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Photographing Tenants Possessions:
Requires Agreement Per the Lease or Subsequent Consent From the Tenant
Last Updated: August 25 2026
Question: Can a tenant decline entry if a landlord wants to take photos for a virtual tour in Ontario?
Answer: Forseti Legal Services can help Ontario tenants understand their privacy rights when a landlord requests to photograph a tenanted unit for marketing or a virtual tour, since the landlord generally must get the tenant’s express consent unless the lease expressly authorizes it or the photos are needed to carry out maintenance and repair duties In Juhasz v. Hymas, 2016 ONSC 1650, the court held that absent consent or a specific lease term, taking photos to support sale marketing engages privacy interests and is not a permitted basis for entry, and a tenant’s refusal typically cannot justify eviction For practical next steps in your situation, call (705) 806-7577 to book a consultation with a paralegal at Forseti Legal Services.
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Can a Landlord Take Pictures of An Apartment Occupied By a Tenant?
The Tenant Holds the Right to Decide Whether a Landlord May Take Pictures of a Rental Unit Occupied By the Tenant. Only With Express Permission Per a Lease Agreement or Subsequent Consent May a Landlord Enter to Take Pictures For Any Purpose Other Than Assisting Maintenance and Repairs.
Understanding Whether Tenant Privacy Rights Require a Landlord to Refrain From Taking Pictures of An Occupied Unit
For various reasons, a landlord may seek to obtain images or photographs of rental unit occupied by a tenant. The reasons that the landlord may want the images or photographs may appear reasonable and innocuous. For example, the landlord may be seeking the images for use within a virtual tour when marketing or promoting the premises during efforts to sell the property, or other purposes. This request may be without any illicit intent; however, a landlord must obtain the consent of the tenant prior to taking and using images of the tenanted rental unit so to protect the privacy of the tenant.
Note: Please contact Forseti Legal Services by phone at: (705) 806-7577 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.
Privacy Concern
What Rights to Personal Privacy Do Tenants Have?
In regards to possible privacy issue concerns, the nature of the personal belongings of a tenant may provide significant details about the tenant; and accordingly, the tenant may prefer that such details be kept private. For example, the nature and quality of personal belongings may demonstrate whether the tenant is frugal, and perhaps of limited means, or is otherwise extravagant, and perhaps of substantial means. Furthermore, and among other concerns, a tenant may be exposed to various security risks arising from the availability of images showing the layout of the rental unit.
The Law
What Is Said By the Courts?
The right to privacy of a tenant was the issue within the case of Juhasz v. Hymas, 2016 ONSC 1650 which decided that a landlord lacks a unilateral right to take photographs of a tenanted unit and use such photographs for the purpose of creating and publishing a virtual tour as an online sales tool when listing the property for sale. In Juhasz, it was determined that a landlord may enter a tenanted unit and take photographs for the purpose of aiding maintenance and repairs as obligations of the landlord; however, entering a tenanted unit for the purpose of obtaining photographs to aid marketing of the property was deemed improper. Specifically, the Divisional Court said:
[26] The Divisional Court recently considered the issue of entering a tenant’s premises for the purpose of taking photographs in the context of a dispute raised by the tenants about appropriate repairs and maintenance of the rental unit: see Nickoladze v. Bloor Street Investments/Advent Property Management, 2015 ONSC 3893 (CanLII). In that context, the decision upheld the right to take photographs as to the maintenance and repairs of the unit: see, for instance, paras 8 and 9 of that decision:
8. While it might be prudent for a landlord to expressly state in a notice to enter a rental unit that photographs may be taken, the failure to do so does not render the entry unlawful. Section 27 of the RTA expressly authorizes a landlord to enter a rental unit for the purposes of conducting an inspection and that it is what happened in this case. The entry was therefore lawful.
9. Further, the fact that photographs were taken does not, by itself, constitute an infringement of the tenant’s privacy rights. It would only constitute an infringement if it was done for an improper purpose. In this case, the Board determined that the photographs were taken for the purpose of the inspection and for use at the hearing of the tenant’s outstanding applications. It was open to the Board, on the evidence, to reach that conclusion. In this day and age, it is not at all surprising that either a tenant or a landlord would take pictures of relevant items in order to use them at a hearing before the Board. Indeed, I understand that, on a prior occasion, the tenant had done precisely that to advance his position.
[27] The Nickoladze decision is distinguishable from this case. In Nickoladze, the tenant raised issues about his privacy interest being compromised. Justice Nordheimer concluded that, as the photographs were taken in the context of a proceeding before the Board initiated by the tenant, no privacy interest was engaged. We also note that this decision was in relation to an inspection of the rental unit, an activity which is a specifically permitted ground for entry pursuant to s. 27(1)(4) of the RTA.
[28] We distinguish the decision of Nordheimer J. in Nickoladze. By way of contrast, in this case, taking photographs of a person’s home and personal belongings without their consent and posting these photographs on the internet clearly infringes privacy interests. In this case, a privacy interest is clearly engaged – an interest enhanced, perhaps, by the tenant’s disability of a post-traumatic stress disorder.
[29] We agree with the conclusion in the Review Order of the Board in File No. CEL-31023-13-RV (Re) that absent a specific term of the lease, or with the tenant’s consent, there is no authority under s. 27 of the RTA to require entry into a tenant’s premise to take photographs for marketing purposes to advance the sale of the property. It follows that the refusal by a tenant to allow entry for such purpose cannot be proper grounds for eviction.
As made clear within the Juhasz case, if a landlord wishes to photograph a tenanted unit, the landlord must have the consent of the tenant, either by an expressly worded agreement as per a clause within a lease, or by obtaining consent thereafter unless the photographs will be used to aid the landlord with the maintenance and repair duties of the landlord. It was also made clear that if a tenant refuses to provide consent to take photographs of the tenanted unit, such unwillingness fails to provide grounds for the landlord to evict.
Summary Comment
What Is the Short Answer?
A landlord must refrain from entering a tenanted unit with the intent of obtaining photographs or images for any purpose other than to obtain such as a means to assist in the duty to maintain or repair the premises. Obtaining photographs or images for another other purpose, such as to obtain and publish such images for the purpose of assisting in the marketing for sale of the property, appears as a breach of the privacy rights of the tenant.
NOTE: A significant quantity of online searches featuring “lawyers near me” or “best lawyer in” typically indicates a desire for prompt and competent legal assistance rather than seeking a particular title. In Ontario, accredited paralegals are governed by the same Law Society that regulates lawyers and have the authority to represent clients in specified litigation matters. Skills in advocacy, legal analysis, and procedural knowledge are fundamental to this position. Forseti Legal Services provides legal representation within its licensed parameters, focusing on strategic positioning, evidentiary preparation, and effective advocacy to attain efficient and favourable outcomes for clients.
