Refused entry to property owner who showed up with realtor was I wrong? (Ontario)
Hi, looking for advice regarding a landlord entry situation in Ontario.
I have been renting my current unit for over two years. My lease agreement is signed with the husband (the landlord). The wife is a co-owner of the property but is not named in the lease agreement.
About one year ago, the wife told us directly to stop contacting her and to handle all rental matters through her husband only. Since then, all communication — repairs, rent, everything — has been exclusively with the husband.
Today, the wife showed up with a real estate agent and gave us 24 hours notice that she would be entering the property to show it to the realtor. We refused entry because:
• She is not named in our lease agreement
• She previously instructed us to deal only with her husband
• We had no prior communication with her in over a year
• We did not recognize the realtor and had no confirmation from the landlord (husband)
We are aware they are trying to sell the property. We are not opposed to viewings, but we want proper
communication through the husband as has been the established arrangement.
My questions are:
• Did we have the right to refuse entry in this situation?
• Can she file against us at the LTB for this refusal?
• What should we do going forward to protect ourselves as tenants?