Notice to Enter Clause
in Your Lease
How this page is sourced
Statutes verified against primary state sources
Every statute cited here was read in its published text before this page went live: on the state's own site where that site can be reached, otherwise on a republished copy of the code. Court decisions are quoted from the published opinion and linked to it, so you can read the original yourself.
Primary sourcesNot legal advice
Content verified against primary state statutes before publicationLast updated: October 2026
What it actually means, what New York law says, what's specific to New York City - and exactly what to do. In plain English.
Quick Summary - What You Need to Know
- HPD rule 28 RCNY 25-101 requires at least 24 hours' notice before a code-compliance inspection.
- Repairs or improvements need at least one week's written notice.
- Access is generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays.
- Our New York record finds no state statute fixing a notice period, only reasonable notice at a reasonable time.
- In a true emergency such as fire, a water leak or a gas leak, no notice is needed.
Step by step
How it plays out
- Inspection noticeAt least 24 hours aheadA code-compliance inspection needs at least 24 hours' notice (28 RCNY 25-101).
- Repair noticeOne week, in writingRepairs or improvements need at least one week's written notice (28 RCNY 25-101).
- The visitWeekday daytime accessAccess is generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays (28 RCNY 25-101).
- An emergencyNo notice neededIn a true emergency such as fire, a water leak or a gas leak, the landlord may enter immediately without notice or your consent.
Count it for your dates
24 hours: when does it end?
What it means: The inspection should come at least 24 hours after the notice, generally between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on a non-holiday weekday. Applies to New York City landlords, for code-compliance inspections; repairs or improvements need at least one week's written notice instead; no notice in a true emergency such as fire, a water leak or a gas leak (28 RCNY 25-101). Calendar arithmetic only; check how the section counts days before you rely on a date.
Copy and send: After an entry or a request to enter came with short notice or outside weekday daytime hours
Ask for proper notice before entry
Fill in the brackets and keep a copy of what you send.
How New York compares
Required entry notice, state by state
12 hrs24 hrs48 hrsNo figureGuide coming soonYou are here
See all 25 cities as a chart
Figures are the state rule, or the stronger city ordinance where one exists. Verify the current law for your own situation before relying on it.
Understanding the Notice to Enter Clause
This page is for New York City renters whose landlord wants to come in, or keeps coming in. The numbers here come from city housing rules, not state law, and they depend on why the landlord is coming: an inspection and a repair job carry different notice.
So the first question to ask is what the visit is for. Keep every notice with the time it reached you, because the gap between that moment and the visit is what you will point to.
What renters assume
New York State law gives every renter 24 hours' notice before any entry.
What is actually true
Our New York record finds no state statute setting a number. The 24 hours comes from a city rule for code-compliance inspections, and repairs need one week's written notice.
Chicago and Seattle renters get a clean 48-hour rule they can point to on paper. New Yorkers get a state standard that says only reasonable, plus city rules that stop at the edge of the five boroughs - which is exactly why your lease language does the heavy lifting here, and why a written 24-hour clause is worth negotiating for.
Entry Notice Clause Example - What the Wording Looks Like in New York City, NY
The sample clause below is real lease language - a court quoted it word for word, and then ruled on it. What the judge decided is at the bottom of this block.
Find the equivalent paragraph in your own lease and read the two side by side. The wording will differ; the moving parts rarely do.
11. Entry of Premises: Landlord reserves the right to enter upon the leased premises at all reasonable hours for the purpose of inspecting the same, or of making repairs, additions or alterations to the building in which the leased premises are located...
Quoted from the published opinion in Eickhoff v. Gelbach, 611 S.W.3d 834 (Mo. Ct. App. W.D. 2020). Judicial opinions are not subject to copyright; the lease language is reproduced in limited part for commentary under 17 U.S.C. § 107.
What the 4 highlighted phrases mean
“Entry of Premises: Landlord reserves the right”
Start with the state position, because it surprises people: our New York record finds no statute fixing an advance-notice period. The Attorney General's guidance is reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time - which is a standard, not a number. The numbers come from the city.
“to enter upon the leased premises”
Here is the first city number. Under HPD's rule 28 RCNY 25-101, implementing Administrative Code § 27-2008, a code-compliance inspection requires at least 24 hours' notice.
“at all reasonable hours for the purpose of inspecting the same”
And here is the second, which is far longer and much less known: repairs or improvements require at least one week's written notice. Access is generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays. A contractor announced yesterday for tomorrow is six days short of the rule.
See the example
“or of making repairs, additions or alterations”
The distinction between the two clocks is exactly the distinction in this phrase. An inspection is looking; repairs, additions and alterations are work - and work is what carries the week's notice. A landlord who calls a week of construction an “inspection” has picked the wrong clock.
The clause was used against the landlord. Because they kept a key and had “reserve[d] the right to enter upon the leased premises at all reasonable hours”, the court held they had reserved the legal right to enter without permission - even though in practice they never did. Read with the clause forbidding the tenants from making their own repairs, that was enough to put the landlord's control of the unit in issue.
How this state's law treats this clause
One court, one lease, one state. That answer is not automatically yours, and your lease may be worded to land differently. Use this to know what to look for and what to ask - your state's tenant hotline or a local tenant attorney can answer it for your document.
New York Law on Notice to Enter Clause
- No advance-notice statute in our record. Our New York record finds no minimum notice before entry.
- Our New York record finds no state statute fixing an advance-notice period; landlords must give reasonable prior notice, at a reasonable time, per Attorney General guidance and lease terms.
- In a true emergency such as fire, a water leak, or a gas leak, the landlord may enter immediately without notice or the tenant's consent.
- New York City does add real requirements: HPD's rule 28 RCNY 25-101, implementing NYC Administrative Code 27-2008, requires at least 24 hours' notice for code-compliance inspections and at least one week's written notice for repairs or improvements, with access generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays.
Verify the current text in your state's landlord-tenant statutes.
New York's entry rules, as our New York record reads them:
- Reasonable notice. Our New York record finds no state statute fixing an advance-notice period. Landlords must give reasonable prior notice, at a reasonable time, per Attorney General guidance and lease terms.
- Emergencies. In a true emergency such as fire, a water leak or a gas leak, the landlord may enter immediately without notice or your consent.
- Your lease. A notice period written into your entry clause gives you a number to point to. Reasonable notice on its own does not.
What counts as reasonable depends on the facts of each visit. If the entry clause says nothing about notice, ask for a written period, such as 24 hours, before you sign rather than after a dispute starts.
What's Specific to New York City
New York City adds real numbers. HPD's rule 28 RCNY 25-101, implementing NYC Administrative Code 27-2008, requires at least 24 hours' notice before a code-compliance inspection and at least one week's written notice before repairs or improvements.
Access is generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays. A crew coming to redo your bathroom is doing repairs or improvements, not an inspection, so a one-day heads-up does not meet the one-week rule.
Check the current text of the rule before you rely on it in a dispute.
A written number gives you a term to point to. Look for at least 24 hours in the entry clause itself.
City rules put access generally at 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays. A fair clause keeps visits inside that window.
Wording like at any time or as needed names no notice period. Ask for a number before you sign.
A line giving consent to entry in advance is written to waive the prior notice the state standard asks for. Ask to strike it.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
-
Entry at any reasonable time
It sounds fair but names no notice period. With no state number in our record, the lease gives you no figure to point to.
-
Blanket advance consent to enter
Agreeing up front to any future entry is written to waive the prior notice the state standard asks for. Ask for it to be struck before signing.
-
Renovations labeled as inspections
Calling repair work an inspection shrinks the lead time. Repairs and improvements need one week's written notice under the city rule, not 24 hours.
-
An emergency the landlord defines
Wording that lets the landlord alone call a visit an emergency stretches a narrow exception. The emergency examples are fire, a water leak and a gas leak.
-
Unlimited showings near lease end
Some leases let brokers show your apartment on demand through the final months. Ask for advance notice and a cap on showings per week.
Your Rights as a New York City Tenant
-
Reasonable notice at a reasonable time
Even with no state number in our record, a non-emergency entry calls for reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time.
-
A day before inspections
At least 24 hours' notice before a code-compliance inspection of your apartment (28 RCNY 25-101).
-
A week before repair work
Repairs or improvements need at least one week's written notice, not a text the night before.
-
Daytime weekday access
Access is generally between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays.
What To Do - Step by Step
Read your entry clause
Search the lease for enter or access. A written notice period is a term you can point to.
Ask what the visit is for
An inspection needs at least 24 hours. Repairs or improvements need at least one week in writing. The reason decides which rule applies.
Keep every notice with its time
Save texts, emails and letters with the time each one reached you.
Log every entry
Note the date, the time, who came in and why. A pattern of unannounced visits says more than one incident.
Object in writing
Send a dated letter, keep a copy, and name 28 RCNY 25-101 and the notice the visit needed.
Report it to 311 and get help
NYC renters can report housing-code problems through 311, which routes them to HPD. Free legal help exists for NYC tenants. Bring your log and lease.
Why renters trust LeaseDecoded
Frequently Asked Questions
Notice to Enter rules near New York
The same clause in the nearest states we cover.
Was this guide helpful?Your answer is anonymous and helps us fix what is unclear.