Landlord’s Right to Entry

Last Updated: November 26, 2025 by Robert Bailey

Landlord’s right to entry laws can be confusing for both property owners and tenants, and both parties often misunderstand the legal guidelines.

In this guide, we’ll answer some of the most common questions about landlord entry laws. We’ve also included a sample entry policy that property owners can add to their lease agreement to add clarity. Let’s get started.

Click on your state below for an in-depth look at your local laws dictating a landlord’s right to enter property.

11 Common Questions About Landlord Entry Laws Answered

While the specific laws governing a landlord’s right to enter vary from state to state, landlords have the right to enter their rental properties under certain circumstances. But tenants also have the right to refuse them, depending on the situation.

Here’s an overview of when tenants can refuse entry, when landlords can enter without permission, the consequences for landlords who enter illegally, and more.

1. When can a landlord enter a rental property?

Landlords have the legal right to enter a rental property for tenancy-related purposes. It could be to maintain a safe and habitable property, address lease agreement violations, or to comply with local laws. Property owners can usually enter their rental property for the following reasons:

• Property work: Such as maintenance, repairs, improvements, and any services the tenant has agreed to.
• Inspections: Including checking if the unit is code compliant or if the tenant has violated the lease, as long as the frequency and process aren’t considered landlord harassment.
• Emergencies: In case of floods, fires, leaks, or other extreme situations that threaten health and safety, landlords usually don’t have to notify tenants in advance or obtain their permission.

Did you know? Most states have laws requiring property owners to give tenants “reasonable notice” before entering the unit, typically 24 hours. However, certain jurisdictions require more or less notice. You’ll find a helpful chart outlining each state’s notice requirements below.

2. Can a landlord enter without permission?

Unless it’s an emergency, property owners usually have to get the tenant’s permission before they set foot inside the rental. If a landlord enters without permission, it means the tenant explicitly refused the request, but they entered anyway.

Keep in mind: When the landlord uses a lawful notice-and-entry process, the tenant’s consent is usually presumed unless they clearly object.

3. Can a landlord enter without the tenant present?

No state laws require tenants to be physically present for the property owner or manager to enter. As a rule of thumb, landlords can enter without the tenant present unless the tenant specifically asked the landlord not to.

For example, a tenant’s pet might not respond well to strangers. In that case, tenants may ask landlords to schedule entry when someone is home to take care of the animal.

4. Can a landlord show a house while it is occupied?

For the most part, landlords have the legal right to show a house while the tenant still lives there. It’s commonly allowed in states that have passed a version of the Uniform Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (URLTA), including:

• Alabama (Ala. Code § 35-9A-101)
• Arizona (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1301)
• Iowa (Iowa Code § 562A.1)
• New Mexico (N.M. Stat. § 47-8-1)
• Oregon (Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.100)

Did you know? Not all states have laws requiring tenants to accommodate landlords who need to show the property. Several states, like West Virginia, don’t have any laws mandating showings. Generally, tenants can refuse a landlord’s request to show the property when their local law or rental contract doesn’t specifically require it.

5. How often can a landlord inspect a rental property?

No state laws specify how often a landlord can conduct inspections or cap the number of inspections they can schedule. In most cases, landlords can inspect a rental property at will. However, landlords can’t conduct inspections in a way that harasses the tenant or is unreasonable. For example, property owners can’t schedule inspections once a week for the duration of the tenancy, or at three in the morning.

6. How much notice does a landlord have to provide before entering?

Each state sets its own notice requirements, which usually include:

• The amount of advance warning property owners have to give tenants before entering.
• The form of notice (such as written, oral, or electronic).

For example, New Mexico mandates 24 hours’ written notice (N.M. Stat. § 47-8-24), while Delaware requires landlords to give tenants 48 hours’ written notice (Del. Code tit. 25, § 5509).

Other states, such as Florida (Fla. Stat. § 83.53) and Minnesota (Minn. Stat. § 504B.211), require “reasonable” notice but don’t specify the amount of time or how landlords must notify tenants. A few states, such as Arkansas, Georgia, and Louisiana, don’t outline any specific rules.

To help you understand the landlord’s right to entry policy in your area, here’s a helpful breakdown of the notice requirement laws in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.

State	Amount of Notice	Form of Notice
Alabama	2 days	None specified (Ala. Code § 35-9A-303)
Alaska	24 hours	None specified (AS § 34.03.140)
Arizona	2 days	None specified (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1343)
Arkansas	None	Not applicable
California	Reasonable notice (usually 24 hours)	Written (Cal. Civ. Code § 1954)
Colorado	24 hours (only related to inspection and treatment of bed bugs)	Written (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-503)
Connecticut	Reasonable Notice	Written or Oral (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-16)
Delaware	48 hours	Written (Del. Code tit. 25, § 5509)
Florida	Reasonable notice (12 hours for repairs)	None specified (Fla. Stat. § 83.53)
Georgia	None	Not applicable
Hawaii	2 days	None specified (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-53)
Idaho	None	Not applicable
Illinois	None	Not applicable
Indiana	Reasonable notice	Written or Oral (Ind. Code § 32-31-5-6)
Iowa	24 hours	None specified (Iowa Code § 562A.19)
Kansas	Reasonable notice	None specified (Kan. Stat. § 58-2557)
Kentucky	2 days	None specified (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.615)
Louisiana	None	Not applicable
Maine	24 hours	None specified (Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6025)
Maryland	None	Not applicable
Massachusetts	None	Not applicable
Michigan	None	Not applicable
Minnesota	Reasonable notice	None specified (Minn. Stat. § 504B.211)
Mississippi	None	Not applicable
Missouri	None	Not applicable
Montana	24 hours	Email, hand delivery, Certified Mail, or posted on the main entry door (Mont. Code § 70-24-312)
Nebraska	24 hours	None specified (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1423)
Nevada	24 hours	None specified (Nev. Rev. Stat. § 118A.330)
New Hampshire	Reasonable notice (usually 24 hours)	None specified (N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:3)
New Jersey	Reasonable notice (usually 24 hours)	None specified (N.J. Stat. § 5:10-5.1)
New Mexico	24 hours	Written (N.M. Stat. § 47-8-24)
New York	None	Not applicable
North Carolina	None	Not applicable
North Dakota	Reasonable notice (usually 24 hours)	None specified (N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.3)
Ohio	24 hours	None specified (Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.04)
Oklahoma	1 day	None specified (Okla. Stat. tit. 41, § 128)
Oregon	24 hours	None specified (Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.725)
Pennsylvania	None	Not applicable
Rhode Island	2 days	None specified (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-26)
South Carolina	24 hours	None specified (S.C. Code § 27-40-530)
South Dakota	None	Not applicable
Tennessee	None	None specified
Texas	None	Not applicable
Utah	24 hours (unless the lease agreement has different terms)	None specified (Utah Code § 57-22-4)
Vermont	48 hours	None specified (Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4460)
Virginia	72 hours	None specified (Va. Code § 55.1-1229)
Washington	2 days	Written (unless emergency or impractical) (Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.150)
Washington, D.C.	48 hours (unless the tenant agrees to a shorter period)	Written (D.C. Code § 42-3505.51)
West Virginia	None	Not applicable
Wisconsin	12 hours	None specified (Wis. Stat. § 704.05)
Wyoming	None	Not applicable

Pro tip: If your local laws and lease agreement are silent, it’s best practice to give tenants at least 24 hours’ advance notice, unless it’s an emergency.

7. Can a landlord enter without notice?

In most places, a landlord can’t enter a rental property without notice. The only exception is when they need to address an emergency. If a landlord shows up at the property without giving the tenant prior notice, tenants can usually refuse entry and ask the landlord to schedule a more convenient time.

8. Can a tenant refuse entry to a landlord?

Tenants can refuse entry if their landlord’s request is unreasonable. As mentioned, renters don’t have to let property owners in during the middle of the night. If a tenant refuses, landlords generally have to accept it. If they attempt to enter the property after a tenant denied their request, the law treats it as a criminal trespass. In these cases, tenants have the right to call the police.

It’s rare for the law to allow landlords to enter a rental property if the tenant objects, and it would typically require an emergency or a court order.

9. What happens if a tenant illegally refuses entry to a landlord?

When tenants are unreasonable and don’t allow landlords to enter the property, it’s typically considered a lease violation. When this happens, landlords can often evict tenants who refuse their entry. After the property owner serves them a notice of the lease violation, tenants can usually fix the issue and avoid eviction by allowing the landlord to access.

However, some states have laws that outline specific penalties for tenants who don’t allow landlords’ lawful entry to the property. Here are a few examples:

Alaska: Landlords can sue tenants to obtain access or to terminate the lease. They can also recover monetary damages of up to 1 month’s rent or the actual damages, whichever is greater (AS § 34.03.300).

Nevada: Property owners can get injunctive relief to force access, terminate the rental agreement, or recover actual damages (Nev. Rev. Stat. § 118A.500).

10. Can a tenant change the locks without permission?

Yes, renters can usually change their own locks without the property owner’s permission. Most states don’t have laws forbidding this, but some do, such as Arkansas (Ark. Code § 18-17-602). In states that don’t prohibit this, landlords can change their locks if the following conditions apply:

1. The lease is silent on lock changes: If the lease restricts lock changes, tenants can’t change them, even if state law usually allows it.

2. The lock change can’t cause any permanent damage to the property: Tenants have to be able to reverse the change. Otherwise, it’s considered property damage, and they could be liable.

3. Landlords must not experience a reduction in their right to access the rental property: Tenants must give landlords the new entry methods, such as the code to an electronic lock or a copy of the new key. If tenants change the locks and the landlord no longer has access, they could initiate eviction proceedings.

11. What can a tenant do if the landlord enters without permission?

In most cases, tenants can sue landlords who enter the property without permission. They can either seek an injunction restraining the landlord from reentering illegally or recover actual damages and attorney’s fees. For example, Arizona law allows tenants to recover at least 1 month’s rent for each illegal landlord entry (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1376).

If the situation has escalated to landlord harassment, tenants may be able to break their lease without penalty.

Sample Access Policy 

To clarify a landlord’s right to entry, consider adding this access policy clause to your lease agreement. You can also use it as a separate agreement outside of the main rental contract.

ACCESS POLICY

The Landlord reserves the right to enter parts of the rental property under the Tenant’s control. These are the only valid purposes for the Landlord to enter:

• Property work (including decorations and improvements)

• Inspections for compliance under the law and the lease

• Property showings

• Emergencies

The Landlord agrees not to disturb the Tenant’s quiet enjoyment of the rental property. Before any entry, the Landlord will provide at least 24 hours of advance notice to the Tenant, unless there’s an emergency. Any form of actual notice in advance is valid. Notice must specify the purpose and approximate time of entry.

Entry must take place during business hours (weekdays, 8 AM-6 PM), unless the tenant provides written permission. The person entering must announce entry to anyone inside, and, if asked, provide identification and their purpose for entry.

The Tenant may refuse consent to enter, but only with reasonable justification. When the Landlord receives a repair request from the Tenant, the Landlord has seven days’ implied notice and consent to enter for the repair.

Offending parties are liable for each violation of this access policy. Liability is either actual damages or $250 liquidated damages per violation. The non-offending party chooses which measure to use for damages. The parties also may use injunctions to enforce this access policy. 

If a court finds that the Landlord has abused access to the premises in bad faith, or to harm or harass the Tenant, the Tenant may terminate the rental agreement immediately with no penalty.

This policy is subject to applicable laws. A court’s ruling on any part of this policy doesn’t affect the validity of the rest of it.

We recommend speaking with a trusted legal professional before signing contracts or modifying the lease.

Improve Tenant Communication with Property Management Software

Good communication is the first step to a positive landlord-tenant relationship. As a best practice, landlords can use property management software to stay in touch with tenants.

Most digital platforms make it quick and easy to message tenants online, including sending electronic entry and inspection notices or repair updates. It also creates a clear log of all communications, which you can use to defend yourself if a dispute arises.

These online landlord tools can help you protect your investment, comply with state laws, and keep your rental business running smoothly.