Landlords Entering Rental Property

The rules regarding landlords entering a rental property always needs to be spelled out in a lease or rental agreement. It’s one of those sticky situations where the landlord has rights to his or her property, the tenant has rights to his or her privacy, and the collision of those two concerns can cause a lot of headaches. If you are a landlord, be sure to clearly spell out and protect your rights. If you are a tenant, be sure the landlord clearly indicates what they want to be able to do so that you’re both on the same page.

Emergency Entry, Repairs

Outside of the legal document, in general, landlords are permitted to enter the premises in case of emergency or in order to make repairs to the property. In some states the landlord can enter the property just to determine if repairs are needed. In some other states, landlords can enter a property in the case the tenant is away for an extended period, 7 days or more.

On the tenant’s privacy protection side, the landlord can’t enter the property just to “check up” on someone.

Notice of Entry

The landlord usually must give 24 hours of advance notice. If the landlord doesn’t then they can only enter for emergencies (such as fire, flood) or when given permission by the tenant. The amount of advance notice varies by state.