Ottawa Property Tax Due Dates: Interim, Final, and Late Payment

Ottawa property tax due dates fall on the third Thursday of March for the interim bill and the third Thursday of June for the final bill. In 2026, those dates are March 19 and June 18.¹² Miss either one and the city charges a 1.25% penalty on the outstanding balance the very next day, then adds another 1.25% on the first of every month the balance remains unpaid.³

The Interim Bill in March

The city mails interim bills early in the year, giving owners roughly two months to pay before the March deadline. The interim amount equals 50% of your total property taxes from the previous calendar year. City Council hasn’t finalized the current year’s budget yet at that point, so using last year’s figure keeps billing on schedule while the new rates are still being set.

The Final Bill in June

Once City Council approves the annual budget and sets new tax rates, the final bill goes out. It covers the remainder of your annual tax liability after the interim payment is credited. If rates or your assessment went up, the difference lands here. If they dropped, the final bill will be smaller than the interim.

Supplementary or Omitted Bills

Between July and December, the city may issue a supplementary or omitted tax bill when a property’s assessed value changes mid-year because of new construction, renovations, or a correction the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation made after the regular bills went out.³ Any balance on that bill becomes due on the regular installment schedule and carries the same late-payment penalties.

What Happens if You Pay Late

The 1.25% monthly penalty compounds to roughly 15% over a full year, which makes unpaid property tax one of the more expensive debts a homeowner can carry. The city does not waive these charges for oversight or mailing delays.

If taxes stay unpaid for two years, the city registers a Tax Arrears Certificate against the property’s title. After that certificate is registered, partial payments are no longer accepted. You have one year to pay the full cancellation price, which includes all outstanding taxes, accumulated penalties, interest, and administrative costs. If you don’t pay within that redemption period, the city can advertise and sell the property.⁴ Tax sales are rare, but they do happen in Ottawa every year.

How To Pay on Time

Whichever method you use, funds have to reach the city’s accounts by the due date, not just leave yours. Your options:

Pre-Authorized Debit, with automatic withdrawals from your bank account either monthly (on the 1st, 8th, 15th, or 22nd) or on the two installment due dates. The monthly option spreads costs evenly and takes the deadline off your plate entirely.⁵
Online or telephone banking through your financial institution, using the 19-digit roll number from the top right of your bill as the account identifier. Most major banks list the City of Ottawa as a payee.
Credit or debit card through the Paymentus system in My ServiceOttawa. Credit card payments carry a 1.95% service fee; Mastercard Debit and Visa Debit cost 1.50%.³
Mail. Send a cheque or money order payable to the City of Ottawa, with your 19-digit roll number on the front, to City of Ottawa – Property Tax, PO Box 4647 STN A, Toronto, ON M5W 0E7. The mailing address is a processing centre in Toronto, so build in at least a week for delivery.
In person or drop box at a Client Service Centre at 110 Laurier Avenue West, 101 Centrepointe Drive, or 255 Centrum Boulevard. Drop-box payments are processed on business days only.

The Vacant Unit Tax Declaration Shares the March Deadline

Every residential property owner in Ottawa has to declare whether the unit was occupied or vacant during the previous calendar year, and the declaration is due on the same day as the interim bill. For 2026, that’s March 19.⁶ Skip the declaration and the city treats the property as vacant by default, which triggers a 1% vacant unit tax on the assessed value. On a $500,000 home, that’s an extra $5,000 on top of your regular taxes.⁷ Filing takes a few minutes through My ServiceOttawa.

Deferral for Eligible Owners

If meeting the March and June deadlines isn’t realistic, Ottawa runs a full property tax deferral program for older homeowners and people with disabilities. For 2026, you qualify if your total gross household income is $59,397.64 or less and your property’s assessed value doesn’t exceed $498,000. The home must be your principal residence, you must have owned it for at least one year, and it needs to sit in the residential or farm tax class. You also need to meet one of these:

Age 65 or older
Age 60 to 64 and receiving an Allowance under the Old Age Security Act
Age 55 or older and receiving a pension under the Income Tax Act
Any age with a disability and receiving disability benefits

Approved applicants have their taxes deferred at 5% annual interest instead of paying by the regular deadlines. Initial applications can be filed anytime during the tax year but no later than December 31, and renewals are due by September 30 each year.⁸ The deferred amount accumulates against the property, so it functions as a low-interest loan from the city secured by your home.

1
City of Ottawa. Reminder About March 19 Deadline for Interim Property Taxes and Vacant Unit Tax Declarations
2
City of Ottawa. Tax FAQ
3
City of Ottawa. Pay Your Property Taxes Online, In-Person or by Mail
4
City of Ottawa. Sale of Properties With Unpaid Taxes
5
City of Ottawa. Register for the Property Tax Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD) Plan
6
City of Ottawa. Declare Property Status – Vacant Unit Tax
7
City of Ottawa. Vacant Unit Tax
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City of Ottawa. Full Property Tax Deferral Program