Renters' Rights Act 2025, Phase 1 commencement
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England

England, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Right of Entry

Landlord Right of Entry UK, Access to Rental Property

Landlord guide to accessing rental property in England 2026: the 24-hour notice rule, when emergency access is lawful, what constitutes illegal entry, and how to handle tenant refusals.

7 min readUpdated 14 May 2026Last reviewed: 10 September 2026 by Richard Wood, FounderRight of EntryLandlord AccessSection 11Quiet Enjoyment
Written and reviewed by· Founder, LetSafe UKLast reviewed: 10 September 2026

One of the most common landlord compliance failures is entering a rented property without giving proper notice. A tenant's right to quiet enjoyment of their home is a fundamental legal right, breach of it is a civil wrong (tort of nuisance) and can lead to harassment claims, unlawful eviction allegations, and significant damages awards. This guide sets out exactly when landlords can enter a rental property and how to do it lawfully.

The 24-hour notice rule

Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 gives landlords the right to enter at reasonable times of day to inspect the state of repair, carry out repairs, or allow a gas safety engineer access, but only with at least 24 hours' written notice to the tenant. A landlord who enters without notice is potentially committing the tort of nuisance or harassment.

The legal basis for landlord access

  • Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985: Gives the landlord (or their contractor) the right to enter at reasonable hours with 24 hours' written notice to inspect or carry out repairs
  • Tenancy agreement access clause: Most tenancy agreements include an access clause, but this cannot override the requirement to give notice or restrict the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment
  • Gas safety inspections (annual CP12): The landlord must give 24 hours' written notice and must make at least 3 attempts to access, keep a record of each attempt
  • EICR inspections (every 5 years): Same principle, 24 hours' written notice, documented attempts if the tenant obstructs
  • Inventory checks: Check-in and check-out inventories, 24 hours' written notice; the tenant has the right to be present

When emergency access is lawful

Emergency access without notice is only lawful in genuine emergencies:

  • Gas leak or risk of explosion, where immediate entry is necessary to prevent danger to life or serious property damage
  • Fire, flood, or structural collapse in progress
  • Reasonable belief that the tenant or occupant is in immediate danger and unable to respond
  • Emergency should be documented immediately after access, note the time, the nature of the emergency, who entered, and what action was taken
  • In all other circumstances (even urgent repair requests), give 24 hours' written notice before entering

Quiet enjoyment, the tenant's right

  • Every residential tenancy in England includes an implied covenant of quiet enjoyment, the tenant has the right to occupy the property without unreasonable interference
  • Breach of quiet enjoyment includes: entering without notice, frequent unannounced visits, leaving contractors keys without consent, or using access as a form of pressure
  • Civil liability: Breach of quiet enjoyment gives the tenant a damages claim, courts have awarded substantial sums where landlords have persistently entered without notice
  • Harassment Act 1997: Repeated unauthorised entries or intimidatory behaviour can constitute criminal harassment, a criminal offence
  • Protection from Eviction Act 1977: Unlawful eviction (including conduct that amounts to forcing the tenant out) is a criminal offence, potential unlimited fine and imprisonment

When a tenant refuses access

  • A tenant is entitled to refuse access, even for statutory inspections, if proper notice has not been given
  • If proper notice has been given and the tenant refuses without good reason, document the refusal in writing
  • For gas safety: if the tenant persistently refuses access after 3 properly notified attempts, you should seek legal advice, the landlord may need a court injunction to enforce access. Keep records of every attempt
  • Do not change the locks, remove belongings, or take any self-help action to force access, this is unlawful eviction
  • For a persistent refusal of access for statutory safety checks, apply to the court for an injunction, this is the only lawful route

Practical access checklist for landlords

  • Always give at least 24 hours' written notice (email, text, or letter, keep a copy)
  • Specify the reason for access, the date, the time window, and who will be attending
  • Reasonable hours: typically 8am to 6pm on weekdays, check your tenancy agreement
  • Keep a record of every access visit: date, time, who attended, what was done
  • Never enter without the tenant's knowledge unless there is a genuine emergency, and document it immediately afterwards
  • If using a managing agent or contractor with a key: ensure they understand the 24-hour notice requirement and do not enter without it
Primary sources

This page is drafted against the legislation below. Always check the current text of the law before acting.

Templates recommended in this guide

Put this guide into practice, get the Periodic Assured Tenancy Agreement from the LetSafe shop, the regulation-current pack that matches this guide.

TenancyLS-E-001

Periodic Assured Tenancy Agreement

The default English tenancy since 1 May 2026. Periodic from day one, with the prescribed written statement of terms built in. Ships with the Form 4A rent-increase notice template and an Information Sheet delivery acknowledgement form so a buying landlord has every Phase-1 compliance document in one pack.

£29
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Found a gap or disagree with something?

Reply to any LetSafe email or write to richard@letsafeuk.co.uk. We rewrite guides when we get something wrong, the sooner we hear, the sooner we fix it.

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