While it’s natural to want to check in on your investment property, it’s important to respect your tenants privacy as your property has become their home. As a landlord there are three main instances for which you have the right to enter your rental property: inspections, maintenance, and exterior grounds upkeep.
Inspections
Inspections can be conducted once in any four week period, and tenants need to be given a minimum of 48 hours and a maximum of 14 days notice that an inspection will be taking place. Although the tenant is not required to be present during an inspection they may prefer to be, so it’s a good idea to coordinate a convenient time. Keep in mind that inspections need to take place between 8am and 7pm.
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Maintenance
If repairs or maintenance need to be done inside the home, you must give your tenants at least 24 hours notice, and once again access is limited to between 8am and 7pm. If the maintenance is for non-urgent matters, such as cosmetic improvements, access times must be negotiated with your tenant.
Exterior Grounds
One instance for which you do not need to give advance notice of your presence to your tenant is for exterior access to the property, including upkeep of lawns. Keep in mind however, that while you can access the grounds and exterior, as a landlord this should not be done unreasonably so, as you still need to avoid interfering with the tenant’s quiet enjoyment of their home. To avoid any misunderstandings it’s best practice to make sure that your tenants are aware of why and when you are accessing the grounds.
Exceptions
Finally, there are some exceptions to when you can enter your rental property without notice. Access to the property is allowed in the event of an emergency such as flood or fire, or if a you have a Tenancy Tribunal order that allows entry.
The information contained in this article is exclusively for promotional purposes. It does not in any way constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as the basis for any legal action or contractual dealings. The information is not, and does not attempt to be, a comprehensive account of the relevant law in New Zealand. If you require legal advice you should seek independent legal counsel. myRent.co.nz does not accept any liability that may arise from the use of this information.
