Help Can a landlord just walk in?

[peaches573]

My landlord just walks in my house if I dont answer right away. I have been in the shower and come out to 3 men standing in my house. This has happend more than once. isnt there a law that says landlord must give some sort of notice before entering?

[Cranky Tenant]

Try searching all frums for "access"

[HardKnocks]

The law might be very different in Missouri.

What reason do they give for being there, out of curiosity?

[Concourse]

Hey it's the "show me" state. Maybe they just want to take a look.

Seriously, this is a forum for mainly New York tenants (you posted under New York City, by the way). New York has a law on landlord access but in Missouri you need to find out the law. Also look at your lease.

[Iddabiddy35]

Dear Peaches - I would put up a door 'chain' - I have one on my front door and back door in my NYC apartment (everyone has them that I know of). This would then thwart your landlord from entering your apartment as he/she would know you are inside. I do know that my superintendent has the keys to my apartment so that he can enter if there is an emergency (like locating a leak or a broken steam pipe) so our super in our building has keys to most of the tenants' apartments. We tenants were ASKED if we would kindly give a set of keys to our super for emergency reasons and most of us did. Our super also has my phone number and will call me first to see if I'm in or he will leave a message that he had to enter my apartment. But I would put up a door chain on all the doors to your apartment/house immediately.

[peaches573]

im aware that this is a ny site but somethings are
universal. everyone is entitled to privacy and I just wanted to get some general feedback. Ive rented since i was 16 and i have never had a landlord do that so i just wanted to get some opinions thanks to all that gave intelligent feedback. have a good day

<small>[ February 14, 2005, 07:06 PM: Message edited by: peaches573 ]</small>

[Downtown]

Probably some law that the LL must give notice (except in an emergency). It is certainly worth a call to a tenant atty or to the local police to know.
Either way it is a breach of common curtesy. If you have talked to LL and asked that you be called first and he is ignoring....then would have to wonder if he is entering when you are not home. A chain or (better) a sliding bolt on doors will keep him out when you are there (both are legal).

[HardKnocks]

Peaches, some problems are indeed "universal," but state laws are definitely not (I wish our tenant rights were the same as in some other states!). Any advice we'd give you would probably only apply in NYC, which is why we specifically have a "Beyond NY" board and why you were advised to look up your own state laws. No one's response was "unintelligent."

<small>[ February 15, 2005, 09:45 AM: Message edited by: Bleary-eyed tenant ]</small>

[questionten]

If a landlord just walks into your apartment with no notice that is breaking and entering. Next time he does this I would firmly tell him that he is not to enter your apartment unless it's an emergency or without prior notice (at least 24 hours) and If he does it again you will call the police.

[Phil Cohen]

You've come to the wrong place. Plenty of Missouri tenant resources on the net. This is not one of them.

Put this in google: Missouri "landlord tenant"
Be sure to put quote marks around "landlord tenant"