A tenant enjoys reasonable privacy, peace and comfort at a rented property. A landlord has the right to inspect the property but doesn’t have the right to infringe on the privacy of the tenant. Adhering to this larger legal requisite, landlords or property managers must provide sufficient notice in writing to the tenant before conducting an inspection. If the notice is furnished and there is a valid reason or purpose, then the tenant must allow the landlord entry and the right to inspect the premises.
Let us first shed some light on when the landlord may and may not, can and cannot enter the property a tenant is occupying. If the tenant permits, then the landlord can enter any time. If the tenant doesn’t permit, the landlord can still enter without consent and without notice only if there is an emergency, some urgent repairs, if the property has been abandoned, if there is a ruling by the Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) and if the safety of the people in the rented property or security of the premises are in question.
There are exceptions in some cases. Urgent repairs or emergency scenarios don’t require any notice as such. If the landlord is trying to get in touch with the tenant, who is unavailable for some reason, then the notice periods are in a grey area. A tenant living abroad or who is not in the city and perhaps travelling may not be reachable so the landlord has the right to conduct scheduled or emergency inspections, repairs and maintenance.
