Question: Does a landlord have a right to inspect a tenant’s apartment?
Answer: Yes. A landlord has the right to enter an apartment for the purpose of an inspection. No specific notice for such an inspection is required, but a landlord must give “reasonable notice.” I recommend that landlords always provide at least one days notice before such an inspection.
A landlord almost certainty has the right to designate an agent to do this inspection in his or her place: a landlord can likely ask a property management service, real estate broker, or attorney to perform an inspection for them. A good argument could be made by a tenant that there are limits to this: a landlord probably could not allow any random person to enter the apartment on the landlord’s behalf.
Implicit with this right to inspect is a proper time and place for doing so: for example, a landlord who tries to do an inspection in the middle of the night (without a good reason for doing so) would likely be disfavored by the court. Similarly, a landlord’s repeated request to inspect an apartment could be seen as harassment, and proper grounds for a tenant’s objection.
If you are a landlord or tenant in need of assistance with this matter, contact me for a consultation.