Are landlords allowed to inspect your apartment?

At least 24 hours' written notice in every province covered here. Some provinces also set a latest date: no more than 30 days ahead in British Columbia and Nova Scotia, 2 weeks in Manitoba and 7 days in Saskatchewan, where the notice must give a window of no more than 4 hours. New Brunswick needs 7 days for ordinary repairs, but 24 hours is enough for an inspection. The notice should state the reason and the date and time of entry.

Check what the notice says the visit is for, such as the state of repair or the condition of the unit, and nothing more. In Ontario, for example, an inspection is to see whether the unit is in good repair, fit to live in and meets health, safety, housing and maintenance standards. Manitoba's Residential Tenancies Branch says a landlord should tell you ahead of time before photographing damage, and you can refuse photos of your personal belongings. For cameras and photos, see is a landlord allowed to have cameras.

The Alberta Act sets no number of inspections that we found. Each entry needs its own signed written notice served at least 24 hours ahead, with the reason, date and time, and one notice cannot cover several days. Entry must be between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and not on a Sunday or holiday unless you agree. Repeated entries that are not really needed may breach your right to peaceful enjoyment, which the Act says a landlord must not significantly disturb, and you can raise that through the RTDRS or the court.

Mostly to check the state of repair, spot problems such as leaks or damage early, and confirm the unit meets health and safety standards. At the start and end of a tenancy, an inspection records the unit's condition so both sides have evidence if there is a disagreement about the deposit or damage. A landlord still needs a lawful reason and proper notice for each visit.

Not for an inspection during the tenancy. With proper notice, the landlord can enter while you are out in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador. You can be there if you want, and in Alberta and PEI the landlord cannot require you to be home or away.

You do not have to attend, but it is usually in your interest. In Alberta and PEI, if you do not take part after the landlord offers two times, the landlord can inspect alone; in PEI you must then get a signed copy. In British Columbia, a tenant who misses both offered times loses the right to get the deposit back. Being there lets you point out what was already damaged when you moved in.

British Columbia's Act lets a landlord inspect monthly with proper notice. Elsewhere there is usually no set number, but each inspection needs its own lawful reason and notice. Frequent entries that are not really needed may interfere with your right to enjoy your home, which you can take to your province's tenancy office. See what to do if a landlord is harassing a tenant.

Usually not, if the landlord gave proper notice for an allowed reason. In Ontario, stopping a properly noticed entry is an offence, and in Saskatchewan improperly refusing access is a ground to end the tenancy. In Manitoba you can object to the days and hours and propose reasonable alternatives, and in British Columbia you can refuse an entry that is unreasonable or not allowed by law. You can say no to an inspection that comes without proper notice. More on can a tenant refuse entry to a landlord.

For an inspection during the tenancy, a landlord does not need a reply: in most provinces covered here, a proper written notice is enough to enter at the stated time, even if the tenant is out. For move-in and move-out inspections in Alberta, British Columbia and PEI, offer two times (in British Columbia, the second on the approved form), then inspect alone and give the tenant a copy of the report. If a tenant blocks a properly noticed entry, apply to your province's tenancy office rather than forcing your way in.

There is no pass or fail result in tenancy law. A move-in or move-out report records the unit's condition, and damage that appears between the two is what a landlord may try to claim from the deposit or through the province's tenancy office. If a mid-tenancy inspection turns up a concern, ask the landlord to put it in writing so you can respond. See can a landlord sue a tenant for damages.

British Columbia uses form RTB-27 and PEI uses Form 5 (Landlord Condition Inspection Report). Manitoba has a prescribed condition report form, used when either side asks. Nova Scotia publishes a Rental Unit Condition Report Form, New Brunswick a recommended Accommodation Inspection Report, and Saskatchewan a voluntary Condition of Premises Checklist. In Alberta the landlord gives you a written report describing the unit's condition right after each inspection.

The Acts we reviewed set no rule that names closets, cupboards or personal belongings. What they do set is the reason for entry: a landlord who comes in on notice does so for the reason the notice gives, such as checking the state of repair. In Ontario, for example, an inspection is to see whether the unit is in good repair, fit to live in and meets health, safety, housing and maintenance standards, and Manitoba's Residential Tenancies Branch says you can refuse photos of your personal belongings.

SQRFT's advice: opening a cupboard to check under a sink for a leak fits an inspection for repair, but going through your drawers or moving your things does not. Ask to be there, put any objection in writing, and if belongings are moved, damaged or missing, take photos and contact your province's tenancy office or tribunal.

Not for a routine inspection. In every province covered here, an inspection needs written notice given at least 24 hours ahead, and most provinces also require the notice to state the reason and the date or time of entry. A landlord can come in without notice only in a few listed cases, mainly an emergency or when you agree to the visit, and in Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador also when the unit appears to have been abandoned. A routine check is not an emergency.

We found no rule about a landlord simply knocking; the entry rules apply to coming in. SQRFT reading of these rules: unless valid notice was given, you agreed or there is an emergency, you do not have to let the landlord in, and if unannounced visits keep happening, tell the landlord in writing. See are landlords allowed to enter the property.

The tenancy Acts we reviewed have no rule on landlord cameras or photos, and we found no rule that covers filming an inspection. What we found is privacy guidance, not tenancy law. The federal Privacy Commissioner, whose guidance applies to landlords in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador, says photographing a tenant's unit needs a stated purpose and the tenant's consent, and that cameras should not capture the inside of apartments. Alberta's commissioner says photos of a unit's interior need notice and consent and puts video surveillance in common areas, and British Columbia's commissioner says a landlord needs prior consent to photograph inside a unit.

Manitoba's Residential Tenancies Branch says a tenant may refuse to let a landlord photograph their personal belongings. SQRFT advice: ask what the recording is for and how long it will be kept, cover or remove personal items, and put any objection in writing. See is a landlord allowed to have cameras.