Can a Landlord Enter to Show the Unit to Prospective Tenants?

A quick recap of the general entry rules

Under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA), a landlord generally cannot enter a tenant's unit whenever they like, even though they own the property. A tenant generally retains a right to reasonable enjoyment and privacy in the unit they're renting, and a landlord's entry is generally only permitted in specific circumstances — with the tenant's consent, in a genuine emergency, for certain specified purposes with proper written notice, or under an agreed cleaning or maintenance schedule. Our broader guide on landlord entry and tenant privacy covers these categories in detail. Showing the unit to a prospective new tenant or buyer is one of the specific permitted purposes, but it carries its own notice and conduct expectations worth understanding on their own.

Showing a unit to prospective tenants or buyers

Showings typically come up in two situations: a landlord trying to re-rent a unit before or after a current tenant moves out, and a landlord (or the current owner) trying to sell the property, which generally involves showing individual units to prospective purchasers or their agents. Both situations are generally treated as a permitted purpose for entry under the RTA, provided the landlord follows the notice rules — a tenant generally cannot refuse entry altogether simply because they'd rather not be shown around, though they retain rights about how and when it happens.

This can feel intrusive to a tenant who is still living in and paying for the unit, especially during an active tenancy that hasn't ended yet. The RTA's approach generally balances the landlord's legitimate interest in showing the property against the tenant's ongoing right to use and enjoy the space they're renting, primarily through the notice and timing requirements described below.

Notice requirements that generally apply to showings

For a showing, a landlord generally needs to provide written notice at least 24 hours before the intended entry, stating the reason for entry and a specific time window — typically between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. — rather than a vague "sometime this week" notice. A notice that doesn't specify a reasonably precise time window, or that falls short of the 24-hour minimum, is generally not valid, and a tenant generally isn't required to allow entry under a deficient notice. This is one of the more commonly misunderstood points: some landlords post a general notice on a bulletin board or send a blanket text message about "ongoing showings this month," which generally doesn't meet the specific, individual notice the RTA calls for.

Timing and reasonableness of showings

Even with proper notice, a landlord is generally expected to schedule showings at reasonable times and with reasonable frequency — repeated, excessive showings scheduled in a way that substantially disrupts the tenant's use of the unit could, in some circumstances, raise concerns about a tenant's right to reasonable enjoyment, separate from whether each individual notice was technically proper. There's no fixed numeric limit on how many showings are allowed, but a pattern of entry that goes well beyond what's reasonably necessary to show the unit may be worth raising with the landlord, or ultimately with the LTB if it becomes a genuine interference with the tenant's enjoyment of the unit.

Does a tenant need to be present?

A tenant is generally not required to be present for a properly noticed showing, and a landlord generally doesn't need the tenant's presence or active participation to enter under a valid notice. That said, many landlords prefer to coordinate a mutually convenient time with the tenant where possible, and a tenant who wants to be present, or who wants to request a different time within a reasonable range, can generally ask — though the landlord generally isn't obligated to accommodate a request to delay or skip a showing altogether once proper notice has been given, except in genuinely exceptional circumstances.

Selling the property vs. re-renting for a new tenancy

The notice rules for showings are generally the same mechanically whether the purpose is selling the property or finding a new tenant, but the broader context differs. Where a property is being sold, our guide on evictions in Ontario and the specific rules around a purchaser's own-use notice are relevant to understand separately, since a sale doesn't, by itself, end an existing tenancy or create a right for the landlord to show the unit more aggressively than usual. Where the purpose is simply re-renting an already-vacated-or-soon-to-be-vacated unit, the landlord's interest in showing it promptly is understandable, but the same 24-hour notice and reasonable-time-window rules generally still apply in full.

If a landlord doesn't follow these rules

A tenant who receives a deficient notice, or who experiences entry without any notice at all for a showing, generally isn't required to allow access, and repeated improper entry can generally be raised with the LTB as an interference with reasonable enjoyment or an improper entry. Keeping a simple written record — dates, times, and copies of any notices received — is generally useful if a dispute develops, since the LTB generally relies on the specific facts and notice history when assessing whether entry was handled properly.

Practical tips for landlords and tenants

For landlords, using a consistent, dated written notice for every individual showing, respecting the 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. general window, and trying to cluster showings reasonably rather than scheduling constant, scattered entries tends to avoid most disputes. For tenants, keeping copies of notices received, raising concerns about excessive frequency early and in writing, and understanding that a properly noticed showing generally cannot simply be refused are the most useful practical takeaways. Reviewing tenant rights in Ontario and landlord rights in Ontario together can help both sides understand where the line generally sits.

Real estate agents acting on a landlord's behalf generally need to follow the same notice rules as the landlord personally — hiring an agent to arrange showings doesn't generally create any separate or looser standard for entry. A tenant who receives a notice or a showing request directly from an agent rather than the landlord is generally still entitled to expect the same 24-hour written notice and reasonable time window, and any confusion about who is actually arranging access is worth clarifying in writing early in the process, particularly in a competitive sale or rental market where multiple showings may be requested in a short period.

It's also worth distinguishing a showing from a routine inspection or maintenance visit, since landlords sometimes combine purposes informally — for instance, using a maintenance visit as an opportunity to also show the unit to a prospective tenant without separately addressing that second purpose in the notice. Where a visit serves more than one purpose, the notice is generally expected to be clear about all the reasons for entry, since a tenant is entitled to know in advance why someone will be entering their home, not simply that someone will be.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related reading

Reviewed by Ryan J. Manilla, BA, JD

Legal Reviewer · Landlord Tenant Ontario