GOV.UK says a landlord entering a rented property in England has to give the tenant at least 24 hours’ notice and visit at a reasonable time of day, unless an emergency needs immediate access. That is a minimum. It is not a right to come in whenever 24 hours have passed. Section 11(6) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 lets a landlord enter on 24 hours’ written notice to view condition and repair, but How to Rent says neither landlord nor agent may enter without the tenant’s express permission, and GOV.UK’s landlord page speaks of a “legal right to enter”. We read these together as: use the tenancy terms and section 11(6), ask for agreement, and never enter against the tenant’s wishes. None of the sources we read sets a limit on how many inspections a landlord can make.
The short version
- Notice: at least 24 hours, at a reasonable time. The 1985 Act asks for it in writing to view condition and repair.
- Permission: GOV.UK’s How to Rent guide, withdrawn on 1 May 2026, said a landlord or agent was not entitled to enter without the tenant’s express permission.
- Penalties: harassment is an offence, and since 1 May 2026 a council can fine up to £40,000.
What does the law say about a landlord entering a rented home?
GOV.UK lists the tenant’s right to live in the property undisturbed. A landlord has no general right to enter beyond what the tenancy agreement or section 11(6) gives, so check your own agreement.
GOV.UK and the 1985 Act deal with entry:
| Source | What it says | Note |
|---|---|---|
| GOV.UK, private renting | At least 24 hours’ notice, at a reasonable time of day, unless an emergency needs immediate access. Tenants should give access to inspect or repair. | Does not say “in writing” or define an emergency. The withdrawn How to Rent guide added “express permission”. |
| Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11(6) | The landlord, or a person authorised in writing, may enter at reasonable times on 24 hours’ written notice to the occupier, to view the home’s condition and state of repair. | Covers leases within section 11. |
Section 13 applies section 11 to a lease of a home for under seven years, with exceptions in section 14. On our reading that covers an ordinary private tenancy, including a periodic one. Subsection (6) names no purpose other than viewing condition and repair.
A burst pipe or a suspected gas escape would be our examples of an emergency, not GOV.UK’s. GOV.UK does not say what a landlord may then do, so a gas escape is a call to the emergency services, not a reason to force a door. If you go in, tell the tenant at once and note why it could not wait.
So what: send every request in writing, name who is coming (for a section 11(6) viewing, agents and contractors need the landlord’s written authority) and agree a time.
How often can a landlord inspect?
We read GOV.UK’s private renting pages and landlord guide to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, HSE’s gas pages and sections 11 to 14 of the 1985 Act. None sets a maximum number of visits. Limits may come from the tenancy agreement, the right to live undisturbed and the offences below. GOV.UK’s rent repayment order guidance describes harassment as deliberate actions that make living at home difficult and make the tenant likely to leave, and gives entering without permission or repeatedly disturbing the tenant as examples.
So what: give each visit a purpose, keep any inspection schedule in the tenancy agreement and combine visits.
When does entering become harassment or unlawful eviction?
Section 1(3A) of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 makes it an offence for a landlord or an agent to do acts likely to interfere with the occupier’s peace or comfort, or persistently to withhold services the home reasonably needs. The landlord must know, or have reasonable cause to believe, that this is likely to make the occupier leave the whole or part of the home or hold back from a right or remedy. Section 1(3B) is a defence to that offence only: proving reasonable grounds. A court decides on the facts, including what the landlord knew or intended. Using or threatening violence to enter is an offence under section 6 of the Criminal Law Act 1977, even where the landlord has a right to possession, and is also a rent repayment order offence.
| Route | Maximum | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Prosecution, section 1(4) | Magistrates: a fine (on our reading unlimited since the £5,000 cap was lifted in 2015), up to 6 months in prison, or both. Crown Court: a fine, up to 2 years, or both. | In force |
| Council civil penalty, section 1A | Up to £40,000. Government guidance gives £35,000 as a starting point for offences under section 1(2) and (3), not section 1(3A), the subsection most relevant to entry. | In force from 1 May 2026 |
| Rent repayment order (tribunal) | Up to the rent paid in the two years ending with the offence, less universal credit paid for rent. | Two years applies to offences from 1 May 2026 |
What about safety checks, repairs, buyers and council visits?
- Gas: HSE says the tenancy contract should allow access for safety checks and you must not use force. See our gas safety article.
- Electrical: a landlord kept out by the tenant is not treated as failing to take all reasonable steps solely for not going to court (regulation 3(2A) and (2B)). See our EICR article.
- Repairs: deadlines for private landlords to investigate hazards are only proposed, in a consultation open until 18 December 2026. See our Awaab’s Law article.
- Buyers: section 11(6) covers viewing condition and repair, and on our reading not buyers. Our article on selling with a tenant in situ found no official rule, so ask the tenant and agree times in writing.
- Councils: section 239 of the Housing Act 2004 lets officers enter at a reasonable time after 24 hours’ notice. Since 27 December 2025, for assured tenancies the owner need not be told in advance, though they are told afterwards, and the occupier can waive notice. Checks on whether a property is unlicensed, including under Enfield’s selective licensing scheme, need no notice.
What should an access letter say?
- Who is coming, with the agent’s written authority.
- Why: a gas check, a repair or an inspection, and the clause or duty behind it.
- A date and time window well over 24 hours ahead. GOV.UK does not say how notice is counted when posted, so leave a margin.
- An invitation to suggest another time, with contact details.
Can a tenant refuse access, and what can the landlord do?
- Ask why and offer another time.
- Write, explaining the legal requirement and safety reason, and let the tenant book their own appointment (HSE’s steps).
- Leave a notice after each missed attempt and keep every message.
- Do not use force, change locks or withhold services.
- Take advice before a possession claim. Ground 12 (breach of a non-rent obligation) lets a court order possession only if it considers it reasonable (Housing Act 1988, section 7(4)), on at least two weeks’ notice (section 8(4AA)).
What does a gas check with a refusing tenant look like?
This is an illustration. A gas record was completed on 12 January 2026, so the two-month window before the deadline (regulation 36A) opens in mid-November 2026.
| Date (invented) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Mon 2 November 2026 | Letter and email propose Thu 19 November, 9am to 12 noon: 17 days’ notice. |
| Thu 19 November 2026 | The engineer calls and nobody is in. A notice is left with contact details. |
| Mon 23 November 2026 | A letter explains the legal duty and proposes Wed 2 December, 1pm to 4pm: 9 days’ notice. |
| Wed 2 December 2026 | Check done. The tenant’s copy is due within 28 days, by Wed 30 December 2026 (regulation 36(6)). |
For help with access letters, safety checks and inspections, ask about our lettings management or book a free lettings valuation.
Questions readers ask
Can a landlord enter a rented home without permission?
Not as a matter of routine. GOV.UK says a landlord has to give at least 24 hours’ notice and visit at a reasonable time, and its How to Rent guide (withdrawn on 1 May 2026, so treat it with care) said neither a landlord nor a letting agent is entitled to enter without the tenant’s express permission. GOV.UK says the notice rule does not apply when an emergency needs immediate access, but it does not say what a landlord may then do. GOV.UK lists entering without permission, or repeatedly disturbing the tenant, as examples of harassment.
How much notice must a landlord give to enter?
GOV.UK says at least 24 hours. Section 11(6) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 says 24 hours’ notice in writing to the occupier, at reasonable times of the day, to view the home’s condition and state of repair. For a viewing under section 11(6), an agent or contractor needs the landlord’s written authority. A longer notice and an agreed time are safer.
How often can a landlord inspect a rented property?
The sources we read set no maximum number of visits. Limits may come from the tenancy agreement, the tenant’s right to live undisturbed and the harassment offences in the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. GOV.UK’s rent repayment guidance gives repeatedly disturbing a tenant as an example of deliberate harassment, so each visit should have a clear purpose.
What can a landlord do if the tenant refuses access for a gas safety check?
HSE says not to use force. It recommends leaving a notice that you called, writing to explain the check is a legal requirement and for the tenant’s safety, offering the tenant the chance to book their own appointment, and keeping a record of every message. A court decides whether the steps taken were reasonable.
What is the penalty for a landlord harassing a tenant?
Harassment is a criminal offence under section 1 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. Since 1 May 2026 a council can instead impose a civil penalty of up to £40,000. For offences committed from that date a tribunal can also order the landlord to repay up to two years of rent.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Private renting: your rights and responsibilities and Harassment and illegal evictions, read on 17 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, How to Rent, final edition, withdrawn on 1 May 2026.
- GOV.UK, Rent Repayment Orders offences: guidance for tenants, published 7 April 2026.
- GOV.UK, Civil penalties under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, published 13 November 2025.
- GOV.UK, Landlord and agent guide to the HHSRS, updated 16 September 2026, and the Awaab’s Law consultation, published 9 October 2026.
- HSE, Dealing with tenants, read on 17 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Renting out your property, last updated 12 December 2024.
- legislation.gov.uk, read on 17 October 2026: Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 section 11, 13 and 14; Protection from Eviction Act 1977 section 1 and 1A; Criminal Law Act 1977, section 6.
- legislation.gov.uk, read on 17 October 2026: Housing and Planning Act 2016 section 44 and S.I. 2026/421, regulation 11; Housing Act 2004 section 239 and Renters’ Rights Act 2025, section 135; Housing Act 1988 section 7, 8; Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, regulation 3; Gas Safety Regulations 1998, regulation 36 and 36A.
