The right of entry, who can come in, and when

Read this first

Most disputes about a landlord walking into a rental unit come down to the same thing: neither side actually knows what the Residential Tenancies Act says. Tenants assume they have an absolute right to refuse entry. Landlords assume owning the property means they can let themselves in. Both assumptions are wrong, and the actual rule sits in a specific, fairly narrow band between them.

This guide is written for both sides of that door, because it is the same law either way. If you are a tenant, it tells you exactly what is required before someone can come in, and what to do if that is not followed. If you are a landlord, it tells you exactly how to enter lawfully, and where the line sits that turns a legitimate visit into an illegal entry.

How to use this guide

The core rule is covered first: the idea behind it, the general rule, and the reasons that qualify. There is a section specifically for real estate transactions, because showing a tenanted property to a buyer follows its own provision in the Act. The consequences on both sides come next, and there is a practical before-you-act checklist either party can use.

If you remember nothing else

Three things matter most.

• Outside of an emergency or the tenant's in-the-moment consent, a landlord needs written notice, at least 24 hours ahead, stating the reason, the day, and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
• The Landlord and Tenant Board enforces the 24 hour rule to the hour. Cases have found entry illegal over a gap of just a few hours, or a notice written for the wrong date.
• This cuts both ways. A tenant who unreasonably refuses lawful, properly noticed entry can face consequences too, up to termination of the tenancy.

The idea behind the rule

Before the specific rules, it helps to see the actual tension the Residential Tenancies Act is resolving, because every rule that follows is a direct answer to it.

This is why the rule is not "never" and is not "anytime." It is a specific, structured compromise: defined reasons, defined notice, a defined time window, and a small number of genuine exceptions. Understanding that this is a balance, not a one-sided restriction on either party, makes the specific rules that follow much easier to reason through when a situation does not fit neatly into an example.

The general rule

Section 27 of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 sets out the default rule that almost every entry situation falls under.

• In writing. A verbal heads-up, a text the tenant may not see, or a note that only says "maintenance" without specifics does not satisfy the requirement on its own. The notice has to actually contain the required information.
• At least 24 hours ahead. Not "about a day." The Landlord and Tenant Board applies this literally. Entry with 20 hours notice instead of 24 has been found to be illegal entry in real cases, even though the gap looks small.
• Between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Even with valid notice and a valid reason, entry has to fall inside this window. A notice proposing 7 a.m. or 9 p.m. does not meet the requirement.

The tenant does not need to be home. Once valid notice has been given for a valid reason, a landlord can enter in the tenant's absence.

The five reasons a landlord can enter with notice

The Act does not give a landlord open-ended discretion to enter for "whatever reason." Section 27 lists specific, defined reasons that qualify, and a notice has to actually correspond to one of them.

Showing a tenanted property to buyers

This is the provision real estate agents deal with constantly, and it is worth its own section: selling a tenanted property does not suspend the tenant's rights, and it does not work like showing a vacant listing.

• Written authorization matters. An agent showing a tenanted unit needs the landlord's written authorization to rely on this provision. It is not automatic just because the agent has a listing agreement for the property.
• Same notice rule, every showing. There is no shortcut for open houses or multiple showings. Each entry still needs its own 24 hour written notice specifying the day and time, which makes advance scheduling essential when a listing is getting real interest.
• The tenant's cooperation is not guaranteed. A tenant cannot be forced to tidy the unit or be present for a showing, and refusing entry to a properly noticed, lawful showing is treated the same as refusing any other lawful entry.

A "for sale" sign in the window does not change a single one of the tenant's rights under the Act. The notice rule applies exactly the same to a showing as it does to a plumber.

When notice is not required

There are exactly two situations where a landlord can enter without the 24 hour written notice. It is a much shorter list than most people assume.

• A genuine emergency. Something requiring immediate action to prevent harm or serious damage: an active fire, a major water leak flooding the unit, a suspected gas leak. Waiting 24 hours in a true emergency defeats the purpose of entering at all.
• The tenant consents at the time. A tenant can voluntarily let a landlord in on the spot, no notice required, because the tenant is the one whose right the notice period protects, and they are free to waive it for that specific visit.

What a valid notice actually has to say

A notice that is technically "in writing" can still fail to meet the legal standard if it is missing what the Act actually requires it to contain.

• The reason for entry, specific enough to match one of the five categories. "Maintenance" alone is thinner than "replacing the furnace filter and inspecting the HVAC unit."
• The day of entry, a specific date, not a range like "sometime next week."
• A time of entry between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., a specific time or a clearly bounded window inside those hours, not "daytime" or "afternoon."

There is no single mandated form the notice has to take. A letter, an email, or a text can all work, provided the tenant would actually receive and see it with enough lead time, and it contains all three elements above. What matters is substance, not format.

When a landlord enters illegally

Entering without proper notice, for a reason not on the list, or outside the 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. window is illegal entry, and the Landlord and Tenant Board treats it as a real, enforceable breach, not a technicality.

• A tenant can apply to the Board for a remedy, which can include an order for compensation, an order restricting future entries, or other relief depending on the pattern and severity.
• Serious or repeated violations can lead to administrative penalties well beyond a single compensation order. The Board has authority to impose significant fines in serious cases.

Illegal entry does not require malice. A landlord who genuinely believed they were following the rules, but got the notice period or the reason wrong, is still found to have entered illegally if the notice did not actually meet the standard.

When a tenant unreasonably refuses entry

This is the part of the law tenants hear about less often, because most guides are written from the tenant's side. The right to quiet enjoyment protects against unreasonable interference. It is not a right to block every lawful visit.

This cuts in both directions on purpose. The notice and reason requirements exist to make sure entry is legitimate before it happens, not to give either side unlimited leverage afterward. A tenant who is unsure whether a specific notice actually meets the legal standard, wrong reason, short notice, odd hours, has real grounds to raise that. A tenant who simply does not want to be inconvenienced by a fully compliant, properly noticed visit does not.

Special situations

A handful of common scenarios do not fit neatly into "landlord visits tenant's unit," and each has its own wrinkle worth knowing.

Contractors and third parties

The notice requirement applies regardless of who is physically doing the entering. A landlord sending a contractor, superintendent, or property manager still needs the same written notice for the same qualifying reason. The person at the door does not change the underlying rule.

Common areas versus the rental unit

Section 27's notice requirements govern entry into the rental unit itself. A landlord generally retains more freedom to access shared common areas of a building, hallways, laundry rooms, shared mechanical rooms, without the same tenant-specific notice, since those spaces are not part of what the tenant exclusively occupies.

Multi-unit buildings and supers with keys

A superintendent or property manager holding a key does not change the notice requirement. Key access is a practical convenience for lawful entries, not a substitute for giving proper notice before using it.

Vacant possession and closing on a tenanted property

A practical checklist for both sides

Run through this before a notice goes out, or before you decide whether to raise an objection to one.

If you are the landlord, or the agent showing the unit

• Confirm the reason for entry actually matches one of the five categories.
• Put the notice in writing, with the specific reason, day, and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
• Send it at least 24 full hours before the proposed entry time, and keep a copy with the date sent.
• If you are an agent, confirm you have the landlord's written authorization to show the unit under section 27(2).

If you are the tenant

• Check that the notice is actually in writing, not just a verbal mention.
• Check that it states a specific reason, day, and time inside 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Confirm you received it at least 24 hours before the proposed time.
• If all of that checks out, plan to allow entry. Refusing a compliant notice carries real risk. If something is missing, raise it in writing before the proposed time, not after.

Glossary

Every term in this guide that can sound intimidating, in everyday language.

• Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA). The Ontario law governing the relationship between residential landlords and tenants, including entry rules.
• Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). The tribunal that resolves disputes between landlords and tenants under the RTA.
• Quiet enjoyment. A tenant's legal right to use and enjoy their rental unit without unreasonable interference, including from the landlord.
• Section 27. The specific provision of the RTA that sets out when and how a landlord may enter a rental unit with notice.
• Mortgagee. A lender holding a mortgage on the property, one of the parties who may be shown the unit under section 27.
• State of repair inspection. An inspection to confirm a unit is safe, habitable, and meets maintenance standards, one of the five permitted reasons for notice-based entry.
• Purchaser viewing (s.27(2)). The specific provision allowing a landlord or their authorized real estate agent to show a tenanted unit to a potential buyer, with the same notice rules as any other entry.
• Illegal entry. Entry that does not meet the notice, reason, or timing requirements of section 27, and is not covered by the emergency or consent exceptions.
• Substantial interference. The legal standard the Board applies when a tenant's refusal of lawful entry is serious or repeated enough to justify a remedy against the tenant.
• Vacant possession. Ownership of a property free of any existing tenancy, something a buyer must confirm explicitly rather than assume when purchasing a tenanted property.