This article is general information for Ontario property owners, not legal advice. Every situation is different. If someone is living in your property without permission, call us before you act – we will walk you through it and connect you with the paralegal support you need.

Finding someone living in a property you own is alarming. Most owners ask the same three questions: can they take my property, who do I call, and how fast can I get them out? Here are the answers for Ontario.

Can a squatter take ownership of my property in Ontario?

For almost every owner in the GTA, no.

Most Ontario property is registered under the Land Titles system. Under Ontario’s Land Titles Act, a person cannot gain ownership of Land Titles land by occupying it, no matter how long they stay.

There is one narrow exception: if someone had already occupied the land openly and continuously for a full 10 years before the property was converted into Land Titles, their claim can survive. Most GTA properties converted decades ago, so this rarely applies to a house today. Properties still on the older Registry system are different, and boundary strips and fence-line disputes have their own rules.

Not sure which system your property is in? Your property’s parcel register shows it – ask us and we can help you check.

So the real risk is not losing your title. It is damage, lost rent and time. That is why acting quickly, and correctly, matters.

First, work out who is in your property

This is the step most owners skip, and it decides everything that follows.

A trespasser is someone who never had permission to live there: they broke in, or moved into a vacant home. Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act does not protect them, and the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) has no role.

A former tenant or occupant is someone who started with permission – a lease, a verbal agreement, a relative you let stay – and has not left. Even if they stopped paying, they may still have the protections of a tenant, and only the LTB can order them out.

If you are not sure which one you are dealing with, treat it as a tenancy until you have confirmed it – we can help you work that out. Getting this wrong can turn you into the person breaking the law.

How to remove a trespasser

1. Call the police. Explain that the person has no lease and never had permission to live there. Bring proof you own the property and that it was vacant (a utility bill, insurance, photos, a recent inspection). Ontario’s Trespass to Property Act lets police remove and charge trespassers.
2. Be ready for “it’s a civil matter.” If the person shows a lease – even a fake one – or claims they rent from someone, police often step back. That is the moment to call us.
3. Get a court order if needed. Where police will not act, the next step is a court order giving you back possession. We can help you get that process started and connect you with the paralegal support to see it through.
4. Secure the property once they are gone. Change the locks, fix the entry point, and photograph everything for your insurer.

How to remove a former tenant who will not leave

1. Serve the correct notice. The LTB forms depend on the reason – for example, non-payment of rent or the end of a tenancy. Use the current form version; several changed in 2026.
2. Apply to the LTB. If they do not leave by the date in the notice, you file the matching application and attend the hearing.
3. Enforce the order. If the LTB orders an eviction and they still stay, the Court Enforcement Office (often called the sheriff) carries it out. You cannot do it yourself.
4. Handle belongings by the RTA rules. After the eviction is enforced, the Residential Tenancies Act sets how long you must hold anything left behind before disposing of it. (currently 72 hours)

Our guide to handling evictions legally walks through the LTB process in more detail.

What not to do

Whichever kind of occupant it is, do not:

• change the locks or remove their belongings while they are still living there,
• cut off heat, water or electricity,
• threaten them or use force,
• make the property unliveable to push them out.

With a tenant, these can be offences under the Residential Tenancies Act. With anyone, they can lead to police charges or a lawsuit. Let the police, the LTB or the court do the removing.

How to keep squatters out of a vacant property

Most squatting happens in properties that are empty: between tenants, during a renovation, or after an owner moves into care or passes away. A few habits make a property far less attractive:

• Visit regularly, at different times, and keep a dated photo record.
• Make it look lived in: collect mail and flyers, keep the lawn cut and snow cleared, use timer lights.
• Check your insurance. Many home policies limit cover once a property has been vacant for a set

period. Ask your insurer what applies to yours.

• Secure every entry: locks, windows, basement doors and garages.
• Ask a neighbour to call you if they see anyone.
• Keep it rented. An occupied home with a screened tenant is the best protection there is. See how we

screen tenants.

Frequently asked questions

Do squatters have rights in Ontario? A trespasser has very few. A former tenant may still have tenant rights until the LTB decides otherwise – which is why the first step is working out which one you have.

How long does it take to remove a squatter? A trespasser the police will remove can be gone the same day. A former tenant goes through the LTB, which can take months.

Can I just change the locks? Not while they are living there. Lock-outs can be illegal and can be used against you. Secure the property after they are removed.

Can a squatter get my house after 10 years? On Land Titles property, which is most GTA homes, no. See the section above.

Own a vacant or inherited property in the GTA?

Empty homes are where squatting starts – especially a property that has come to you from a parent or relative and is sitting while the family decides what to do. Property Management Partners has managed rentals across Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville for 20 years. We can screen and place a tenant, handle the paperwork and keep the property cared for, so it never sits empty.

Book a call with our team