Landlords generally must provide between 12 hours (for Wisconsin) and 6 days (for mailed notice, in California) of advance notice before entering a rental property.
| State | Default Required Notice |
Allowed Notice Types | Possible To Waive Notice Requirements?* |
| Alabama | 2 days | Any actual notice (written posting on main door of residence is preferred) | Yes, for separately posted scheduled services |
| Alaska | 24 hours | Any actual notice | No |
| Arizona | 2 days | Any actual notice | Yes, when addressing a tenant repair request |
| Arkansas | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| California | 24 hours (6 days for mailed notice) | Written notice only (with some special exceptions) | No |
| Colorado | “Reasonable” notice (48 hours in specific cases) | Usually written, depends on entry purpose | Yes |
| Connecticut | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | No |
| Delaware | 48 hours | Written notice only (but actual notice may count in court situations) | Yes, in a separate written agreement before the start of the tenancy |
| Florida | 24 hours for repairs, “reasonable” notice otherwise | Any actual notice | No |
| Georgia | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Hawaii | 2 days | Any actual notice | No |
| Idaho | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Illinois | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Indiana | 24 hours | Any actual notice | No |
| Iowa | 24 hours | Any actual notice | No |
| Kansas | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | No |
| Kentucky
(KY-URLTA communities only) |
2 days | Any actual notice (written only, if billing for non-compliance) | No |
| Louisiana | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Maine | 24 hours | Any actual notice | No |
| Maryland | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Massachusetts | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | No |
| Michigan | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Minnesota | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes, if it’s not a condition for entering or maintaining the lease |
| Mississippi | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Missouri | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Montana | 24 hours | Any actual notice | No |
| Nebraska | 24 hours | Any actual notice | No |
| Nevada | 24 hours | Any actual notice | Yes, in an explicit waiver covering a single entry only |
| New Hampshire | “Reasonable” notice generally (48 hours in some specific cases) | Actual notice in general, written only for some specific cases | No |
| New Jersey | 1 day | Any actual notice | Yes |
| New Mexico | 24 hours | Any actual notice | No |
| New York | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes, by agreement in the lease or other contract |
| North Carolina | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| North Dakota | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice (written posting in/on residence is preferred) | Yes |
| Ohio | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | No |
| Oklahoma | 1 day | Any actual notice | No |
| Oregon | 24 hours | Any actual notice | Yes, with detailed requirements dependent on purpose |
| Pennsylvania | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Rhode Island | 2 days | Any actual notice | No |
| South Carolina | 24 hours | Any actual notice | No full waiver for notice, but some partial waivers available |
| South Dakota | 24 hours (by custom, not strict legal requirement) | Any actual notice | Yes, but disfavored by law enforcement |
| Tennessee
(TN-URLTA counties only) |
“Reasonable” notice generally, 24 hours for property showings | Any actual notice | No |
| Texas | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Utah | 24 hours (but tenants can’t sue if landlord fails to provide adequate notice) | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Vermont | 48 hours | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Virginia | 72 hours | Any actual notice | Yes, when addressing a tenant repair request |
| Washington | 2 days (1 day for property showings) | Written notice only | No |
| Washington DC | 48 hours | Written notice only (incl. text and email, provided that the tenant replies to the notice) | Yes, but only in writing |
| West Virginia | “Reasonable” notice | Any actual notice | Yes |
| Wisconsin | 12 hours | Written notice only, personally delivered to the tenant if possible | Yes, but only if written in a special lease addendum |
| Wyoming | “Reasonable” notice | Any | Yes |
Laws about advance notice usually apply regardless of the lease. In most cases, rental agreements can only extend rather than reduce minimum notice. There are rare exceptions. Delaware, for instance, honors most written agreements about notice.
Proper notice for a valid purpose does not give automatic consent to enter in most cases. Consent requirements are a separate issue.
When the Clock Starts for Advance Notice
The clock on an advance notice period starts when notice is received, not when sent.
Sometimes this is easy to determine. Verbal notice counts as received the moment it’s heard by the tenant. Written notice, by contrast, needs proof of delivery to a place the tenant could be reasonably aware of it.
Certified mail starts the notice clock as soon as delivered, for example. Likewise, posting a written notice on or near the tenant’s front door will start the clock in most states.
Regular mail and electronic formats like text and email do not automatically start the clock. The landlord must prove the tenant’s awareness of delivery. For example, a response or a read receipt for a text would prove the tenant opened the message.
Actual Notice
Most state entry laws only require the landlord to prove actual notice of a future entry. It just means any action that results in the tenant actually knowing about the landlord’s intent to enter.
Actual notice usually counts even when the legal notice requirements weren’t strictly followed. For example, if a landlord mails notice to a tenant, it’s often difficult to prove the tenant actually received the letter at a specific time. However, if the tenant mentions the notice in a later conversation with the landlord, this will prove actual notice from at least that point.
When There Isn’t an Entry Law
When there’s no state law about advance notice before entry, the lease usually sets the rules. If the lease isn’t specific, the landlord will have to enter in a “reasonable” time, place, and manner. What’s reasonable depends on local customs and the case-by-case facts.
In a state with no entry law, the landlord doesn’t have to give advance notice before entry. However, it’s reasonable for a tenant to refuse an inconvenient no-notice entry request. Landlords must often provide reasonable advance notice to avoid rescheduling, even when there’s no state entry law.
Exceptions to Advance Notice Requirements
Certain exceptions can suspend or modify the usual landlord entry notice requirements. The main exceptions are emergency, constructive notice, extended absence, and court order.
Emergency
An emergency situation removes advance notice requirements in all states. It’s reasonable for a landlord to focus on immediate safety over advance notice.
Constructive Notice
Constructive notice is when the law presumes notice due to specifics about a situation. This happens most often when a tenant requests or requires certain services. For example, New Mexico landlords can enter without advance notice to do repairs the tenant requested within the last seven days.
Extended Absence
The tenant’s extended absence may trigger reduced notice requirements. Rhode Island, for instance, suspends advance notice for an entry after the tenant is absent for a week. Suspended requirements for absence last until the tenant returns.
Court Order
A court order overrides all legal requirements for notice, purpose, and so on. It’s always lawful for a landlord to follow the exact terms of a court order.
