Right-of-entry is required when residents need to enter neighbouring properties to make repairs or alterations to buildings, fences, and structures on their own properties.
Effective March 1, 2023, the Building Construction and Demolition Bylaw has been amended as approved by City Council. Under the amended bylaw, residents need to follow a set of rules if entering their neighbouring property to conduct work on their own property. Right-of-entry permits are no longer required.
The bylaw amendment does not apply to active right-of-entry permit holders. If you have a permit, then you can continue to use it until it expires.
You can only be permitted to enter your neighbours’ property to conduct repairs or alterations to a building, fence or other structure on your own property if:
The power of right-of-entry does not allow you to:
If you need to access a neighbour’s property to do work on your own, you should speak to your neighbour first.
If entering your neighbour’s property, you must provide reasonable written notice to the neighbour at least 24 hours before entering. The written notice should include the description of the work being done, the date of entry and duration of the work, and your telephone number. You can only enter your neighbours property for the amount of time reasonably needed to complete the work.
If entering your neighbour’s property, ensure that you do not create any hazards and restore the property to its original condition after you finish your work. You will need to compensate your neighbour for any damages caused by your entry.
If a dispute arises and cannot be resolved by talking to your neighbour, you can access mediation services at The TNG Community Services. The TNG Community Services provides free community mediation services to Toronto residents, as an alternative means to resolving a dispute with the help of neutral mediators.
Mediation can help the City deliver better service, divert some cases from bylaw enforcement, and get to the root cause of long-standing community or neighbour-to-neighbour issues. The process is separate from bylaw enforcement and completely confidential.
You may seek resolution to your issue by contacting The TNG Community Services directly. For properties north of Eglinton Avenue contact 416-839-3425 or crt.northyork@tngcs.org and for south of Eglinton Avenue contact 416-827-5929 or crt.intake@tngcs.org.