Liam, a property manager for a commercial building in Calgary, Alberta, needs to access a tenant's leased office space to conduct a scheduled fire alarm inspection. The lease agreement specifies that 24 hours' written notice is required for entry, except in emergencies. Liam provided 24 hours' notice last week, but the tenant, 'TechInnovate Inc.', replied that they would be out of the country for a month and denied access. What should Liam do?

Question: Liam, a property manager for a commercial building in Calgary, Alberta, needs to access a tenant's leased office space to conduct a scheduled fire alarm inspection. The lease agreement specifies that 24 hours' written notice is required for entry, except in emergencies. Liam provided 24 hours' notice last week, but the tenant, 'TechInnovate Inc.', replied that they would be out of the country for a month and denied access. What should Liam do?

Answer options: ✅ Re-schedule the inspection with TechInnovate Inc. for a mutually agreeable time after their return.

• Enter the premises as scheduled since proper notice was given according to the lease.
• Apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board (or equivalent) for an order allowing entry.
• Inform TechInnovate Inc. that they are in breach of their lease for denying access.

Correct answer: Re-schedule the inspection with TechInnovate Inc. for a mutually agreeable time after their return.

Explanation: While notice was given, a good commercial landlord-tenant relationship and the principle of quiet enjoyment suggest re-scheduling for non-emergency access when the tenant cannot reasonably accommodate the entry. The lease terms would not typically override a tenant's complete unavailability without specific breach clauses concerning denied access to critical inspections.