The Landlord Text You Dread: What to Do Next

"Need to come in tomorrow." "The rent's going up." "We're selling." "My son needs the apartment."

A tenant can read any one of those messages and start looking at listings before knowing whether they actually have to move. The first task is smaller: work out whether this is a heads-up, a request or a formal notice. Keep the message. Check the rule where you live. Then ask for the missing detail in writing.

The renters and sample texts below are fictional. Their situations are familiar, but they are not reported cases, legal templates or promises about how a dispute will end. Start with your province. These examples cover Saskatchewan, Ontario and Manitoba; rules elsewhere may differ.

1. "I need to come in tomorrow" - Saskatchewan

A tenant in Saskatoon gets a message at 6 p.m.: "Maintenance needs to look at the bathroom tomorrow, probably sometime in the morning." They requested a repair, but nobody has said what time or who is coming. They have an early shift and cannot spend the morning waiting at home.

The useful distinction is between consenting to an entry and receiving proper notice. Saskatchewan's Office of Residential Tenancies says ordinary entry generally requires written notice between 24 hours and seven days before entry, stating the purpose, date and time. The window can be no longer than four hours between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Exceptions include emergencies and tenant permission; showings for prospective tenants have different rules. The fact that a tenant requested a repair does not answer every question about entry arrangements.

What to do

1. Save the message and note when it arrived. Check whether it already gives a date, reason and usable time window, and whether you agreed to let someone in.
2. Reply: "Thanks for arranging the bathroom repair. Please confirm who is coming, the reason for entry and the date and time window in the written notice. I'm available to discuss another time if needed."
3. If there is disagreement over entry, use the Saskatchewan Office of Residential Tenancies' notice guidance or contact that office. Don't change the locks or obstruct an entry that meets the rules just because the time is inconvenient.

Official guidance
Office of Residential Tenancies

2. "Rent is going up next month" - Ontario

A renter in Hamilton receives: "Costs have gone up. Your new rent is $150 more starting next month." The dollar figure is specific; the basis for it isn't. Does the unit fall under the guideline? When was the last increase? Where is the notice?

Ontario says landlords must give written notice on the proper form at least 90 days before a rent increase takes effect, and generally at least 12 months must have passed since the tenancy began or the last increase. The 2026 guideline is 2.1% for most guideline-covered units, but some units are exempt, including certain newer units first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018. Other exceptions and approved above-guideline increases can matter. A $150 increase cannot be judged from the dollar figure alone.

What to do

1. Keep the text, lease and last rent-increase notice together. Record your current rent, the last increase date and, if you know it, when the unit was first occupied for residential use.
2. Reply: "Please send the proper rent-increase notice showing the new amount and effective date. I'll check it against my lease and the Ontario rules."
3. Check the 90-day timing, the 12-month interval and whether the guideline applies to this unit. If anything doesn't line up, ask Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board about the correct process before treating the text as the new rent. Keep paying the lawful rent while you get advice; don't guess that every proposed increase is invalid.

Ontario rent-increase rules
Landlord and Tenant Board

3. "We're selling the place" - Manitoba

In Winnipeg, a landlord writes: "We're putting the house up for sale, so start thinking about your next place." The renter assumes the lease has an expiry date. It may not. A sale, a buyer who wants to occupy the unit and a notice to move are three separate events.

Manitoba's Residential Tenancies Branch says a landlord cannot give notice to move simply because they plan to sell. After the sale is final with its conditions met, notice may be possible if the purchaser has asked in writing because the purchaser or certain family members will occupy the unit. The notice has prescribed requirements; timing depends on the type of tenancy and, for some monthly tenancies, the area's vacancy rate. The Branch's guidance also describes reasonable moving expenses up to $500 when a tenancy ends for this reason. Don't assume a particular notice period from a text.

What to do

1. Save the message and find the lease. Ask whether the place is only being listed or has actually sold, and whether a purchaser is asking to occupy it.
2. Reply: "Thanks for the update. Are you listing the property, or is there a finalized sale and a purchaser planning to occupy the unit? Please send any formal notice and showing details in writing."
3. If a notice arrives, check its stated reason, form and date against your tenancy type before agreeing to leave or signing an agreement to end the tenancy. Ask the Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch to review your options if you are unsure. Plan for showings separately from any move-out claim.

Manitoba sale-and-tenant guidance
Residential Tenancies Branch

4. "My son needs the apartment" - Ontario

Another Hamilton renter gets a message saying, "My son needs to move in. We'll need the unit soon." It may be a real plan. It is not, by itself, an order to pack. The renter needs to know who is moving in, what formal notice has been given and what date is proposed.

Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board guidance describes a process for a landlord or a specified family member who genuinely requires the unit for residential occupation, commonly using Form N12. The guidance requires a proper notice and describes an LTB hearing if the landlord applies for an eviction order and the tenant does not leave. The facts, notice date, compensation and eligibility matter; a landlord's text alone isn't an eviction order.

In Ontario, an N12 notice for a landlord or eligible family member to move in must give at least 60 days' notice, ending on the last day of a fixed term or, if there is no fixed term, a rental period. The landlord generally must pay one month's rent in compensation by the termination date or offer another unit acceptable to you. However, for these notices served on or after September 21, 2026, compensation is not required if the notice gives at least 120 days and ends on the required date.

What to do

1. Save the text and don't sign a mutual agreement to end the tenancy just to be polite. Find your lease and note whether it is fixed-term or month-to-month.
2. Reply: "I received your message. Please send the formal notice identifying who intends to occupy the unit and the proposed date. I'll review it before responding about a move."
3. If an N12 arrives, check the person named, termination date and compensation information in the current LTB instructions. Get tenant advice promptly if you dispute it. A hearing and order are separate from receiving a notice; don't miss a hearing or assume ignoring the form makes it disappear.

Ontario LTB personal-use guidance
Landlord and Tenant Board

If this has you weighing the cost of another rental against buying, try What If I Keep Renting? to compare rent, ownership costs and your savings over time. It can help with the budget decision; it does not determine whether a landlord’s notice is valid.

The Short Version

A landlord text can be the start of a conversation, not the complete instruction. Before replying to a vague request, write down four things: what changed, when, what formal notice or document you have, and which provincial rule covers it. Ask for the missing detail in writing. Keep a copy. If a real notice or deadline arrives, check the current provincial source and get local help before signing, paying a new amount or moving. You do not need to turn every text into a fight. You do need to know which decision is actually being asked of you.

Sources & Notes

• Saskatchewan, landlord's right to enter
• Ontario, residential rent increases
• Manitoba, notice when landlord sells rental unit
• Ontario LTB, personal-use eviction guidance
• Rooofread editorial standards