What are a landlord’s rights to inspect a rental premises?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What are a landlord’s rights to inspect a rental premises?
I am renting a house through an agency and have been here for 10 months. About 2 months ago, the owners of the house started stopping by unannounced to take pictures and complain about the yard. I notified the rental office and the visits stopped. They have now started mailing nasty letters and claiming that I have only paid partial rent. They have told me they will need to come inside for an inspection before my lease is up. Isn’t this something the rental agency should handle? I have not had any problems until they started coming over. I feel very much like this is a racial issue. What can I do?
Asked on September 2, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Virginia
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
A landlord is allowed to inspect rental property, on reasonable notice (generally held to be at least 24 hours), at reasonable times, and a reasonable number of times. The landlord also clearly could view or take pictures of common areas or the outside of the premises.
If you feel that you are being discriminated against on racial basis--such as by being harassed by repeated inspection requests or inspectins without proper notice or at improper times; enduring frequent complaints; being accused of not paying all your rent when in fact you did; etc.--you should contact your state's civil or equal rights agency; racial discrimination in housing is illegal.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.