Written by NotALawyer Legal AI · Reviewed by External Legal AI · Published April 26, 2026 · Last reviewed June 26, 2026
In most states, your landlord cannot enter your rental whenever they want. You have a right to "quiet enjoyment." For non-emergency entry, many states require 24 to 48 hours of advance notice, and the landlord can only come at a reasonable time of day.
About half the states set a notice rule by statute, and those that do require advance notice before a landlord enters for inspections, repairs, or showings — typically 24 to 48 hours. A text or email usually counts. Check your state's law for the exact amount.
A landlord can enter without notice during an active emergency: fire, flooding, a gas leak, or a reasonable belief someone inside is hurt. "I wanted to check on the place" is not an emergency.
Even with notice, a landlord generally cannot show up at 6 a.m. or 11 p.m. "Reasonable hours" usually means normal business hours unless you agreed to something else.
If the landlord skipped the required notice, you can decline entry. They can reschedule with notice, but they cannot punish you for refusing or change the locks because you said no.
A landlord who keeps entering without notice can be sued for breach of quiet enjoyment, harassment, or trespass. In some states, repeated violations let a tenant break the lease without penalty.
More on this topic: the Renting hub
This shows how much advance warning a landlord must give before entering your rental for a non-emergency reason such as repairs, inspections, or showings. Each value is cited to the state statute or agency; a state with no sourced figure shows "Not yet sourced."
General information, not legal advice. Rules change and exceptions apply — confirm the current rule with the cited source for your state.
NotALawyer.com provides general legal information, not legal advice.