Your first stop for self-help is a review of our FAQs. Take a look at the ever increasing collection of questions asked by Ontario’s small-scale landlords as well as the actual answers provided by Landlord’s Self-Help Centre.
If the tenancy is subject to the Residential Tenancies Act, the rules on when a tenant dies are set out under section 91. If there are no other tenants in the rental unit the tenancy is deemed to be terminated 30 days after the death of the tenant. A landlord is required to preserve any property belonging to the tenant other than property that is unsafe or unhygienic. A landlord is required to allow the executor or administrator of the tenant’s estate or, in the absence of an executor or administrator, a tenant’s family member reasonable access to the unit for the purpose of removing the tenant’s property. Our fact sheet on Tenant Belongings offers information on the disposal of belongings https://landlordselfhelp.com/media/2024-Tenant-Belongings.pdf
You should obtain written authorization from the family member permitting you to obtain these documents, otherwise you should only enter the rental unit to dispose of any unsafe and unhygienic items.