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Privacy

When can a landlord enter your place?

You have a right to the exclusive possession of your rental unit and reasonable privacy in your home. Your landlord can only enter your place if they provide:

• 24 hours written notice
• date, time, and a good reason for entry are listed on the notice
• 8:00am-9:00pm (unless the tenant otherwise agrees)

There are exceptions to this rule. The simplest example is if your landlord knocks on the door, you have the choice to either let them in or ask for written notice.  Also, in the case of an emergency such as a fire or a flood, your landlord is allowed to enter.

For more information, see our Quiet Enjoyment page.
 

Protecting Your Personal Information

The BC Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia has released new guidelines on what type of information landlords can ask for from potential tenants.

Highlights include the following:

• landlords should not require that tenants provide their Social Insurance Number on either tenancy application forms or rental agreements;
• a landlord should not demand a tenant's banking information;
• a landlord cannot request a tenant's credit card information as a condition of renting a property;
• requiring a criminal records check is not reasonably necessary; and
• a landlord may ask to examine a person's driver's licence in order to verify the person's identity.  However, the landlord must not write down or photocopy this personal information.

If a landlord refuses to rent to you because you didn't provide this personal information, you have the right to report the landlord to the office of the information & Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia.  To read the full guidelines‚ click here.