Tenant Refusing Entry in New Brunswick

It depends on whether you followed the entry rules. During a tenancy you may enter the unit only for the reasons the Residential Tenancies Act allows, and for most of them you must give written notice first. Once you have served proper notice, or when there is an emergency, nobody may obstruct you or interfere with your entry. The tenant also does not have to be home when you come in.

The same rules protect the tenant. If you have no listed reason, or your notice is missing or defective, the tenant can say no, and entering anyway breaks the Act. Entering when the Act does not allow it is a category E offence, which carries a fine of $240 to $5,200.

Disputes about entry and other tenancy problems go to a residential tenancies officer at the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office (TLRO). The gnb.ca site also calls this body the Residential Tenancies Tribunal. These rules are current as of October 2026, and the province is rewriting the Act, so check gnb.ca before you rely on them. The tenant's side of the same rules is in our New Brunswick landlord entry guide.

There is no general right to enter for any reasonable purpose. Entry is allowed only for the purposes below. Where notice is required, it must be in writing, signed, name the tenant and give the address of the unit.

Two timing limits apply to every entry that is not an emergency. You cannot enter on a Sunday or another holiday, and you cannot enter before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.

A common mistake is to use 24 hours for everything. Normal repairs and redecorating need 7 days. Count the days carefully, and if you mail the notice, remember the Act treats a mailed document as served on the third day after mailing.

1. Pick the reason. Match your purpose to the table above. If it does not fit a listed reason, you need the tenant's agreement instead.
2. Write the notice. Put it in writing, name the tenant, give the unit address, say why you are entering and when, and sign it.
3. Serve it in time. Count 24 hours or 7 days from when the tenant actually receives it. Keep a copy and note how and when you delivered it.
4. Choose a lawful day and hour. Not a Sunday or holiday, and between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
5. Enter and do only what you gave notice for. The tenant does not have to be present. gnb.ca adds that the tenant must make sure pets are secured when you enter.
6. Write down what happened. Record the date, time and what you did, especially if there was any problem getting in.

If the tenant is willing, you can also simply agree on a time. Consent at the time of entry means no formal notice is needed, but a short message confirming the agreement protects you later.

Emergencies. In an emergency you may enter at any time without notice. gnb.ca lists fire, flooding and active destruction of the premises as examples, and the TLRO treats work needed to keep heat, water and electricity running as emergency repairs. A routine repair that has been waiting for weeks is not an emergency.

Showings to new tenants. Give the current tenant 24 hours' notice. In the last rental period of the tenancy you need no notice, but only if the lease says so. Check your lease before you rely on that.

Selling. A sale does not end the tenancy, and a buyer takes over the lease terms. You do not have to tell your tenants that you plan to sell, although gnb.ca calls it common courtesy. When you want buyers or a mortgagee to see the unit, you still give 24 hours' written notice and keep to the time-of-day limits. Our short answer on landlord entry covers the basics.

Before you treat a refusal as a problem, check whether the tenant is actually right. A refusal is usually legitimate when:

• you gave no written notice, or the notice did not name the tenant, give the address or carry your signature;
• you gave 24 hours for normal repairs, which need 7 days;
• you chose a Sunday, a holiday, or a time before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.;
• your reason is not on the list, for example a general check on how the tenant lives;
• the reason is a showing to new tenants and you gave less than 24 hours with no lease clause covering the last rental period.

In these cases the fix is on your side: serve a correct notice and try again. A tenant who objects to a defective notice is not being difficult.

Neither side may use the locks as a weapon. The Act says neither the landlord nor the tenant may change a lock on a door into the unit during the tenancy, unless both agree or a residential tenancies officer authorizes it in writing. So a tenant cannot lock you out with a new lock, and you cannot change the lock to enter more easily or to pressure the tenant.

When your notice was correct and the tenant still blocks entry, work through these steps in order.

1. Document every attempt. Keep copies of the notices, the dates and times you came, and any messages. A clean record is the most useful thing you can bring to the TLRO.
2. Talk and offer options. Ask what the objection is and offer another time within the lawful hours. Many refusals come from short notice or a bad day.
3. Serve a fresh, correct notice. This removes any argument about the first one.
4. Contact the TLRO. The Act gives landlords a general complaint route: you can serve a written notice stating a complaint when a tenant does not meet an obligation under the Act or the lease, and report to the TLRO if the problem continues. Ask the office whether it applies to repeated refusals before you serve anything. The Act also says plainly that no one may obstruct a repair entry once you are authorized to enter, which is an offence.
5. Escalate through the Act only. Only a residential tenancies officer or a judge can order a tenant out. See our guide to evicting a tenant in New Brunswick and the notice to end a tenancy guide for that route.

Do not enter without notice, change the locks, cut heat, water or power, or remove belongings to force cooperation. Deliberately interfering with heat, water or electric power is an offence, and so is an unauthorized lock change. Also be careful about timing. If the tenant has recently made a complaint against you and you then serve a notice of termination within a year, the tenant can contest it, and the notice is not valid unless you satisfy the officer that the complaint was not the reason.

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