20 situations · claims up to $50,000 · Ontario

What can you sue for?

Small Claims Court in Ontario decides claims for money and for the return of personal property, up to $50,000 (Courts of Justice Act s. 23; O. Reg. 626/00 s. 1). These are the disputes that fill its lists. Each page says what you must show, which documents help, the route, and the deadline. Legal information, not legal advice.

Check your claim, free How to sue someone in Ontario
  1. They did not pay the invoice.You did the work or delivered the goods. The invoice is past due. Small Claims Court handles claims for money up to $50,000 (Courts of Justice Act s.…Unpaid invoice
  2. The contractor took the deposit and stopped.Paid up front, work never finished or never started. This is a money claim in Small Claims Court up to $50,000. The claim is for the deposit, plus…Contractor deposit
  3. You lent the money. They stopped answering.A loan is a contract even between friends. Small Claims Court can order repayment up to $50,000. The hard part is usually proof that it was a loan…Personal loan
  4. They kept the deposit.For a residential tenancy, the Landlord and Tenant Board decides, not Small Claims Court: a former tenant files an L10. For a commercial lease, a…Deposit not returned
  5. They owe you pay.Two doors. The Ministry of Labour handles Employment Standards Act claims, free, for minimum entitlements. Small Claims Court handles wrongful…Unpaid wages
  6. They broke it. They will not pay.A neighbour's tree, a fender-bender, a mover, a dog. If someone's fault cost you money and the amount is $50,000 or less, Small Claims Court can…Property damage
  7. You paid. Nothing arrived.A private sale, a marketplace seller, a small business that folded. If the seller is in Ontario or the deal was made here, Small Claims Court can…Paid, not delivered
  8. The roommate left. The rent did not.A roommate who leaves without paying their share owes you a debt. Small Claims Court hears money claims up to $50,000 (Courts of Justice Act s. 23;…Roommate owes rent
  9. The mechanic charged more and fixed less.A dispute with a mechanic over bad work or a bill above the estimate is a money claim. Small Claims Court hears it up to $50,000 (Courts of Justice…Car repair dispute
  10. The vendor did not come. You paid.A photographer, caterer, DJ, or venue that took your money and did not deliver owes you a refund. Small Claims Court hears money claims up to $50,000…Wedding vendor
  11. You cancelled. They kept the fees.A daycare, private school, course, or camp that keeps fees after a cancellation can owe you a refund. Small Claims Court hears money claims up to…Tuition or daycare fees
  12. You cancelled the gym. The charges continued.A gym or a membership business that charges after you cancel, or refuses to cancel, can owe you a refund. Small Claims Court hears money claims up to…Gym membership
  13. You delivered. The client did not pay.A freelancer's unpaid invoice is a debt. Small Claims Court hears money claims up to $50,000, not counting interest and costs (Courts of Justice Act…Freelancer not paid
  14. The general contractor did not pay you.A subcontractor unpaid by a general contractor has two routes. Small Claims Court hears the money claim against the contractor up to $50,000 (Courts…Subcontractor not paid
  15. A commercial lease. Someone owes money.A commercial lease dispute over a deposit, unpaid rent, or last month's rent is a money claim that Small Claims Court hears up to $50,000 (Courts of…Commercial lease
  16. You sent the money. Nothing came back.Money sent by e-transfer for goods or a rental that did not exist is a money claim against the person who received it. Small Claims Court hears such…E-transfer scam
  17. The cheque bounced. The debt did not.A cheque returned NSF is proof of a debt. Small Claims Court hears money claims up to $50,000 (Courts of Justice Act s. 23; O. Reg. 626/00 s. 1). The…Bounced cheque
  18. The relationship ended. The loan did not.Money you lent to a former partner or spouse is a debt if it was a loan and not a gift. Small Claims Court hears money claims up to $50,000 (Courts…Loan to an ex
  19. The tenant left. The damage stayed.A landlord's claim against a former tenant for damage or unpaid rent goes to the Landlord and Tenant Board, not Small Claims Court. The Board can…Tenant left damage

On the other side of a claim? You were served. The clock is 20 days. You have 20 days to file a Defence (rule 9.01).

Something else? Small Claims Court is for money and property up to $50,000, not counting interest and costs. Residential tenancy disputes go to the Landlord and Tenant Board; minimum employment standards go to the Ministry of Labour (Employment Standards Act, 2000, s. 97). What Small Claims Court cannot do