Q: I have received a total of 5 notices to enter in the past two months. It feels a bit excessive. What are my rights?
I have been renting my apartment for two years. In August, a new property management company was hired and they did an inspection on August 1st. In the past two months, we have received a total of 5 notices to enter (so on average, we get one every other week). The first 4 were to do repairs and the latest is to do another inspection on December 5. I realize that they have a right to enter with proper notice, but this is starting to feel excessive and is interfering with our right to a peaceful and quite enjoyment of the premises. What rights do I have, if any?
A: A landlord has the right to enter to do repairs and to inspect but not the right to enter so frequently as to harass the tenant or interfere with their right to quiet enjoyment of their tenancy. So ultimately this would be a judgment call and while admittedly it may be approaching the impermissible stage, I suspect a Judge would find it lawful given that 4 of the 5 times were to do repairs (something a landlord is legally required to do - and cannot do normally without entering) and an inspection afterwards does not seem unreasonable to me. If they all were for inspections, for example, that might be a different story or if they continue at this rate but right as it stands now, according to your posting, I think you just need to endure the hassle and enjoy the fact that things are getting repaired. If there are further problems, be sure to document everything (keep the any written notices and/or document dates/times of entry, etc.) and review it all with a landlord-tenant attorney. Good luck.
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