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Write my entry letterHow much notice must a landlord give before entering?
It depends entirely on your state, and the answer is not the 24 hours most websites report. It ranges from 12 hours to 72 — and in thirteen states there is no rule at all. Every figure below was read out of the statute itself.
13 states set no notice requirement before entry
Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia impose no notice requirement on landlords. That is well over a hundred million people, and most sites answering this question for those states are describing a rule that does not exist.
Absent means no notice period, not no law at all — several of these states still bar a lockout or require your consent to enter. Each page says which, and points to whatever protection does exist: a city ordinance, a lockout statute, or your lease.
Every state, side by side
Pick your state for the statute, the permitted hours, the emergency exception, and what the law lets you do about a violation.
| State | Notice required |
|---|---|
| Alabama entry law | 2 days — but only your lease can enforce it |
| Alaska entry law | 24 hours — and your consent |
| Arizona entry law | 2 days — not 24 hours |
| Arkansas entry law | No landlord duty — and the broadest entry rights in the country |
| California entry law | 24 hours in writing (6 days if mailed) |
| Colorado entry law | No general rule — 48 hours for bed bugs only |
| Connecticut entry law | Consent required — the notice rule has no fixed period |
| Delaware entry law | 48 hours |
| District of Columbia entry law | 48 hours, in writing |
| Florida entry law | 24 hours — for repairs only |
| Georgia entry law | No statute |
| Hawaii entry law | 2 days |
| Idaho entry law | No statute |
| Illinois entry law | No statewide statute |
| Indiana entry law | Not yet verified |
| Iowa entry law | 24 hours |
| Kansas entry law | “Reasonable notice” with no number attached |
| Kentucky entry law | 2 days — in the cities and counties that adopted the Act |
| Louisiana entry law | No notice requirement |
| Maine entry law | 24 hours (presumed reasonable) |
| Maryland entry law | No statute |
| Massachusetts entry law | No notice period — but a closed list of reasons |
| Michigan entry law | No notice statute |
| Minnesota entry law | 24 hours |
| Mississippi entry law | No statute |
| Missouri entry law | No statute |
| Montana entry law | 24 hours |
| Nebraska entry law | 24 hours, in writing |
| Nevada entry law | 24 hours |
| New Hampshire entry law | Prior consent required — notice is not enough |
| New Jersey entry law | No notice statute — but consent is required |
| New Mexico entry law | 24 hours, in writing, with specifics |
| New York entry law | No statewide statute |
| North Carolina entry law | No statute |
| North Dakota entry law | A rule with no time period and no penalty |
| Ohio entry law | 24 hours (presumed reasonable) |
| Oklahoma entry law | 1 day |
| Oregon entry law | 24 hours |
| Pennsylvania entry law | No statute |
| Rhode Island entry law | 2 days — not 24 hours |
| South Carolina entry law | 24 hours |
| South Dakota entry law | 24 hours written — with four required contents, and no penalty |
| Tennessee entry law | Consent required; no general notice period |
| Texas entry law | No statute — Texas does not regulate landlord entry |
| Utah entry law | 24 hours — unless your lease says otherwise |
| Vermont entry law | 48 hours |
| Virginia entry law | 72 hours for routine maintenance |
| Washington entry law | 2 days (1 day to show the unit) |
| West Virginia entry law | No statute |
| Wisconsin entry law | 12 hours — the shortest in the country |
| Wyoming entry law | No landlord duty — the access rule restricts the tenant |
Three different questions, depending on where you live
Most states ask whether your landlord gave the required notice. But New Hampshire, Connecticut and Tennessee ask whether you consented — in those states a landlord who gave 24 hours' warning and walked in over your objection has still broken the law. And Massachusetts sets no notice period at all, asking instead whether the entry was for a purpose the law permits. If a website gives you the same answer for all three, it is not reading the statutes.
Where this stands today
We researched all 51 jurisdictions. In 29 the law supports a written demand. In 13 there is no entry statute at all, and in 7 more there is a rule with nothing to enforce it. 2 are still open, and we say so on those pages rather than guessing.
We write letters for the 29 states where the law supports one, and we say plainly why we won't for the rest — that page is still worth reading, because it tells you what your landlord actually owes you and what you can do about it.
Write my entry letterEvery statute on these pages was read against the text the legislature, council or compilation commission publishes — last verified August 26, 2026. General information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm. Local ordinances may give you rights your state statute does not.