Coronavirus (COVID-19): sector-specific guidance

Sector-specific guidance and resources for employers on how to keep workers safe in specific industries and sectors.

Sector-specific plans

Find sector-specific plans to help protect workers and customers from COVID-19 in the workplace.

Real estate and rental properties

Showing homes and rental units during COVID-19

Landlords need consent from tenants for in-person showings of the home or rental unit. If a tenant doesn’t consent to an in-person showing, they must allow the landlord (and up to 1 other person) to enter the premises to film or photograph the property for a virtual showing. The landlord must give notice to the tenant 24 hours before entry. Learn more: Residential Tenancies Virtual Showing (PDF 142 kb).

If you're showing real estate or rental properties to prospective buyers or renters, you need to take precautions to make sure the visit is as safe as possible.

Everyone must follow social distancing guidelines when showing or visiting a residence, staying 2 metres (6 feet) away from anyone else. You should also make sure to clean your hands before and after the showing and cover coughs and sneezes.

Landlords, salespeople and brokers

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 during showings, landlords, salespeople and brokers should:

only show a residence if someone who lives there isn't self-isolating
make sure the people viewing the residence don’t have COVID-19 symptoms and that they’re not supposed to be self-isolating (don’t let them enter if they are)
ask the current residents to leave cupboard doors and closets open so viewers don't need to touch them
consider wearing a non-medical mask while showing the residence and ask anyone who's entering to consider wearing a mask too
travel to the showing separately
disinfect surfaces that were touched during the showing, like door handles

Prospective buyers and renters

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 during showings, prospective buyers and renters should:

only view a residence if they’re not self-isolating
stay home if they’re self-isolating
consider wearing a non-medical mask during the showing
avoid touching anything in the residence

Current residents

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 during showings, current residents should:

let the landlord know if they’re self-isolating so the landlord doesn’t enter the home
open cupboard doors and closets before the showing so the prospective renters or buyers don’t need to touch them
clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in the unit after the showing

Property inspectors, contractors and visitors

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, property inspectors, contractors and visitors should:

only enter a residence if they don’t have COVID-19 symptoms
only enter a residence if they’re not self-isolating
consider wearing a non-medical mask during the visit
avoid touching objects and surfaces in the residence
disinfect surfaces and items that were touched during the visit

Factsheets and posters

Find sector-specific guidelines and posters to help protect workers and customers from COVID-19 in the workplace.