The notice of entry rule in Ontario is simpler than most of the confusion around it suggests: a landlord needs written notice, given at least 24 hours in advance, stating a specific reason and a specific time, before they can come into a tenant’s unit. What trips people up is that the rule actually changes depending on why the landlord is coming in. Entry for repairs or to let a potential buyer view the unit requires that full written notice. Entry to show the unit to a new tenant once the current tenancy is already ending doesn’t, and that single distinction is where most landlords selling or re-renting a tenanted unit go wrong. This guide covers what the law actually requires, when the exceptions apply, and what a tenant can do when a landlord gets it wrong. For everything else that comes with renting or owning in Toronto, see our complete Toronto real estate guide.
What the law actually requires
Under Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act, as set out in the Landlord and Tenant Board’s own interpretation guideline on a landlord’s right of entry, a landlord who wants to enter a rental unit for most reasons has to give the tenant written notice at least 24 hours before the entry happens. That notice has to state the reason for the entry and a specific date and time, not a general window like “sometime Tuesday afternoon.” Entry itself has to fall between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. A landlord can’t simply let themselves in because they own the building, because they’re nearby, or because the tenant hasn’t responded to a text asking if now is convenient.
This is a right the landlord has, not a courtesy they’re extending. But it’s a conditional right. Miss the notice period, miss the specific time, or enter for a reason that isn’t on the permitted list below, and the entry is improper regardless of the landlord’s intentions.
What counts as a valid reason to enter
The written-notice rule applies to a specific, limited list of purposes: carrying out a repair or doing other work in the unit, conducting an inspection that’s reasonably related to confirming the unit’s condition or maintenance, and letting a potential mortgagee, insurer, or purchaser view the unit. A landlord can require entry for these reasons even if the tenant hasn’t asked for anything, as long as the notice itself is valid.
What isn’t on that list matters just as much. A landlord can’t enter for a vague “check-up” with no stated purpose, to see how the tenant is keeping the place, or because they happened to be in the building anyway. The reason stated on the notice has to be a real one, and a tenant who gets a notice with no actual reason on it, or a reason that doesn’t match what the landlord is actually there to do, isn’t required to treat that notice as valid.
When no notice is required at all
There are exactly two situations where a landlord can enter without any notice. The first is an emergency: a fire, a flood, or something else that poses an immediate danger to a person or to the property. The second is the tenant agreeing to the entry at the time it happens, whether that’s answering the door and inviting the landlord in or texting back “sure, come now” a few minutes later. Neither of these is a loophole a landlord can lean on routinely. An emergency means an actual emergency, not an urgent-feeling repair that could reasonably wait for proper notice, and consent means the tenant actually agreeing at that moment, not a landlord assuming consent because the tenant didn’t answer the phone.
Showing the unit: selling and re-renting follow different rules
This is the distinction that causes the most confusion, and it comes up constantly around a sale or an end of tenancy. Showing a rental unit to a potential purchaser falls under the same written-notice rule as a repair: 24 hours’ written notice, stating the reason, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. An owner selling a tenanted property has to follow this exactly, and giving verbal notice, a text, or a notice that only says “showing tomorrow sometime” doesn’t meet the requirement.
Showing the unit to a potential new tenant, once the current tenancy is already ending, works differently. If the landlord and tenant have agreed the tenancy will end, or either side has given a valid notice to end it, the landlord can enter between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. to show the unit to a prospective tenant without the 24-hour written notice a sale requires, as long as the landlord tells the tenant beforehand, or makes a reasonable effort to. This surprises a lot of landlords re-renting a unit who assume the sale rule applies across the board, and it surprises tenants on the other side who expect written notice for every showing and don’t get it once their own notice to leave is already in effect.
Does holding a key change anything
No. A landlord who holds a key, a fob, or any other access device to a unit has exactly the same obligations as one who doesn’t. The right to enter comes from giving proper notice for a valid reason, or from one of the two no-notice exceptions above, not from physical access to the unit. A landlord who lets themselves in with their own key, outside a valid notice period and without an emergency or the tenant’s in-the-moment consent, has entered improperly even though nothing was broken or forced. This matters in practice because it’s an easy thing for a landlord to assume the opposite of: having a key feels like having permission, and legally it isn’t.
What a tenant can do about a violation
Start by writing down what happened: the date, the time, what notice, if any, was given, and what the landlord actually did. Document a single disputed entry even if it feels minor, since a pattern is much easier to show with a record than from memory. For a serious or repeated problem, a tenant can bring an application to the Landlord and Tenant Board, which can order the landlord to stop and award a remedy where the entry rules have actually been broken. A tenant who can’t afford a lawyer can also get free help from a community legal clinic, including the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario. Our guide to eviction and tenant rights in Ontario covers how an LTB application and hearing actually works if you’ve never been through one.
None of this means every awkward or badly timed entry is a legal violation. A landlord who gives proper notice for a repair, shows up at the stated time, and leaves once the work is done hasn’t done anything wrong even if the timing is inconvenient for the tenant. The rules exist to stop entry with no notice, no stated reason, or outside the permitted hours and purposes, not to let a tenant block every entry they’d rather not deal with that day.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering my unit in Ontario?
At least 24 hours’ written notice for most reasons, including repairs, inspections, and showing the unit to a potential mortgagee, insurer, or purchaser. The notice has to state the specific reason for entry and a specific date and time, not a general window, and entry itself has to happen between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. The one notable exception is showing the unit to a prospective new tenant once the current tenancy is already ending, which doesn’t require written notice, only that the landlord inform the tenant or make a reasonable effort to before coming in. Outside of written notice entirely, an emergency or the tenant’s own in-the-moment consent lets a landlord enter without any notice at all.
What counts as a valid reason for a landlord to enter?
Repairs or other work in the unit, an inspection reasonably related to the unit’s condition or maintenance, and allowing a potential mortgagee, insurer, or purchaser to view the unit are the standard valid reasons under Ontario’s written-notice rule. A landlord can’t enter for a vague reason like checking up on the tenant, seeing how the place is being kept, or simply because they were in the building. The reason stated on a notice has to be real and specific, and a tenant who receives a notice with no actual reason attached isn’t required to treat it as valid. This matters because the reason, not just the notice itself, is what makes an entry lawful.
When is a landlord allowed to enter without giving any notice?
Only in two situations. The first is an emergency, meaning something like a fire, a flood, or another immediate danger to a person or the property, not a repair that merely feels urgent. The second is the tenant consenting to the entry at the time it happens, such as answering the door or texting back that now works. Neither exception is meant to be used routinely, and a landlord who treats every slightly urgent situation as an emergency, or assumes consent because a tenant didn’t respond to a message, is stretching these exceptions past what the law actually allows.
Does a landlord need written notice to show my unit to a new tenant?
It depends entirely on why the showing is happening, a distinction a lot of landlords and tenants both get wrong. Showing the unit to a potential buyer follows the same 24-hour written-notice rule as a repair visit. Showing the unit to a prospective new tenant is different, but only once the current tenancy is already ending, whether by mutual agreement or because either side has given a valid notice to terminate: in that specific situation, the landlord can enter between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. without written notice, as long as they tell the tenant beforehand or make a reasonable effort to. If the tenancy isn’t already ending, this exception doesn’t apply at all.
If my landlord has a key to my unit, can they let themselves in anytime?
No. Holding a key, a fob, or any other access device doesn’t change a landlord’s obligations under Ontario’s entry rules at all. The right to enter still depends on giving proper written notice for a valid reason, or falling under the narrow emergency or tenant-consent exceptions, not on physical access to the unit. A landlord who uses their own key to come in outside a valid notice period, with no emergency and no consent given at that moment, has entered improperly even though nothing was forced or broken. It’s an easy assumption to get wrong, since having a key feels like having permission when legally it isn’t.
What can I do if my landlord enters without proper notice?
Document what happened as soon as you can: the date, the time, whatever notice, if any, was actually given, and what the landlord did once inside. For a serious or repeated problem, you can bring an application to the Landlord and Tenant Board, which has the authority to order a landlord to stop improper entries and to award a remedy where the rules have actually been broken. A single, clearly documented incident is worth raising, and a pattern of them is even harder for a landlord to explain away. Not every inconvenient or badly timed visit is a violation, though: a landlord who gives proper notice for a valid reason and shows up at the stated time hasn’t broken any rule just because the timing wasn’t convenient.
If you’re a landlord trying to get your notices right, or a tenant trying to work out whether an entry crossed a line, the specific facts of the situation usually decide the answer. Get in touch with our team if you want to talk through a specific situation, read our guide to becoming a landlord in Ontario for the rest of what the Residential Tenancies Act requires, or our guide to renting an apartment in Toronto if you’re on the tenant side, and see the rest of our guides for more.