Ontario Landlord Guide › Can an Ontario landlord enter the unit? When you need 24 hours' written notice

Can an Ontario landlord enter the unit? When you need 24 hours' written notice

Last updated October 23, 2026 · Written for small Ontario landlords

Short answer: For most reasons, yes, but only with written notice given at least 24 hours before you enter. The notice must state the reason, the day and a time of entry between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Without written notice you can enter only in an emergency, if the tenant agrees at the time, for cleaning the lease requires, or to show the unit after notice to end the tenancy has been given.

Official source: Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, sections 25 to 27 (ontario.ca/laws) · Last checked Oct 2026

Reasons that need 24 hours' written notice

Section 27 of the Residential Tenancies Act lists them:

Repairs or work in the unit, including a replacement.
An inspection to check whether the unit is in a good state of repair and meets health, safety, housing and maintenance standards, if it's reasonable to carry one out.
A potential mortgagee or insurer viewing the unit.
A potential buyer viewing the unit. A registered real estate agent can enter for this with your written authorization.
An engineer, architect or similar professional inspecting for a condominium conversion.
Any other reasonable reason written into the tenancy agreement.

The LTB's guide to the Act also lists inspecting an air conditioner the tenant installed. If you give proper notice, you can enter even if the tenant isn't home.

When you don't need written notice

Emergency: at any time, for example a fire or a burst pipe.
The tenant agrees at the time: they say yes when you're at the door. Agreement given days earlier is not the same thing, so give written notice when you plan ahead.
Cleaning the lease requires: at the times the lease sets, or between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. if it sets none.
Showing the unit to new tenants: once either of you has given notice to end the tenancy, or you've agreed to end it, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and only after you tell the tenant or make a reasonable effort to.

What the written notice must say

Section 27(3) requires three things: the reason for entry, the day of entry, and a time of entry between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. "Sometime next week" doesn't name a day. Keep a copy, a photo of where you left it, and a note of when and how you gave it.

Worked examples

You hand the tenant a notice on Monday, October 26, 2026 at 6 p.m. to fix a leaking tap. The earliest entry is Tuesday, October 27 at 6 p.m.

If you hand it over at 9 p.m. that Monday instead, 24 hours later is 9 p.m. Tuesday, after 8 p.m. So the earliest entry is Wednesday, October 28 at 8 a.m.

If you mail it on Monday, October 26, the LTB's rules treat a mailed document as served on the fifth day after mailing, Saturday, October 31. Counting 24 hours from then makes Sunday, November 1 the earliest day. For short-notice repairs, hand it over or post it on the door.

Where the toolkit helps: The toolkit's LTB-Ready Evidence Pack includes a communication log, so every entry notice, how you gave it and the tenant's reply are written down with a date. The Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Form with a photo log records the unit's condition at the start and end. See what is inside the $19 toolkit

How to give the notice

Hand it to the tenant or an apparently adult person in the unit.
Post it on the door of the unit. LTB Rule 3.2 allows this for a section 27 notice of entry.
Leave it in the mailbox where the tenant's mail is normally delivered.
Email only if the tenant agreed in writing to get documents by email. They can withdraw that consent in writing.
Mail works, but it counts as served on the fifth day after mailing, as in the example above.

If you get it wrong

A tenant can file a T2 application about tenant rights if a landlord entered illegally, within one year of the entry. The LTB can order the landlord to stop, pay the tenant's reasonable costs, reduce the rent, pay an administrative fine, or make another order it considers appropriate. Under section 234, entering without following sections 26 or 27 is also an offence under the Act; for an individual the fine on conviction can be up to $100,000.

Avoid these mistakes

Texting "I'll drop by tomorrow". A text with no reason or time isn't a section 27 notice, and email counts only with written consent.
Entering at 7 a.m. or 9 p.m. Outside 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. the notice doesn't cover you unless it's an emergency or the tenant agrees at the door.
Routine "check-ups" every week. An inspection must be reasonable. Repeated visits can lead to a T2 claim of harassment or interference with reasonable enjoyment.
Changing the locks while the tenant lives there. Section 24 forbids it without giving the tenant replacement keys.

Renting a room in your own home and sharing a kitchen or bathroom with the tenant? The Act may not apply at all. Read whether the Act applies to you first.

Official sources

Not legal advice. This site is general information written by a small Ontario landlord, based on official Ontario and Tribunals Ontario sources as of October 23, 2026. Laws and LTB forms change; check the linked official source before you act, and talk to a lawyer or licensed paralegal (or call the LTB at 1-888-332-3234) about your situation. Not affiliated with the Government of Ontario, Tribunals Ontario or the Landlord and Tenant Board. Full disclaimer.