How 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 | 2 days — but only your lease can enforce it |
| Alaska | 24 hours — and your consent |
| Arizona | 2 days — not 24 hours |
| Arkansas | No landlord duty — and the broadest entry rights in the country |
| California | 24 hours in writing (6 days if mailed) |
| Colorado | No general rule — 48 hours for bed bugs only |
| Connecticut | Consent required — the notice rule has no fixed period |
| Delaware | 48 hours |
| District of Columbia | 48 hours, in writing |
| Florida | 24 hours — for repairs only |
| Georgia | No statute |
| Hawaii | 2 days |
| Idaho | No statute |
| Illinois | No statewide statute |
| Indiana | Not yet verified |
| Iowa | 24 hours |
| Kansas | “Reasonable notice” with no number attached |
| Kentucky | 2 days — in the cities and counties that adopted the Act |
| Louisiana | No notice requirement |
| Maine | 24 hours (presumed reasonable) |
| Maryland | No statute |
| Massachusetts | No notice period — but a closed list of reasons |
| Michigan | No notice statute |
| Minnesota | 24 hours |
| Mississippi | No statute |
| Missouri | No statute |
| Montana | 24 hours |
| Nebraska | 24 hours, in writing |
| Nevada | 24 hours |
| New Hampshire | Prior consent required — notice is not enough |
| New Jersey | No notice statute — but consent is required |
| New Mexico | 24 hours, in writing, with specifics |
| New York | No statewide statute |
| North Carolina | No statute |
| North Dakota | A rule with no time period and no penalty |
| Ohio | 24 hours (presumed reasonable) |
| Oklahoma | 1 day |
| Oregon | 24 hours |
| Pennsylvania | No statute |
| Rhode Island | 2 days — not 24 hours |
| South Carolina | 24 hours |
| South Dakota | 24 hours written — with four required contents, and no penalty |
| Tennessee | Consent required; no general notice period |
| Texas | No statute — Texas does not regulate landlord entry |
| Utah | 24 hours — unless your lease says otherwise |
| Vermont | 48 hours |
| Virginia | 72 hours for routine maintenance |
| Washington | 2 days (1 day to show the unit) |
| West Virginia | No statute |
| Wisconsin | 12 hours — the shortest in the country |
| Wyoming | 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 21, 2026. General information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm. Local ordinances may give you rights your state statute does not.