Notice of entry

Many states set a minimum notice, often 24 to 48 hours, with an exception for emergencies. Check your state’s rule and your lease, and tell the tenant the day, the time and who is coming.

California Civil Code section 1954 presumes 24 hours of written notice to be reasonable, and allows entry without notice in an emergency. Florida Statutes section 83.53 requires at least 24 hours’ notice before entering to make repairs, between 7:30 AM and 8:00 PM local time. Other states set different times or only say the notice must be reasonable, and many leases add their own terms.

An example

A technician needs to repair ceiling drywall in an occupied unit. On Wednesday morning the tenant gets a text: Lee, the technician, will enter unit 2 on Thursday at 9:00 AM ET, and the tenant doesn’t need to be home. The tenant replies that the cat will be in the bedroom, and the note goes to Lee.

What a good notice says

• The day and the time window
• Who is coming, by name or company
• What the work is
• Whether the tenant needs to be home, and how to reach you with questions

How Now Ours handles it

Ours books visits with tenants and vendors or technicians, in your company’s name, and every message is recorded on the case with who it went to and when. How much notice to give is your rule, set for your state. This is general information, not legal advice.