to a legal clinic promptly.
Possible official process
Definitions and procedures for these terms come from the LTB's rules, practice directions, and forms, published on the Tribunals Ontario website — the authoritative place to check current meanings and deadlines.
Set-aside motions and review requests are formal processes with their own forms and short time limits; if either might apply to you, contact a legal clinic immediately.
Tenant duty counsel at hearing blocks can explain any term in your documents before your case is called — using them is free and encouraged.
Professional review recommended
Tools that help with this
Jurisdiction: Ontario · Last reviewed 2026-07-15 · currently under review. Rules, forms, and deadlines can change — always confirm against the official sources above.
This is legal information, not legal advice. RTO Pro is not a law firm. Deadlines and exceptions may apply to your situation — a qualified legal professional should confirm anything important before you rely on it.