Is a landlord allowed to have cameras?

Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act has no rule on cameras or photos, so the guidance comes from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta under the province's private-sector privacy law (PIPA). A landlord can use video surveillance only in the common areas of a building and only for reasonable purposes, such as deterring vandalism or keeping the building safe and secure. Tenants and visitors must get adequate notice, such as signs, that the area is monitored and why. Footage should be kept only as long as reasonably needed, and the landlord should have a policy on how it is used. This is provincial guidance, so it applies in Calgary and Edmonton the same way.

Photos of the inside of your unit, for example for insurance or to advertise the place, can be allowed, but they need notice and your consent unless a PIPA exception applies, and the landlord can ask you to remove personal items first. The landlord still needs a signed written entry notice served at least 24 hours ahead to come in and take them.

British Columbia's Residential Tenancy Act has no camera or photo rule, but it gives you a right to quiet enjoyment, which includes reasonable privacy. The province says this means your personal affairs and activities in the unit stay private and no one can enter without permission or proper notice. B.C.'s Information and Privacy Commissioner adds the privacy-law side under PIPA: a landlord can use surveillance cameras only for purposes a reasonable person would consider appropriate, must be able to show that, and needs the consent of everyone who will be recorded after explaining what is collected and why.

A landlord photographing your unit must not collect your personal information without your prior consent, and a photo that would identify you or anyone else counts. Cover or remove documents and personal photos before the landlord takes pictures. If a landlord breaches your quiet enjoyment, the Residential Tenancy Branch can order the landlord to comply, reduce your rent or pay compensation.

Manitoba's Residential Tenancies Act has no rule on landlord cameras. On photos, the Residential Tenancies Branch says a landlord inspecting your unit should tell you ahead of time if they plan to photograph damage, and you can refuse to let them photograph your personal belongings. The Branch says it deals with disputes over a landlord's entry, and that The Privacy Act does not apply to them.

For cameras, the guidance is federal: the Privacy Commissioner of Canada says landlords should post signs and give tenants a policy on how footage is used and when it is viewed, tell tenants before installing cameras, and keep cameras from capturing the inside of apartments. The Act also bars a landlord from interfering with your enjoyment of the unit or seizing your belongings, and an unlawful entry can lead to an administrative penalty of up to $5,000.

Saskatchewan's Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 has no rule on cameras or photos. What applies is your right to quiet enjoyment, which includes reasonable privacy, and the entry rules: a landlord needs to give 24 hours' to 7 days' written notice, with a window of up to 4 hours, to come in for an ordinary reason.

The federal Privacy Commissioner's guidance covers Saskatchewan landlords. Photographing your unit collects personal information, so the landlord has to give the purpose and get your consent. Video surveillance needs signs and a policy given to tenants before the cameras go in, and cameras should not capture the inside of apartments. If a landlord breaches your privacy, you can apply to the Office of Residential Tenancies, which can order the landlord to stop and comply.

Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act has no rule on cameras or photos. Its section on privacy says a landlord can enter only under the Act's entry rules, and the standard lease says you are entitled to reasonable privacy. A landlord also must not substantially interfere with your reasonable enjoyment of the unit or the building, or harass you.

The federal Privacy Commissioner's guidance covers Ontario landlords: photos of your unit need a stated purpose and your consent, and for video surveillance, landlords should post signs and policies on how footage is used and viewed, tell tenants before installing, and keep cameras from capturing the inside of apartments. The same guidance says that being captured on a security camera is a case where a landlord may reasonably rely on your implied consent. If a landlord harasses you or interferes with your enjoyment of the unit, you can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board within one year.

New Brunswick's Residential Tenancies Act has no rule on cameras or photos and no general quiet enjoyment section. What protects you inside your unit is the entry rule: a landlord who enters except as the Act allows commits an offence.

The federal Privacy Commissioner's guidance applies to New Brunswick landlords: photographing your unit needs a stated purpose and your consent, landlords using cameras should post signs and explain how footage is used, and cameras should not capture the inside of apartments. For a problem with entry, contact a residential tenancies officer at the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office.

We found no rule on landlord cameras or photos in Nova Scotia's tenancy law, including the standard lease. The statutory conditions control when a landlord can be inside your unit at all, and they bar the landlord from interfering with your possession or occupancy of it.

The federal Privacy Commissioner's guidance applies: photos of your unit need a stated purpose and your consent, cameras in common areas should come with signs and a policy given to tenants before they go in, and cameras should not capture the inside of apartments. The province's renting guide suggests tenants take their own date-stamped photos of any damage, which helps if there is a dispute over damage when the lease ends. Problems go to the Residential Tenancies Program, where the Director can order the landlord to comply or pay compensation.

We found no rule on cameras or photos in PEI's Residential Tenancy Act. It does give you a right to quiet enjoyment, which includes reasonable privacy, freedom from unreasonable disturbance and exclusive possession of your unit, subject only to the landlord's lawful entry.

The federal Privacy Commissioner's guidance fills the gap: photos of your unit need a stated purpose and your consent; landlords using cameras should post signs and policies and tell tenants before installing; cameras should not capture the inside of units; and monitors and recordings should be secured and viewed only for the purposes in the landlord's policy. If your quiet enjoyment is breached, the Form 2(A) tenant application to the Rental Office covers it, and the Director can order compensation or a rent reduction.

We found no rule on landlord cameras or photos in Newfoundland and Labrador's tenancy law; the Act mentions photos and video only for government inspectors. Its statutory conditions do say the landlord must not unreasonably interfere with your reasonable privacy and peaceful enjoyment of the unit and the common areas.

The federal Privacy Commissioner's guidance applies: photos of your unit need a stated purpose and your consent, landlords should tell tenants about their video surveillance policy before installing cameras, and cameras should be positioned so they do not capture the inside of anyone's unit. If a landlord breaches your privacy and peaceful enjoyment, you can give 5 to 14 days' notice to end the tenancy, or apply to the Residential Tenancies Office for an order. No official source says whether a camera counts as that kind of breach.