Showing a Rental in Saskatchewan: The 2-Hour Notice for Prospective Tenants

When showing a rental in Saskatchewan to prospective tenants, you can enter on as little as two hours' notice, but only after the tenant has given notice to end the tenancy or within the last two months of a fixed term. Showings must fall between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and never on a Sunday or the tenant's day of worship.

The rule is in section 45 of The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, with the details in section 7 of The Residential Tenancies Regulations, 2007 and the standard conditions printed in the regulations' schedule. These steps follow them in order.

Step 1: Confirm the short-notice window is open

The two-hour rule applies only in two situations (s.45(3)):

• the tenant has given notice under section 56 that they intend to end the tenancy, or
• the tenancy is a fixed term and you are within the two months before the date it ends.

The standard conditions phrase the fixed-term case as a tenancy that is ending with no new agreement between the same landlord and tenant. Outside these windows, an entry to show the unit is an ordinary entry: the tenant's permission, or written notice at least 24 hours and no more than seven days ahead stating a reasonable purpose, the date and a window of no more than four hours (s.45(1)(b) and (2)). Our guide to landlord entry in Saskatchewan covers that rule.

Step 2: Pick a lawful time

Every showing to a prospective tenant must be between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., on a day that is not a Sunday or a day of religious worship for the tenant (s.45(6)). Ask the tenant early which day, if any, they observe, so you can plan around it.

Step 3: Choose how you will get in

Section 7(1) of the regulations gives three routes:

Step 4: If you cannot reach the tenant, try first and then post a door notice

When none of the three routes works, section 7(2) lets you still enter to show the unit if you do both of these:

1. make a reasonable effort, at least two hours before entry, to contact the tenant at the phone number or email address they gave you for that purpose, and
2. post a notice of entry on the door of the unit that sets out the date and time of entry, no later than the time you enter (s.7(4)).

If the tenant never gave you a phone number or email for notices, you may rely on the door notice alone (s.7(3)). Keep a record of the call or message and a photo of the posted notice.

Step 5: Run the showing

• Arrive within the time you gave, and keep the group to the people viewing.
• Don't restrict the tenant's own access to the property while you show it (s.46).
• Leave the unit as you found it, and lock up.

Showing to a buyer instead of a renter

A prospective purchaser is a different rule. You need 24 hours' notice or the tenant's consent (s.45(5)), and the same 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and no-Sunday limits apply (s.45(6)). The two-hour notice is only for prospective tenants.

What to put in the listing

If the unit is still occupied, say so and give the earliest move-in date. List the rent and deposit: in Saskatchewan a deposit is capped at one month's rent (s.25), and a landlord may not charge a fee to process an application (s.23). For the rest of the listing, see What You Can and Can't Say in a Saskatchewan Rental Ad.

Related reading

• The Saskatchewan Landlord Guide: Every Rule in One Place
• Giving Notice to Move Out in Saskatchewan: A Tenant's Guide
• Landlord Entry in Saskatchewan: 24 Hours' Notice and the Four-Hour Window
• Saskatchewan Security Deposits