Brampton woman says landlord entered her apartment without proper permission

A woman renting a basement apartment in Brampton says several people have walked into her home unannounced as her landlord tries to sell the unit. But what are her rights as a tenant?

"All I heard was my door open. I woke up, and I was in shock," said Linda Kissoon.

According to Kissoon, there have been several times strangers would come into her basement without any prior notice, causing her to be concerned for her privacy and safety.

Kissoon said it happened twice in one day and once when she was in the shower.

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"I said, 'Get out of my apartment right now. Who are you guys, and what are you doing?'"

Kissoon said while her landlord did apologize, another realtor came into the unit unannounced while she was sleeping.

"I said, 'You are letting people into my place without letting me know, and that's not right,'" said Kissoon.

Geordie Dent, executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations, told CTV News Toronto that landlords must give proper notice if they want to enter your unit.

"Tenants have rights. You get rights for paying your rent, and if you pay 100 per cent of your rent, you get 100 per cent of your rights," said Dent.

Dent said landlords need to provide written notice, 24 hours in advance, to a tenant before anyone enters a unit, including realtors.

"If you're a real estate agent wanting to come in and show the unit to a prospective buyer for a landlord, you're supposed to have written authorization for that, and you're supposed to show that written authorization to the tenant," said Dent.

According to the Landlord and Tenant Board, a landlord may enter a rental unit with written notice 24 hours in advance, but only if the notice has the time and reason for entry, such as if they need to carry out repairs. The landlord may also enter, or allow a real estate agent to enter, to bring in potential purchasers to view a unit or conduct an inspection, so long as the 24-hour notice is provided in advance.

"They can't just come in whenever they want. They have to follow the law," said Dent.

Kissoon wanted to let other renters know their rights, and while her unit is no longer for sale, she may have to move out to allow the landlord's family members to move in.

Kissoon said it's a difficult time to find another place to rent.

"It's so hard to find a place that's the same price, as living in Brampton home prices are so expensive," said Kissoon.