Imagine that you get home from work one day, and your landlord is in your apartment. You’re shocked to find them there, and you ask what they’re doing in your home.
They counter by saying that it isn’t your home—that they own the property. They believe they have the right to enter at any time, for any reason. But is this actually true just because they are technically the property owner?
You have rights as a tenant
No, your landlord can’t enter your apartment or home for any reason, even though they are the property owner. You have signed a lease to rent that property from them, and you have certain rights under this lease and California state law.
Most importantly, your landlord typically has to give you at least 24 hours’ notice before entering the apartment. This should be done if they want to show it to a prospective tenant, for example. They may also need to come in to make improvements or repairs, which they can do if you have agreed to this in advance.
There are a few rare exceptions where they don’t need to give you advance notice or get your permission. Perhaps there’s an emergency—such as if the landlord notices that the property has caught on fire. Or perhaps the landlord has a court order allowing them to enter the property without your consent.
But in most cases, landlords have to respect the rights that tenants have on that property and cannot infringe upon them. This can sometimes lead to disputes, and both parties need to know what legal options they have as they seek a resolution.