Last Updated January 31, 2024
Notice to Enter
Alternate Names:
A Notice to Enter is also known as a/an:
- Entry Notice
- Notice of Entry
- 24-Hour Notice to Enter
- Letter of Intent to Enter
What is a Notice to Enter?
A landlord or property manager uses a Notice to Enter, or Entry Notice, to inform a tenant that they will be entering the rental suite in the near future.
The notice will include a specific date when the landlord or property manager will be entering the property (typically with a minimum of 24 hours' notice), as well as a specific time range describing how long the landlord or property manager will be in the rental unit.
A Notice to Enter can be used to give notice to a tenant living in any sort of residential lease or rental property, like an apartment, condo, house, or basement suite.
When should I use a Notice to Enter?
As a landlord or property manager, you should use an Entry Notice any time you are going to enter a tenant's rental unit unless the tenant has already given permission to enter or in the case of an emergency.
The only reasons a landlord should be entering a tenant's apartment are:
- If a tenant needs something repaired in the unit or if the landlord needs to repair some part of the building that is accessed through the tenant's unit
- To inspect the property or the state of an on-going repair in the suite
- For pest control
- To show the property to prospective renters or purchasers once the lease for the unit in question is no longer being renewed
Why do I need to give a tenant notice to enter their apartment?
Even though you are the owner of the property, your tenants still have a right to privacy. Every province has mandated landlord-tenant legislation, e.g. the Residential Tenancy Act.
These regulations all have some clause explicitly describing a tenant's right to "quiet enjoyment" of the rental property, which refers to their rights to reasonable privacy and freedom of unreasonable disturbance.
As a landlord, if you infringe upon these rights by entering an apartment unannounced, your tenant could pursue legal action against you.
The only times you, as a landlord or property manager, do not need a Notice to Enter are:
- In a case of emergency: for instance, if you see smoke or water coming out from under the rental unit door and think the property is either on fire or flooding.
- When the tenant grants you permission to enter: for example, if the tenant calls you about repairs and expresses consent for you or a repair person to enter the unit.
- If a tenant abandons the property: for example, if the tenant hasn't paid rent for a few months and you haven't heard from the tenant or can't reach them, you may treat the unit as abandoned and enter.
