What can't a landlord do?
Last updated: October 12, 2026
Short answer
A landlord cannot enter your home without proper written notice (except in an emergency or with your consent), change the locks to keep you out, take your belongings, or cut off heat, water or power. A landlord also cannot raise the rent above the legal limit or more often than allowed, take a bigger deposit or charge fees the law bans, keep your deposit without your agreement or an order, or remove you without proper notice and an order enforced by a sheriff or bailiff. The exact limits depend on your province, and its tenancy office can order a landlord to stop, return money or pay compensation.
Things a landlord cannot do
- Enter without notice. Apart from an emergency or your consent, a landlord needs written notice, at least 24 hours ahead for most reasons, and has to come at a reasonable time. See are landlords allowed to enter.
- Change the locks or lock you out. A landlord who changes the locks during your tenancy has to give you a new key, and in most provinces needs your consent first. Locking you out to force you to leave is not allowed anywhere. See can a landlord change the locks.
- Take or keep your belongings. A landlord cannot seize, sell or hold your things, even when rent is owed.
- Cut off heat, water or power. Shutting off a service the landlord supplies, to pressure you or because rent is late, is not allowed. See when a landlord has to turn on the heat.
- Raise the rent above the limit or too often. Increases need written notice, usually come at most once every 12 months, and must stay within the cap in provinces that have one. See can a tenant refuse a rent increase.
- Take more deposit than the law allows. Every province covered here caps the deposit, and some ban pet or other extra deposits.
- Charge fees the law bans. Application fees are banned in British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia and PEI, Ontario also bans late fees, and most other provinces limit them. See can a landlord charge late fees.
- Evict you without notice and an order. A landlord needs written notice of the right length and, everywhere except Newfoundland and Labrador, a reason the law allows. If you stay, only a sheriff or bailiff acting on an order can remove you. See can a landlord evict you immediately.
- Keep your deposit without the proper process. To keep any of it, the landlord needs your written agreement or has to make a claim to the tenancy office within a set deadline, and normal wear and tear never counts. See what to do when a landlord won't return a deposit.
For a tenant's rights in short, see what are my rights as a tenant. For what a landlord is allowed to do, see what rights landlords have.
Deposit, rent and fee limits by province
| Province | Deposit limit | 2026 rent increase limit | Fees the landlord cannot charge | Who can remove a tenant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 1 month's rent, counting any refundable fees | No cap; once every 365 days | No set list, but a late fee above the landlord's actual loss may be refused by the RTDRS or court | A civil enforcement bailiff, with an order |
| British Columbia | Half a month, plus half a month for a pet | 2.3% | Application fees, monthly pet fees, late fees over $25 | A court bailiff, through the B.C. Supreme Court |
| Manitoba | Half a month, plus up to 1 month for a pet | 1.8% | Application fees, any payment the Act does not allow, late fees over $100 in total | Sheriff's Officers, with an order |
| Saskatchewan | 1 month's rent, one deposit only | No cap; 12 months' notice for most landlords | Application and processing fees, future rent paid in advance | The sheriff, with an order of possession |
| Ontario | Last month's rent deposit and a refundable key deposit only | 2.1% | Late fees and any other fee, premium or commission from a tenant or prospective tenant | The Court Enforcement Office (Sheriff) |
| New Brunswick | 1 month's rent; no last month's rent in advance | 3% | Any late fee other than the bank's NSF charge | The sheriff, with an eviction order |
| Nova Scotia | Half a month; extra money counts toward it | 5% | Application fees, pet deposits, late fees over 1% of the monthly rent per month | The sheriff, with an Order for Vacant Possession |
| Prince Edward Island | 1 month's rent, one deposit only | 2% | Application fees and any second deposit (pet, key or holding) | The sheriff, with a Director's order |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Three-quarters of a month; no pet deposit | No cap; 6 months' notice | Late fees over $75 in total, NSF fees above the bank's charge | The sheriff, with an Order of Possession |
If your landlord does one of these things
- Write it down. Note dates and times, take photos and keep every message and notice.
- Tell the landlord in writing what rule they are breaking and what you want them to do. Keep a copy.
- In a lockout or a shut-off of heat, water or power, act the same day. Contact your province's tenancy office; some treat these as urgent.
- Apply to the tenancy office or tribunal. It can order the landlord to let you back in, restore a service, return money or pay compensation. See how to report a landlord.
Landlords who break these rules can face real penalties, such as an illegal eviction penalty of up to $5,000 in British Columbia, administrative penalties in Manitoba and PEI, punitive damages for a lockout in Saskatchewan, and fines of up to $100,000 for an individual in Ontario.
What a landlord cannot do in each province
Alberta
An Alberta landlord cannot enter without 24 hours' signed written notice, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., and not on a Sunday or holiday without your consent, except in an emergency; entering in a way the Act does not allow is an offence. The landlord cannot change the locks to force you out, remove you or your belongings without a civil enforcement bailiff, or take a deposit above one month's rent. Rent can go up only once every 365 days, and not during a fixed-term lease.
The landlord also cannot end a periodic tenancy without fault except for a reason on the government's list, with 3 tenancy months' notice, and cannot take retaliatory action against you for making a complaint or an application. Missing the 10-day deposit deadline, or deducting for damage without inspection reports, is an offence with a fine of up to $5,000.
British Columbia
A BC landlord cannot charge an application fee or a monthly pet fee, take more than half a month's rent as a security deposit (plus half a month for a pet), or raise the rent more than once every 12 months or above 2.3% in 2026. Entry needs 24 hours to 30 days' written notice, between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. The landlord cannot end or restrict an essential service, and can change the locks only if you agree and get new keys.
Changing the locks to force you out, physically removing you or taking your belongings without a Residential Tenancy Branch order is illegal, with a penalty of up to $5,000 plus repayment of your costs. A landlord who keeps the deposit past 15 days without your written consent or an RTB application may have to pay you double.
Manitoba
A Manitoba landlord cannot charge an application fee or any payment the Act does not allow, take more than half a month's rent as a security deposit (with a pet deposit of up to one month allowed), or raise rent above the guideline (1.8% for 2026) unless the unit is exempt or the Residential Tenancies Branch approves it. The landlord must not withhold vital services such as heat, gas, electricity or water.
Changing the locks to force you out is not allowed, and the branch can charge a landlord who locks out a tenant an administrative penalty. Your belongings can be dealt with only as the Act allows, and only Sheriff's Officers acting on an order can remove you.
Saskatchewan
A Saskatchewan landlord cannot charge you for applying, take more than one deposit or more than one month's rent as a deposit, or collect future rent in advance. Entry needs 24 hours to 7 days' written notice with a window of up to four hours between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. The landlord cannot cut off or restrict a service without an order or your agreement, and must not seize your belongings.
The locks can be changed only if you agree and get new keys, and the landlord cannot end your tenancy in retaliation for a good faith health or safety complaint to the municipality. A tenant locked out without justification can be awarded punitive damages by the Office of Residential Tenancies.
Saskatchewan tenant rights | Saskatchewan evictions and ORT hearings
Ontario
An Ontario landlord cannot collect any deposit except a last month's rent deposit and a refundable key deposit, and cannot charge late fees or any other fee, premium or commission the regulations do not allow. Entry needs 24 hours' written notice, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Rent can rise only once every 12 months, with 90 days' notice, and by no more than 2.1% in 2026 unless the unit is exempt.
The landlord cannot withhold vital services such as hot or cold water, fuel, electricity, gas or, from September 1 to June 15, heat, and cannot change the locks without giving you a key. Only the Court Enforcement Office (Sheriff) can carry out an eviction ordered by the Landlord and Tenant Board. Offences carry fines of up to $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation, and the province's Rental Housing Enforcement Unit takes complaints.
New Brunswick
A New Brunswick landlord cannot take a deposit above one month's rent or ask for last month's rent in advance, and must pass the deposit to the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office (TLRO). Rent increases are capped at 3% and need 6 months' written notice. The landlord must not deliberately cut heat, water or power except in an emergency or for repairs, and the only late fee allowed is the bank's NSF charge, if the lease says so.
Only a residential tenancies officer or a judge of the Court of King's Bench can order an eviction, and the sheriff carries it out. Locks can be changed only by mutual consent or with an officer's written permission, and a landlord cannot withhold your belongings or dispose of them without a residential tenancies officer's decision.
New Brunswick tenant rights | New Brunswick eviction process
Nova Scotia
A Nova Scotia landlord cannot charge an application fee or a pet deposit, or take a deposit above half a month's rent; any extra money taken on top of rent counts as deposit. Rent increases are capped at 5% with 4 months' written notice. The landlord cannot stop providing heat, water, power or other services they supply without the Director's permission or the notice a rent increase needs, and cannot change the locks without your consent.
A landlord cannot end a tenancy by notice alone to move in or to renovate; moving in needs an order from the Director of Residential Tenancies, and a major renovation needs that order or your written agreement. Breaking the deposit rules is an offence with a fine of up to $5,000.
Prince Edward Island
A PEI landlord cannot charge an application fee or take more than one security deposit, which is capped at one month's rent; pet, key and holding deposits are not allowed. Rent can rise only once every 12 months, by no more than 2% in 2026, with 3 months' notice on Form 8. The landlord cannot seize your belongings or keep you from them, and must give each tenant a new key as soon as practicable after changing a lock.
A landlord cannot take the unit back unless you have moved out or abandoned it, or the Director has ordered you to leave and the order has gone to the sheriff. The Director can impose an administrative penalty of up to $10,000, and an offence under the Act carries a fine of up to $25,000.
Newfoundland and Labrador
A Newfoundland and Labrador landlord cannot take a deposit above three-quarters of a month's rent or a separate pet deposit, raise rent more than once every 12 months, or charge late fees above the set amount ($5 for the first day plus $2 a day, to $75). Neither side may disconnect heat, water or power without the other's written consent, or change the locks without mutual consent.
A landlord cannot keep, sell or dispose of your belongings, whatever you owe, and cannot end your tenancy or harass you in retaliation for a complaint or application. Only the sheriff, with an Order of Possession, can remove you. Breaking the Act is an offence with a fine of up to $3,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a corporation.
Newfoundland and Labrador tenant rights | Newfoundland and Labrador eviction process
Related questions
Can a landlord enter without notice?
Only in an emergency, with your consent, or in a few other narrow cases such as an abandoned unit. Otherwise, a landlord needs written notice, at least 24 hours ahead for most reasons, a reason the law allows and a reasonable time of day. Several provinces add set hours, such as 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. See can a tenant refuse entry to a landlord.
Can a landlord lock me out for not paying rent?
No. Unpaid rent lets a landlord serve a written notice and then apply for an order, but not change the locks or keep you out. If you stay after the notice, the landlord still needs an order, and only a sheriff or court bailiff can enforce it. A lockout can bring penalties, such as up to $5,000 in British Columbia or punitive damages in Saskatchewan.
Can a landlord take my belongings?
No. A landlord cannot seize your things for unpaid rent or hold them to pressure you. Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador say this expressly, and Alberta and British Columbia bar removing belongings without an order. Items left behind after a tenancy ends have their own rules, so check with your province's tenancy office.
Can a landlord turn off my heat or water?
No. A landlord who supplies heat, water or power cannot cut it off to force you out or because rent is late. Ontario treats hot and cold water, fuel, electricity, gas and, from September 1 to June 15, heat as vital services, Manitoba bars withholding heat, gas, electricity or water, and Alberta requires the owner to keep electricity, water and heat supplied unless the lease makes them your responsibility. Short shut-offs for emergencies or repairs can be allowed in some provinces, such as New Brunswick. See when a landlord has to turn on the heat.
Can a landlord raise the rent whenever they want?
No. In every province covered here, a landlord needs written notice, from 90 days in Ontario to 12 months for most Saskatchewan landlords, and rent can usually rise only once every 12 months. British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI also cap the amount for most units. Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador do not allow increases during a fixed-term lease. See how much a landlord can increase rent.
Can a landlord ask for first and last month's rent?
It depends on the province. Ontario allows a last month's rent deposit, but no other deposit except a refundable key deposit. New Brunswick bars asking for last month's rent in advance, and Saskatchewan bars collecting future rent in advance. In Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, extra money paid up front counts toward the deposit limit, so last month's rent would usually push it over the cap.
Can a landlord evict you without a court order?
A landlord can end a tenancy with a proper written notice, but cannot physically remove you. If you do not leave, the landlord must get an order from the province's tenancy office or a court, and only a sheriff or bailiff acting on it can remove you. In Nova Scotia, ending a tenancy so the landlord can move in also needs a Director's order first. See what to do if your landlord wants you to move out.
Can a landlord kick you out for no reason?
In most provinces covered here, no. Every province covered here except Newfoundland and Labrador limits the reasons a landlord can use to end a tenancy, such as unpaid rent, serious damage, or the landlord or a family member moving in. In Newfoundland and Labrador, a landlord can end a monthly tenancy with 3 months' notice without giving a reason, but still needs an Order of Possession if you stay. See how much notice a landlord has to give.
Can a landlord keep my deposit without my permission?
Not without following the process. To keep any of it, the landlord needs your written agreement, or has to make a claim to the tenancy office within the deadline, such as 10 days in Alberta (where damage deductions also need inspection reports), 15 days in British Columbia and PEI, or 7 days in New Brunswick. Normal wear and tear never counts. In British Columbia and PEI, a landlord who misses the deadline may have to pay you double. See when a landlord can keep a deposit.
Can a landlord charge an application fee?
Not in British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia or PEI, where application fees are banned. In Nova Scotia, money taken before the lease is signed counts as a security deposit. In Ontario the ban covers any fee collected from a prospective tenant, refundable or not, and the regulations make no exception for application or screening fees. Alberta's government says a landlord may want to charge an application fee and that you do not have to apply if you do not want to pay it.
What happens if a landlord violates tenant rights?
The tenancy office or tribunal can order the landlord to stop, fix the problem, return money, reduce the rent or pay compensation. Some breaches are also offences or bring penalties, such as fines of up to $100,000 for an individual in Ontario, up to $25,000 in PEI, or up to $3,000 for an individual in Newfoundland and Labrador. In British Columbia and PEI, a landlord who mishandles a deposit may have to pay double.
What to do if a landlord violates tenant rights?
Keep records, raise it with the landlord in writing, and keep paying rent while you do. If that does not fix it, apply to your province's tenancy office or tribunal, and act quickly in a lockout or a loss of heat or water. In Ontario, the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit takes complaints about offences. See how to report a landlord and when a tenant can sue a landlord.
Can a landlord charge for garbage?
In the research we reviewed we found no provincial rule on who pays for garbage collection, so it is mainly a lease question. Nova Scotia's statutory conditions say that where a landlord provides a service such as garbage collection, the landlord cannot stop providing it without proper notice of a rent increase or the Director's permission. In New Brunswick, nobody may require a payment under a lease, or as a condition of entering one, other than rent, a security deposit or a reasonable amount for a service to be provided in relation to the tenancy, and an agreement requiring any other payment is void.
Tenants still have duties of their own: in PEI, for example, the tenant is responsible for proper sorting and disposal of garbage, compostable and recyclable materials. SQRFT's advice: if a new garbage charge appears that your lease does not mention, ask for it in writing, do not pay it without checking, and contact your province's tenancy office. See what a landlord can charge for.
What can a landlord do and not do?
A landlord can collect the agreed rent on time, take a security deposit up to the provincial limit, enter with proper written notice, raise the rent within the province's rules, and end a tenancy for a reason the law allows (in Newfoundland and Labrador a landlord can also end a monthly tenancy on 3 months' notice without giving a reason). A landlord cannot enter without notice outside an emergency or your consent, change the locks to keep you out, take your belongings, cut off heat, water or power, raise the rent above the limit or more often than allowed, charge a bigger deposit or fees the law bans, or remove you without notice and an order enforced by a sheriff or bailiff. The exact limits depend on your province, and its tenancy office can order a landlord to stop, return money or pay compensation. For the landlord's side in more detail, see what rights landlords have.
Government sources
- Government of Alberta: During a tenancy
- Government of Alberta: Ending a tenancy
- Government of BC: Landlord notice to end a tenancy
- Government of BC: Locks and keys
- Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch: What Manitoba tenants need to know
- Government of Saskatchewan: Security deposits
- Government of Ontario: Rental housing offences
- Landlord and Tenant Board: Guide to the Residential Tenancies Act
- Government of New Brunswick: Evictions
- Government of Nova Scotia: Residential tenancies renting guide
- Government of PEI: Residential Tenancy Act
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: Guide for landlords and tenants
General information, not legal advice. Rules change; check your province's tenancy office before acting.
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