Do I have to let my Landlord do an "inspection"?

Situation

My Landlord called me up and said he would be over to do an inspection this afternoon.  Do I have to let him in? 

Response

There are a couple of things to consider.  Why is the Landlord coming to do an inspection?  Is there a problem that has been reported?  Is the city requiring him to do an inspection?  Does he just happen to be in town and wants to see the house?  Ask what the purpose of the inspection is.

The Landlord has the right to enter your unit to do a lawful inspection under certain circumstances.  Those might include: to repair a reported problem, to make a legitimate repair or upgrade to the property, or to do a routine inspection (on a limited basis).

Except for an emergency repair, all of these require that the Landlord give you reasonable notice.  This is normally defined as at least 24 hours.  This notice can be verbally (not a message on your phone but a real contact with a real person) or a posted note on the entrance to you home.  If notice is not given 24 hours in advance, it is OK to tell the Landlord that it is NOT OK to enter and do an inspection. 

Inspections should be scheduled during normal working hours of Monday thru Friday from 8-5.  You do not have to allow a Landlord to inspect in the evenings or on the weekends.  You can agree to this but you do not have to.

I suggest that you work with your Landlord to schedule a time that works for both of you.  This is true if a notice is given or not.  You don't have to submit to the inspection.  You can prohibit the inspection.  But you should also know that it is possible that your lease may not be renewed if you decide not to let them do a reasonable inspection.