24 hours in writing, an actual time, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., with the reason stated — except for emergencies, common areas, or tenant consent at the door.
Short answer
At least 24 hours' written notice, entry between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and the notice has to name the date, the actual time (not a broad window), and the reason — that's the standard rule under sections 26 and 27 of the RTA. It doesn't apply to genuine emergencies, common areas like hallways, or entry the tenant agrees to on the spot.
The Board's own Interpretation Guideline 6 is specific about form, not just timing: entry between "8:00 am and 8:00 pm requires written notice of entry at least 24 hours in advance," and that notice "must specify the date, time and the reason for entering the rental unit," giving an "actual time of entry" rather than a broad time window. A note that says "sometime Tuesday" doesn't meet the standard the same way "Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., to repair the kitchen faucet" does.
Valid reasons the guideline lists: repairs, inspections carried out "where reasonable, in order to determine whether repairs are needed," showing the unit to a prospective tenant after notice of termination has been given, viewings tied to a mortgage or insurance requirement, and cleaning where the tenancy agreement provides for it. There's a catch-all too — "any other reason, as long as it is reasonable and set out in the tenancy agreement" — which means a lease can extend entry rights beyond that base list, but only for reasons it actually spells out in advance.
No notice is required in a genuine emergency, or where the tenant consents to entry at the time it happens — both override the 24-hour rule entirely. And common areas are outside the rule altogether: "a landlord does not need to serve the tenant with a notice of entry to enter common areas like hallways," since those spaces aren't the rental unit itself. If entry connects to renovation work rather than routine repair, check the N13 renovation process first — that's a different notice regime with its own requirements, and a much longer runway. And if a tenant has re-keyed the door and access is actually blocked, see what your entry right looks like when the locks have changed.
This isn't a rule landlords can treat as a formality. The same guideline places entry rights under the RTA's broader quiet-enjoyment protection in section 22, which bars a landlord from substantially interfering "with the reasonable enjoyment of the rental unit." A pattern of entering without proper notice — showing up unannounced, giving less than 24 hours, or entering outside 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for a non-emergency reason — isn't just a technical miss; repeated often enough, it can itself become the tenant's complaint at the Board, independent of whatever the landlord actually went in to do.
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