- A landlord may enter only for reasons the law allows.
- Reasonable written notice is required for most entries, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable.
- Emergencies are one exception to the notice rule.
- A lease cannot waive these rights, and entry cannot be used to harass you.
Your landlord owns the building, but the apartment is your home. California law balances those two facts with a specific set of rules about when a landlord can come in, how much notice they must give and what they can do once inside.
Here is how those rules work, with the code sections so you can check them yourself. This is general information, not legal advice for your situation.
The short answer
In most cases, no. A California landlord may enter your unit only for reasons the law allows, and usually only after giving reasonable written notice. Twenty four hours of notice is presumed reasonable (Civil Code section 1954).
These rules apply even if your lease says otherwise. A lease clause that asks a tenant to give up the entry protections in Civil Code section 1954 is void (Civil Code section 1953).
When a landlord is allowed to enter
Civil Code section 1954 lists the reasons a landlord may enter a rental unit:
- In an emergency
- To make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations or improvements, or to supply necessary or agreed services
- To show the unit to prospective or actual buyers, lenders, tenants, workers or contractors
- To do the pre move out inspection a tenant can request under the security deposit law
- When the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit
- Under a court order
- For a few other specific purposes set by other state laws
A landlord who simply wants to check on you, look around or see how you live is not on that list.
What proper notice looks like
For most entries, the landlord must give reasonable written notice that includes the date, the approximate time and the purpose of the entry. The notice can be handed to you, left with someone of suitable age and discretion at your home, or left on, near or under your usual entry door where a reasonable person would find it. If the notice is mailed, mailing it at least six days before the entry is presumed reasonable (Civil Code section 1954 (d)(1)).
Timing matters too. Except in an emergency or when the unit has been abandoned, entry has to happen during normal business hours, unless you agree to a different time when the landlord arrives (Civil Code section 1954 (b)).
When no written notice is needed
The law has a few exceptions to the written notice rule:
- Emergencies. No notice is required to respond to an emergency.
- You are home and say yes. No notice is required if you are present and agree to the entry at that time.
- Abandonment. No notice is required after a tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit.
- Agreed repairs. You and the landlord can agree orally to an entry for agreed repairs or services. The agreement must include the date and approximate time, and the entry must happen within one week of the agreement.
- Showing to buyers. If the property is for sale and the landlord told you so in writing within the last 120 days, notice of a showing can be given in person or by phone, with 24 hours presumed reasonable. The notice still has to give the date, approximate time and purpose, and the landlord must leave written evidence of the entry inside the unit.
The statute does not define "emergency." Situations like a burst pipe, smoke or a gas smell are what most people have in mind. A routine repair visit is normally handled with notice.
Harassment and repeated entries
Even when a landlord has a valid reason, the law says the landlord may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant (Civil Code section 1954 (c)). Showing up again and again on thin excuses, entering when you are not home without notice or using entries to pressure you can cross that line.
California also makes it unlawful for a landlord to commit a significant and intentional violation of the entry rules for the purpose of pressuring a tenant to move out. A tenant who wins a case under that law, including in small claims court, can be awarded a civil penalty of up to $2,000 for each violation (Civil Code section 1940.2).
What to do if your landlord keeps coming in
- Write it down. Keep a log of every entry: the date, time, who came in, whether you got notice and what they said the reason was.
- Save the notices. Keep every written notice, text and email, and photograph any notice left on your door.
- Put your objection in writing. Send a short, polite message asking the landlord to follow Civil Code section 1954 and give written notice before future entries, and keep a copy.
- Do not block a lawful entry. If the landlord gives proper notice for a valid reason, refusing entry can cause problems with your tenancy. Raise concerns in writing instead.
- Get advice if entries continue or feel like harassment.
The California Attorney General's landlord tenant page collects official guides on renters' rights in California.
Entry at the end of your tenancy
When your tenancy is ending, you can ask the landlord for an initial inspection before you move out, so you have a chance to fix problems and avoid deductions from your deposit. The landlord must tell you in writing about that option, the inspection can happen no earlier than two weeks before the tenancy ends, and the landlord must give at least 48 hours of written notice of its date and time unless you both sign a waiver (Civil Code section 1950.5 (f)).
Our security deposit guide explains the rest of the move out rules, and our tenant rights page explains how a free, confidential case review works.