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.

Related Documents:

• Rental Inspection Report: A document used to itemize the state of a rental property. It is usually used at the beginning and ending of rental agreements to determine what condition a tenant has entered and left the unit in.
• Residential Rental/Lease Agreement: A contract between a landlord and tenant that lays out the renting terms of a specific unit or property before a tenant moves in. It outlines the duties and responsibilities of both parties.
• Lease Amendment: A document that allows the tenant and landlord in an existing lease agreement to make changes to terms in said lease without creating an entirely new one.
• Residential Sublease Agreement: An agreement that a tenant uses to lease their rented space to another person, known as a subtenant.
• Rent Receipt: A form that acts as a proof of payment for a tenant's rent being paid. It can also clarify the terms of any unsettled payment, i.e. remainder of rent or late fees.
• Eviction Notice: A document issued by a landlord that informs tenants that they must vacate a property.