Firearm owner. Can landlord enter your unit if no one is home?

[u/Ginga_Ninja_13]

Neither of us will be home tomorrow and the landlord wants to come in with a painter to paint around the door of our balcony? Being a firearm owner, are they allowed to without anyone in the home present?

Edit: My firearms are trigger locked in a Huntshield gun cabinet, ammo is in a locked cabinet in my closet. Maybe be a little nicer? I've never had a landlord come into my home while i've not been present in the 5 years i've had my PAL. So I was unsure.

[u/Clover_Lawn_4440]

Yes, because your guns are stored according to the rules, regulations and law.

[u/mwmwmwmwmmdw → u/Clover_Lawn_4440]

because your guns are stored according to the rules

the cops and prosecutors interpretation of the rules can change how they feel like.

if the landlord has a right to come in then fine but as an owner never assume you are immune from an unsafe storage charge. it has been used as a catch-all to slap charges on people while they see if theres anything bigger they can pin on you.

[u/Humble_Canuck → u/mwmwmwmwmmdw]

the cops and prosecutors interpretation of the rules can change how they feel like.

Could you elaborate mwmwmwmwmmdw?

[u/Clover_Lawn_4440 → u/Humble_Canuck]

There was a case a few years ago ...... Mike Hargreaves had a large firearms collection stored in his Scarborough apartment. While he was in Florida visiting his son, burglars spent roughly two days attacking a huge concrete-and-steel safe. The safe reportedly weighed about 770 kg (1,700 lb). The thieves used sledgehammers and blowtorches to eventually get it open and stole roughly 32–35 firearms, including handguns, rifles, plus ammunition and equipment. The remarkable part is that Hargreaves himself was subsequently charged with unsafe storage, despite the extraordinary measures he had taken to secure the firearms. A warrant was issued for him, and because he was in Florida, he remained there rather than returning to Canada. There is also a later account saying the Crown ultimately dropped the unsafe-storage charges after about 11 years.

[u/Patsboy101 → u/Clover_Lawn_4440]

What in the actual hell?

Wouldn’t there be obvious evidence to investigators that this Hargreaves fella clearly took measures to ensure most thieves couldn’t easily steal his firearms, and thus they can’t charge him with “unsafe storage”.

With a determined thief who has the proper equipment, no locked up valuables are truly safe from theft. It simply stops the more opportunistic thieves who don’t have this equipment from stealing it.

[u/outline8668 → u/Patsboy101]

OP is leaving the part out that while Hargreaves was running a business using those firearms for law enforcement training he was unlawfully storing his restricted and prohibited firearms at that address. For one he never told the CFO or even applied for an att to move the firearms to that location. For two he was scamming the government lying about his income, that apartment was government subsidized housing in a crime ridden area.

[u/gnu_gai → u/outline8668]

Assuming all that to be true: why charge him with unsafe storage of all things?

[u/grandfundaytoday → u/outline8668]

None of that has anything to do with unsafe storage... but nice try fed.

[u/Not-a-Cranky-Panda → u/Humble_Canuck]

I know it's not Canada but in the UK there was one county that said as it lists a five lever lock in the rules they would not pass a safe if it had a six lever lock.

[u/airchinapilot → u/Not-a-Cranky-Panda]

Apparently these county rules are finally getting traction to be unified under central regulation. It's crazy.

[u/Not-a-Cranky-Panda → u/airchinapilot]

Well they are looking into it, but odds are it'll be one of the bad ones doing it for everyone.

[u/airchinapilot → u/Not-a-Cranky-Panda]

That is the danger

I used to game with a UKer who had a shotgun parts side business. He is a real fudd but he gave me some insight into what they are dealing with.

[u/Sergeant__Waffles]

Landlord can enter with proper notice. As a responsible gun owner it’s on you to make sure your guns are stored properly.

[u/DirtinEvE → u/Sergeant__Waffles]

They can also enter without proper notice, in the event of an emergency like a water leak for example.

[u/Sergeant__Waffles → u/DirtinEvE]

Correct.

[u/mwmwmwmwmmdw → u/Sergeant__Waffles]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3_lVSrPB6w

[u/Hungrygoomba]

Throw a blanket and crap over your safe. Dont tell them about them.

Had contractors in my house doing windows. They saw my safe. 2 weeks later house got robbed during the day when I wasnt home. Guns and cabinet were the priority for the thieves.

[u/Borealbound → u/Hungrygoomba]

I recall years back when I was trying to raise money before my son was born, I was working two jobs and doing gig work, I went and did some moving, one of the customers named his dog Ruger, I talked guns with him, my coworkers on the other hand were sketchy as fuck and not the kind of people I would want knowing that I had firearms or even where I lived. When my parents hired movers year ago to go across country, they used a moving truck for most things but my dad put his gun cabinet in his truck and drove it himself, waited till it was dark to move the guns into their new house. 

[u/jachojanjandyjavage → u/Hungrygoomba]

Did the cops get the people who broke in?

[u/Borealbound → u/jachojanjandyjavage]

Probably not 

[u/Hungrygoomba → u/jachojanjandyjavage]

No, they fingerprinted my entire house and we had a lead. Nothing happened. Very traumatic. Moved the next year didnt want to live in my family home anymore after that.

[u/jachojanjandyjavage → u/Hungrygoomba]

Understandable, hope all is good now.

[u/mischling2543 → u/Hungrygoomba]

Exactly why I want a dog

[u/Whoopity_Longjohn]

If your guns are stored as per the firearm act I don't see why this would be an issue.

maybe use some sense and make sure they aren't in plain view of whoever is there.

[u/Apprehensive_Ask_752]

As long as you're firearms are locked away appropriately everything should be fine if you follow the law about storage then you'll be good.

[u/grandfundaytoday → u/Apprehensive_Ask_752]

Not just firearms - all the ammunition must be locked up somehow to avoid unauthorized access. Make sure you don't have a random 22 round loose in the bottom of one of your bags or POOF your guns are gone.

[u/Ilikechainsaws09]

Regulated by province. So depends where you are, normally with 24hrs notice, yes. Being a firearms owner doesn't matter because you follow safe storage laws as a responsible PAL holder.

[u/hafetysazard]

Is there any reason he’ll need to go into those spaces and move stuff around? If not, then throw a blanket over it, and put away any obvious gun stuff.

[u/Whispersfine]

If you are in onterrible then all they need is a 24 hours notice

[u/LankySearch → u/Whispersfine]

Ontario has its cons but tenant rights isn’t one of them. I’m fairly certain we have the strongest tenant rights on the continent after Quebec

[u/wapimaskwa → u/Whispersfine]

lol Onterrible

[u/Sticky_3pk → u/wapimaskwa]

Almost as good as No Funswick

[u/Additional_Fold_1350 → u/Sticky_3pk]

THey definitely try to make it unfun thats for sure, but I always had a blast when I lived down there. I was considering moving back, but the lack of crownland shooting or even private property changed my mind.

I was born there, but Ill stay in Alberta permanently for that alone and the fact people are less nosy and more politically compatible with my values, screw the liberal they all love down there.

[u/Sticky_3pk → u/Additional_Fold_1350]

The crown land rules are silly. Luckily Im a 10 minute drive from my club.

That said, im a lifetime No Funswicker

[u/Additional_Fold_1350 → u/Sticky_3pk]

Born in Fredericton myself, grew up in NS though, but have family up river and scattered through Northern Nofunswick.

Been in Alberta 25 years and cant see going back permantly now. Kids were born here and are in thier late teens, they will likely end up working out here and building lives so we will stay. Plus the hunting is great, and my boy and I are going to get into sheep hunting next year before Im too old for it. He's been bugging me to get to the top of the rockies for a couple years, but I didnt think he was ready to do it, so next summer we start scouting.

[u/Borealbound → u/Sticky_3pk]

I am proud to be from Shankstabsomewan

[u/throwaway12-ffs → u/Whispersfine]

I've lived on many provinces (all but 1 from BC to on). Ontario isn't that bad.

[u/Familiar_Hunt_5164 → u/Whispersfine]

Cheers from Queerbek haha

[u/acceptable_road_fees]

If the guns are locked then yes, I would suggest putting them in a closed locker or just a closet to prevent them for being uncomfortable

[u/SexySubordinate]

Yes they can.

Personally when I had landlords and they needed in while I wasn’t home I’d make quite the effort to make all my gun stuff disappear.

It wasn’t an issue of having things stored properly so much as wanting to keep my shit discrete and not advertised. No one really knows who has a big mouth/who talks to who etc.

Put a lock on the closet and stuff all the things that don’t need to be locked up but you don’t want seen in there with your cabinet/safe. This includes any gun related decor.

[u/Additional_Fold_1350 → u/SexySubordinate]

Did the same with my herbal grow, I was licensed for medical at the time. Still am but nolonger grow. All about OPSEC and keeping people out of your business if they dont need to actually know.

Kind of the same reason why youll never or rarely see me posting gun pics on the internet. Every photo you take with your phones typically have location data associated with them. If you know how to extract it its easy to find a photos location. I can even put them on a map if I want, and have used this for my work alot. That said its also easy to strip this data from your photos with an EXIF data editor, many of which are freeware or cheap.

[u/SexySubordinate → u/Additional_Fold_1350]

Preach brother.

I pull my car into the garage to load up before a trip inna woods so neighbors don’t see cases, gongs etc.

Not because they aren’t good people or I’m ashamed or scared. Simply because it’s none of their business.

[u/Additional_Fold_1350 → u/SexySubordinate]

I dont have to be that secretive, I have a few good gun loving neighbors, and others that are just glad to see someone has guns arround incase SHTF. People I know know I have guns, but at the same time I have no issue loading up at my townhouse, walking to my truck with multiple cases and crates of ammo.

My worries are more the feds wanting to track down the scare black TM22s and other scary black rifles. Only thing I may ocassionally post are the odd video of my kids shooting shotguns and hunting pics. But never my tactical looking guns nor photos of my plate carrier or me wearing it. Currently have it set up for tactical shotgun training at my buddies property. Has a nice gravel pit set up with barriers, a few junk cars, gongs all over the place etc. We even have a 600 yard range set up out there

[u/3202supsaW]

Nobody in this thread seems to understand that your question was if this would introduce liability for you or the landlord, but no as long as your guns are stored per the laws you are fine. There’s no rule against someone without a pal being alone in a house with a properly stored firearm, maybe unless they have a weapons prohibition order which I doubt your landlord does

[u/Pristine-Brick-9911 → u/3202supsaW]

Liability for what exactly?

[u/airchinapilot → u/Pristine-Brick-9911]

OP seemed concerned about a stranger being in his residence while he is away. Having the correct storage to prevent a stranger from picking up the gun and doing something bad with it would be a liability issue. Even if you didn'thave firearms, if you have tenant's insurance you should have a liability clause for things like someone comes over during a party and the shelf gets knocked on top of them.

[u/Pristine-Brick-9911 → u/airchinapilot]

Thank you for helping me understand better.

[u/Ginga_Ninja_13 → u/3202supsaW]

Great answer, thank you!

[u/Lumindan]

Lock your stuff up properly and there isn't an issue.

[u/NemrahG]

They need to give notice of entry at least 24hrs in advance, which it sounds like they did, but if the guns are stored correctly then it shouldn’t be an issue for them enter.

[u/DoYouGetSarcasm]

You being a firearms owner changes nothing about when/why people can legally enter your home/apartment/etc. it's on you to store things safely.

[u/LadyDegenhardt]

I'm a real estate agent in Rural AB.

We show homes that have properly stored firearms all the time. Both tenant and seller occupied.

Appropriate notice from your landlord is a totally different area of law, but as long as your firearms are being stored correctly you should be fine.

[u/CatchADeffaz]

Take it out of plain sight, some people get triggered by them. You don’t want to give them a reason to potentially swat you even though you’re not doing anything illegal.

[u/ablemount → u/CatchADeffaz]

"triggered" lol

[u/MapleHamms]

Yeah, as long as they gave you 24 hours notice. If your firearms are stored properly it shouldn’t matter

[u/Horilka]

24h notification or non emergency, any time without notification in case of emergency in ON.

[u/Deep_Cabinet_5078]

Everything is fine with 24 hours notice, but just for hassle reasons, i would stick a blanket over the safe, folded under and over to make it look like your not trying to scratch what is underneath the blanket, then shove some shit on top. Just a bunch of junk in a corner. Nothing to think even twice about

[u/KneeNo2151]

totally understand the confusion and being skeptical what if they try to poke around the cabinet or storage. chances are less but still there.

[u/sjs8415]

My advice is, legally sure you can have your firearms as your property as you are licensed PAL holder and keeping them stored as per storage regulation. Landlords liking them is different story. I don't like to play bets with that especially after being burned once and immediately getting a notice to move out from having one so I hide them to best of my ability that landlords will not find as long as they aren't snooping.

[u/dirkdiggler2011]

Cover your safe with a blanket and junk.

[u/AndreiHoo]

Just a reminder of storing your firearms properly can save a lot of trouble. Otherwise this could turn extremely expensive legal battle.

[u/ElFluffador]

If they gave you proper written notice. Minimum 24 hours notice. You can also have a friend be there instead of you.

[u/ltk66]

If you are ever in the situation that you’re being questioned by the police about how your firearms are stored, the answer is always safety and securely. If you are ever told that they would like to inspect how they are stored, the answer is always no. There is no need because they are stored safely and securely.

[u/Danlabss]

If you rent, you are covered by your jurisdictions tenant rights (usually provincial with city-level adding more protections in some cases)

In BC, your landlord must give you 24 hours notice before entering your unit.

[u/CdnFireAlarmTech]

Yes with proper notice. Generally 48 hours if not an emergency and depending upon where you live. Each province is different.