Imagine that you come home from work and you just want to relax after a long day. But when you get home, your apartment door is open and someone is already inside. It’s your landlord, they entered your apartment unannounced.
Or, perhaps you got home and thought it looked as if items had been moved around in your apartment. It just wasn’t quite the same as when you left. You asked your landlord, and they later told you that they needed to do some things in your apartment while you were at work, so they went in without informing you.
Either way, it feels like an invasion of your privacy. Can your landlord do this?
Emergency situations
As a general rule, the answer is no. This is your private space and your landlord can’t enter without your permission. They may argue that they technically own the property, and that is true. But you signed the lease, so you have a contractual agreement stating that this is your space – and your expectation of privacy still remains.
That said, if there is an emergency, then your landlord may be able to enter without your permission. For example, say that a pipe burst in your apartment and it is flooding the other units below yours. Your landlord may be able to enter your apartment and make emergency repairs, even though they don’t have time to ask your permission. The water damage is getting worse every second, so they have to act quickly.
Relationships between landlords and tenants can get complicated, and it’s crucial for all involved to understand the law and their legal options.
