Can a Landlord Enter Without Notice in California? The 24-Hour Rule

Can a landlord enter without notice in California? Only in a handful of situations. Civil Code section 1954 lists the reasons a landlord may come into your unit and requires reasonable written notice for most of them. The rule works in both directions: a tenant who refuses a lawful entry can face an at-fault eviction under California’s just cause law.

When can a landlord enter in California?

Section 1954(a) says a landlord may enter the dwelling unit “only” in these cases:

• An emergency.
• To make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations or improvements, or to supply necessary or agreed services.
• To show the unit to prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workers or contractors.
• To do the pre-move-out initial inspection a tenant can request under Civil Code 1950.5(f).
• After the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit.
• Under a court order.
• For waterbed inspections under Civil Code 1954.201 and following sections.
• For the balcony inspections added by SB 721 in 2018.

A visit that fits none of these categories is not on the list. The statute has no general “check on the place” purpose.

The 24-hour notice rule: what the notice has to say

Under section 1954(d)(1), the landlord must give reasonable notice in writing. The notice must include three things: the date, the approximate time and the purpose of the entry. The statute lets the landlord deliver it in any of these ways:

• handing it to the tenant;
• leaving it with someone of suitable age and discretion at the unit;
• leaving it on, near or under the usual entry door where a reasonable person would find it; or
• mailing it.

Twenty-four hours is presumed reasonable notice. A mailed notice is presumed reasonable if it goes in the mail at least six days before the entry. Both presumptions apply “in the absence of evidence to the contrary,” so they are starting points rather than fixed guarantees for either side.

Normal business hours and the no-harassment rule

Section 1954(b) limits entry to normal business hours, except in an emergency or after the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit. A tenant can agree to an entry outside those hours, but the statute says that consent is given “at the time of entry.” The code does not define “normal business hours,” so an evening or weekend visit is a gray area unless you agree to it when the landlord arrives.

Section 1954(c) adds a separate limit: the landlord “may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant.” Proper notice does not cure a pattern of entries that serves no listed purpose. Repeated, unnecessary visits can cross that line even when each one comes with a note on the door.

When no notice is required

Section 1954(e) lists three situations where the landlord needs no notice at all:

1. To respond to an emergency.
2. When the tenant is present and consents to the entry at the time.
3. After the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit.

A tenant who happens to be home can still say no to an unannounced visit. The exception covers a tenant who is present and agrees.

Showing the unit to buyers: the 120-day oral notice rule

When the purpose is to show the unit to prospective or actual purchasers, section 1954(d)(2) allows oral notice, in person or by phone. That only works if the landlord or agent told the tenant in writing, within 120 days of the oral notice, that the property is for sale and that they may contact the tenant orally to arrange showings. Twenty-four hours is still presumed reasonable, the oral notice still has to give the date, approximate time and purpose, and the landlord or agent must leave written evidence of the entry inside the unit.

Say the landlord hands you a written for-sale notice on February 1, 2027. Oral notices given through June 1, 2027 fall within the 120-day window. After that, a new written for-sale notice is needed before phone calls count as notice again. Showings to prospective tenants are not covered by this oral option, so those still need written notice under (d)(1). The guide to a landlord selling the house you rent covers the rest of what changes when your home goes on the market.

Repairs you agree to: the one-week oral agreement

Section 1954(d)(3) lets a tenant and landlord agree orally to an entry to make agreed repairs or supply agreed services. The agreement must include the date and approximate time, and the entry must happen within one week of the agreement. In that case no written notice is required. If you tell the landlord on a Monday that the plumber can come Thursday afternoon, that conversation is the notice.

What happens if a tenant refuses a lawful entry?

Landlords have enforceable rights here too. For tenancies covered by Civil Code 1946.2, a tenant’s refusal to allow an entry authorized by section 1954 is an at-fault just cause for ending the tenancy under 1946.2(b)(1)(H). A tenant who objects to a specific time is usually better off proposing another time in writing than refusing outright, because a properly noticed entry for a listed purpose is one the law allows.

What to do if a landlord keeps entering without notice

Section 1954 sets the rules but does not itself list a dollar amount of damages. Practical steps tend to look like this:

• Document each entry. Write down the date, time, who entered, whether any notice was given and what it said. Keep the notices themselves and any texts or emails.
• Object in writing. Send a short letter or email citing section 1954 and asking for written notice stating the date, approximate time and purpose before future entries. Keep a copy.
• Check your city. Cities with rent boards or housing departments, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, may take complaints or have local anti-harassment rules that add to state law.
• Consider small claims for real losses. If entries caused a concrete loss, such as damaged or missing property, small claims court handles claims up to $12,500 for an individual without a lawyer.

Questions people ask

Can my landlord enter when I’m not home?

Yes, if the landlord gave proper notice for a purpose listed in section 1954(a) and enters during normal business hours. The statute does not require the tenant to be present.

Does a text message count as written notice?

Section 1954(d)(1) describes hand delivery, leaving the notice with a suitable person at the unit, leaving it at the entry door, or mail. Texts and email are not on that list. If you are fine with texts, say so in writing so there is no later dispute.

Can a landlord do a routine inspection?

The listed purposes include necessary or agreed repairs and services, the tenant-requested pre-move-out inspection under 1950.5(f), and waterbed and balcony inspections. An inspection tied to none of those purposes does not appear in the statute.

How much notice is needed to show the apartment to new renters?

Written notice under section 1954(d)(1), with 24 hours presumed reasonable. The oral-notice option in (d)(2) applies only to showings for purchasers.

Related California renter guides

• California just cause eviction rules
• Landlord selling the house you rent: notice and your rights
• California security deposit law and the pre-move-out inspection
• Printable California tenant rights checklist
• How small claims court works in California

This page explains what the cited California law says. It is not legal advice. Last verified September 28, 2026.