Tenant Refuses Entry in BC: What a Landlord Can Do

It depends on your notice. When you have given proper notice to enter, the tenant must not prevent your access, or your agent's access. A tenant may still refuse entry that is unreasonable or unlawful, so a notice that breaks the rules gives you no right to come in.

Proper notice under section 29 of the Residential Tenancy Act is written notice given at least 24 hours, and no more than 30 days, before the entry. It must state a reasonable purpose, plus the date and the time. The time has to fall between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. unless the tenant agrees to something else.

You may inspect the unit monthly, as long as each visit follows that notice rule. Emergencies are the exception: if entry is necessary to protect life or property, you can enter without written notice or permission.

The tenant-side rules are covered in our BC landlord entry guide. This page is about what you do when the answer from the tenant is no. Short answers are also on the Ask pages for whether a tenant can refuse entry and when a landlord may enter.

Use this table to match the situation to the notice. Government guidance is on the BC landlord access page.

The rules are the same whether the notice period is routine or you are in a hurry. A tenant can agree to a different time, but you cannot assume that agreement.

1. Pick a reasonable purpose, such as an inspection, a repair or a pest treatment.
2. Choose a date and a time between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. If the tenant has agreed to a different hour, get that in writing.
3. Write the notice with the purpose, the date and the time.
4. Give it to the tenant at least 24 hours before the visit, and no more than 30 days before it.
5. Keep a copy of the notice and note when you gave it.
6. Arrive at the time you stated.

If you repeat visits close together, expect questions. Every tenant has a right to quiet enjoyment, which includes reasonable privacy and freedom from unreasonable disturbance. Entry is the one carve-out from exclusive possession, and only on proper notice.

Showings have their own rules, set out on the BC showings and open houses page. Unless you and the tenant agreed a showing schedule in writing, you must give 24 hours' written notice for each showing. That notice cannot be sent by text message.

• You or your agent must be present during the showing.
• You cannot use a lock box without the tenant's permission.
• The tenant may be present and cannot be required to leave while the unit is shown.

A tenant may refuse a showing that breaks any of these rules. A tenant who has received a proper notice must allow it.

1. Do not enter. Entering over a refusal, or without proper notice, can become a complaint about the tenant's privacy and quiet enjoyment.
2. Check your own notice. Was it in writing, within 24 hours to 30 days, with a reasonable purpose and a time between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.?
3. Ask the tenant for the reason. Put the request in writing and offer a new time that fits the rules.
4. Record each attempt: the notice, the date you gave it and what the tenant said.
5. If the refusal continues, apply to the Residential Tenancy Branch for dispute resolution. The filing fee is $100. The director can make an order that a landlord or tenant comply with the Act.

If you think repeated refusal breaches a material term of the agreement, the Act lets you first send a written warning that says what the problem is and sets a reasonable deadline. If it is not corrected in a reasonable time, you may serve a One Month Notice to End Tenancy for Cause (RTB-33), which the tenant has 10 days to dispute. See our guide to landlord notices in BC for the grounds and forms.

The RTB can also suspend your right to enter or set conditions on it, so a poor record of past entries can work against you.

• Do not change the locks. A landlord cannot change locks or other means of access during a tenancy unless the tenant agrees and receives new keys.
• Do not walk in anyway. Only an emergency, an abandoned unit, or a valid notice lets you enter.
• Do not use a lock box for showings without the tenant's permission.
• Do not ask the tenant to leave while you show the unit.
• Do not take or block access to belongings. A landlord must not seize a tenant's property or interfere with access to it.

The RTB can order compliance, award compensation and impose administrative penalties of up to $5,000, with a separate penalty for each day a breach continues. Illegally evicting a tenant can bring a penalty of up to $5,000 and repayment of the tenant's costs. The same fairness applies to the tenant: a tenant cannot change the lock to the unit unless you agree in writing or the RTB orders it.

The Act has no rule on cameras or photos, but privacy law does. The BC Information and Privacy Commissioner's guidance for landlords says that if you photograph a tenant's apartment you must not collect personal information without prior consent.

Surveillance cameras need a reasonable purpose and the consent of everyone who will be recorded. Do not point a camera at a tenant's private space to prove a refusal.

Good records protect you at a hearing: keep each notice, any message from the tenant and a short log of the dates. Before any visit, you can read the official landlord access guidance again to check your wording.

This guide explains the rules in general terms; for a specific case, ask the tribunal or a licensed legal professional.