When Can the Landlord Enter Your Rental?

You have been away for awhile and you notice that someone has entered your apartment without so much as a notice, uh oh!  Your apartment is not open to maintenance or apartment management to go and come as they wish after the lease contract has been signed.  However, there are those who might think otherwise.  This is why you have to do your part to ensure your rights are not violated.

A woman told me she was leaving her current dwelling because the landlord thought it was okay to visit her apartment while she was working.  She believed the owner was looking to get her in trouble even though she was a U.S. citizen.  She wasn't harboring any fugitives and wasn't doing anything to break the law, so why the invasion of privacy?  She also noticed strange holes in her wall as if someone was behind it looking in at her.  She covered those halls and lodged a complaint with her landlord who she suspects was behind the holes.  In her situation, I recommended security cameras, notifying neighbors of someone possibly entering her apartment in her absence, and filing a report with the police.

So when should the landlord and maintenance enter your apartment?  Check your lease contract and other paperwork you may have signed.  They are suppose to call first and possibly leave a notice on your door or in your apartment that they have entered your unit while you were away. The staff should only be entering when there is an emergency such as a water leak, damage to the apartment, electrical problem that might potentially lead to a fire, or a wellness check because a relative or friend is concerned about your safety or pet in your absence.  Yet, if reasons are not listed in a contract and there is no notice left behind, you have every right to question why they needed to enter your apartment while you were gone.

A resident was upset to find some items moved around in her apartment, she didn't go in.  She immediately showed up in the leasing office wondering if someone was still in there, she was visibly shaken.  Maintenance had entered her dwelling due to a water leak, but failed to leave a note.  Lucky, no one was in there and she wasn't carrying a weapon.

Simple communication between management and residents can put all at ease and avoid potential problems in the future.  Share your concerns with the corporate office and document anything that looks out of place, suspicious or you notice a consistent pattern of strange things happening in your apartment and put your neighbors on alert.

Nicholl McGuire
Author of What Else Can I Do on the Internet?