As an at will tenant do I have the right to tell my landlord he must ask permission to come into my apartment?

Question

I read somewhere that once you pay your rent the apartment is your apartment for that month. Therefore, you may request, from your landlord, his keys to your apartment and that it is his responsibility to set up a convienent time, when you are home, to enter your apartment to fix things. Right now, our landlord comes and goes as he pleases, but almost always he comes to do any work (which is pretty rare) in the middle of the day, when none of our roommates are home. Recently he has made false accusations regarding another matter and I feel as though his curiosity may get the best of him and I don't trust him to be in our apartment when none of us are there.

Answer 1

This depends on your state and on your lease. Your lease cannot be looser than state laws, but some states don't require any notice to enter. He can enter to make repairs, or to inspect the property. He can check that nothing illegal is being done on the property, or if you are breaking the lease, but that doesn't include going through your belongings.

Regarding your other matter, if your boyfriend is not paying rent, your landlord has every right to tell you he cannot stay with you more than a few nights a month.

Answer 2

This is from the Boston handbook:

Landlord access

Your landlord's right to enter your apartment .

As a tenant you have the right to lawful and exclusive possession of your apartment. Many landlords believe that since they own the property they can enter your apartment whenever they want. This is not true . A landlord that unreasonably enters your apartment may be guilty of criminal trespassing.

Under the law, your lease can include a clause requiring you to provide a landlord with reasonable access to your apartment for the following reasons:

to inspect the apartment
to make repairs
to show the apartment to prospective purchasers, mortgagees, or tenants
In addition to these lease rights, the landlord may enter in accordance with a court order, if the apartment appears to have been abandoned, or, during the last thirty days of the tenancy, to inspect for damages that would be a basis for a deduction from any security deposit paid.. These rights to enter apply even if they are not written in the lease. MGL ch. 186 sec. 15B(1)(a).

Even if there is no lease clause mandating access for landlord repairs, a similar provision is required for all tenancies under the State Sanitary Code where repairs are needed to bring the apartment up to code. The Sanitary Code requires reasonable notice and recommends that access arrangements be made if possible by appointment. 105 C.M.R. 410.810. The Housing Court has interpreted “reasonable notice” to usually be 24 to 48 hours' advance notice, except in cases of emergency.

The Housing Court will often resolve disputes regarding access. A landlord may seek a court order requiring an uncooperative tenant to give access; a tenant may seek an order to keep the landlord from entering the unit without justification, or without reasonable advance notice.

Some leases or written rental agreements require that the tenant provide the landlord with a key to the apartment, or not change the locks without the landlord's permission and/or without giving the landlord a copy of the new key. These provisions are enforceable. However, even if the landlord has a key, reasonable notice should be given to the tenant before entry, and entry should be limited to the reasons stated above.

I would say that if you don't have a lease that prohibits it, change the locks and only give him access when you are there. If it is a true emergency and you are not home, he can break the door down.

Answer 3

The law states that you must be given a twenty four hour notice in writing to the ten tent before you enter the unit for any reason. The only time that a manager can enter without notice if there is a fire, water leak from their unit or another unit.

When I was a manger I would call the person at work and let know that we had a plumbing problem above their unit and the plumber and myself need to enter the unit now. I stayed in the unit until the plumber was through. I never, never, left anybody in their unit when they were not at home.

If you want to have some fun, put up several signs in your apartment 'SMILE YOU ARE ON CAMERA'. That will make him think twice before he goes in without your permission.

Answer 4

In most states a 24-hour notice is required for entry, with the exception of emergency repairs. Note that the repair has to be an emergency, such as a gas or water leak, in order to bypass the 24-hour rule.

He has to keep the key to your apartment.

Answer 5

do no longer hassle contacting a legal expert. that is not any longer a legal difficulty. they do no longer *owe* you a parking spot appropriate via your condominium basically given which you have lived there 19 years and have continuously had the comparable spot. maximum residences are like they describe while it is composed of parking: first come, first served. except you're handicapped and have a placard, and this spot ought to be handicapped reserved, you're out of success. As for them kicking somebody else out of *your* storage, that may not ensue the two. The time to have complained approximately that difficulty develop into 19 years in the past, no longer now.

Answer 6

He should call you before he enters your apartment. But, standard lease also should say the landlord/repairman can enter the apartment to do necessary repairs (with or without you being there).

Answer 7

If the landlord wants in, he needs to give you notice of what day and what time he will be there--and the purpose of his visit.

The only exception to this would be if you had a water or gas leak, a fire, etc.

Answer 8

No, you can't ask for his keys...he needs them in case there is an emergency to get into your place.
You do, however, have a right to reasonable privacy in your place.
Check with the fair housing office in your area, any realtor can give you the way to find them.

Answer 9

He doesn't have the right to enter UNLESS you tell him (double check your lease for special provisions). If he refuses to stop doing so, consult an attorney.

Answer 10

usually caretakers are allowed in to fix things or for emergencies.
if he is blatantly disrespecting you and coming and going as he pleases,give notice and go somewhere else.he sounds nasty.