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Landlord Entry Notice Laws by State
Of the 51 jurisdictions we have verified, 28 set a minimum number of hours of notice before a landlord enters a rented home (1 require 12 hours, 18 require 24 hours, 8 require 48 hours, 1 require 72 hours), 7 require notice without fixing the hours, and 16 have no statewide entry-notice rule, so the lease decides.
Last verified: · Researched and cited by MakeLease · not yet attorney-reviewed
Key takeaways
Many states set a minimum notice period before a landlord may enter a rented home; others only require notice that is reasonable.
Where no statute applies, the lease sets the entry terms, so write them down.
Emergencies are treated differently from repairs, inspections and showings; check your state's exceptions.
Give notice in writing and keep a copy, even where the law allows other methods.
Landlord entry notice, all 50 states and DC
Select a column heading to sort. State names link to that state's page where one is published. "Being verified" means we have not yet cited every rule for that state, so we show its official sources instead of a number.
Minimum notice a landlord must give before entering a rented home, by state, with the statute behind each row.
Reasonable notice and entry at reasonable hours to inspect, repair, supply services or show the unit; no notice needed for an extreme hazard threatening loss of life or severe property damage; access may not be abused or used to harass
No statutory notice period. A lease may permit entry only to inspect, repair or show the unit to a prospective tenant, buyer or mortgagee; the landlord may also enter under court order, if the unit appears abandoned, or in the last 30 days of the tenancy to inspect for deposit damage
Tenant's prior consent required; tenant may not refuse access for repairs or other reasonable functions at a reasonable time after notice adequate under the circumstances; 48 hours' written notice to inspect for bed bugs from an adjacent unit; no consent needed for emergency repairs or with a court order
Notice and tenant consent identifying a time certain, unless impractical; entry only at reasonable hours and in a reasonable manner; consent presumed from failure to object after notice; no notice for emergencies, suspected abandonment, or a reasonable belief of substantial lease violation
No general advance-notice period. Tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent to entry to inspect, repair, supply services or show the unit; landlord may enter without consent in an emergency or when utilities were cut off through no fault of the landlord; access also allowed by court order, after abandonment/surrender, or if the tenant is deceased, incapacitated or incarcerated, and during a tenant absence of more than 7 days (§ 66-28-507(b)). Showings to prospective tenants in the final 30 days require a lease clause and at least 24 hours' notice. No harassing use of access.
An entry-notice rule balances two things: the landlord's need to inspect, repair and show the unit, and the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment of the home. A statute may set how far ahead notice must be given, what hours entry is allowed, which purposes justify entry and what counts as an emergency. The table shows the notice period; each state's page quotes the full rule.
Example, Alabama: Alabama landlords need to give at least two days' notice, which may be a note posted on the tenant's main door, and come only at reasonable times unless there is an emergency or the tenant asked for the repair (Ala. Code § 35-9A-303(c)-(e)). (Ala. Code § 35-9A-303)
States with no entry statute
No statute does not mean entry at will. The lease becomes the main source of the rules, so it should say how much notice you will give, how you will deliver it and when you may enter without notice. Giving the same notice every time makes a dispute far less likely.