When Can Your Landlord Enter the Property?

Every tenant has an implied legal right to quiet enjoyment of their home. This right is implied into all tenancy agreements by law, regardless of what the contract says. Quiet enjoyment does not mean absence of noise — it means your right to occupy your home peacefully, without interference from your landlord or anyone acting on their behalf.

Your landlord retains ownership of the property, but once a tenancy is granted, you have the right to exclusive possession. The landlord cannot enter without your permission except in limited circumstances. Any clause in a tenancy agreement that purports to allow unrestricted entry rights for the landlord is likely to be unenforceable as an unfair term under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Breaching your right to quiet enjoyment — for example, by turning up unannounced repeatedly, changing the locks, or removing belongings — is a serious matter. It may amount to unlawful harassment under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

Your landlord may enter the property in the following circumstances:

• Repairs and inspections: With at least 24 hours' written notice, at a reasonable time of day. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, landlords have a right to enter to view the condition of the property and carry out repairs — but only with proper notice and at reasonable times.
• Gas safety inspections: Required annually by law. Your landlord can apply to court to gain entry if you unreasonably refuse access for a safety inspection.
• Viewings for sale or re-letting: Only with your consent and reasonable notice. You are within your rights to decline viewings, though many tenancy agreements include a clause permitting them during the notice period.
• Emergencies: If there is an immediate risk to life or serious property damage — for example, a burst pipe or suspected gas leak — the landlord (or a contractor) may enter without notice.

Outside these situations, you are entitled to refuse entry. Simply demanding access or visiting unannounced is not a legal right and you are not obliged to let the landlord in.

If your landlord enters without notice or permission (outside a genuine emergency), keep a record of the date, time, and what happened. Write to your landlord citing your right to quiet enjoyment and stating that any further unauthorised entry is unacceptable.

If unauthorised entry continues, this may constitute harassment under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. Harassment of a residential occupier is a criminal offence. You can report it to your local council's housing enforcement team, contact the police if you feel threatened, or seek an injunction through the civil courts.

Citizens Advice and Shelter can help you draft letters and advise on next steps. If you are considering legal action, keep detailed records of every incident — dates, times, any witnesses, and any written communications from the landlord.

The 24-hour notice requirement has exceptions. A landlord may enter without notice in a genuine emergency — for example, a gas leak, flood, fire, or structural collapse threatening safety. The emergency must be real and immediate; a landlord cannot claim "emergency" to conduct a routine inspection or show the property to prospective tenants.

If you share accommodation with your landlord (you are a lodger, not a tenant), your right to exclude the landlord is more limited. Lodgers do not have the same security of tenure as tenants with an assured shorthold tenancy. However, even lodgers are entitled to reasonable privacy in their own room. If your landlord enters your room without permission when there is no emergency, this may constitute harassment under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, which is a criminal offence carrying a potential fine or imprisonment.