Free New York Notice to Enter
New York has no statewide entry-notice statute – entry is governed by your lease and the covenant of quiet enjoyment, with reasonable prior notice (a 24-hour custom) at a reasonable time. Fill in the date, time, purpose, and delivery, then download a clear written notice as a PDF.
This New York Notice to Enter gives a tenant clear written notice before the landlord enters the rental unit. New York has no statewide statute setting a notice period, so entry is governed by the lease and the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment; absent a lease term, give reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time – 24 hours by custom. See our tenant screening laws by state hub and how to screen tenants guide to keep your New York tenancies documented from the start.
Generate the New York Notice to Enter
Complete the fields below to generate a New York Notice to Enter. New York sets no statewide notice period, so give reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time – commonly 24 hours by custom – and deliver it per the lease. The form records the date, time window, purpose, the persons entering, and how the notice is delivered.
Give reasonable notice even though no statute requires it
Because New York sets no notice period, the lease and quiet enjoyment control – but reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time, 24 hours by custom, is the accepted standard and your best protection against a quiet-enjoyment claim. A genuine emergency allows immediate entry; an unreasonable refusal is addressed by court order.
1. Landlord / Agent
2. Tenant & Rental Property
3. Date and Time of Entry
4. Purpose of Entry
5. Delivery of Notice
6. Landlord / Agent Signature
Watch: New York Notice to Enter explained
New York Notice to Enter at a Glance
Statute
No NY entry statute; lease-governed
Statewide statute
No statute (lease-governed)
Customary notice
24h reasonable, written
Controlling document
The lease
New York entry is lease-governed
There is no New York statute setting a notice period for entry, and New York City adds no special rule. Follow the lease’s entry clause; if it is silent, give reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time (24 hours by custom) for a legitimate purpose. A genuine emergency allows immediate entry; an unreasonable refusal is resolved by court order.
How to Complete the New York Notice to Enter
Start with the lease – it is the controlling document
Read the lease’s right-of-entry clause first. New York has no entry statute, so the lease, together with quiet enjoyment, sets the notice period and method that govern entry.
Identify the parties and property
Fill in the landlord, tenant, and rental property information so the notice clearly identifies who and where.
Set the entry date and time
Set the date and time window of entry, and the date you are delivering the notice – aim for reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time, with 24 hours as the working norm.
Describe the entry and who attends
State the purpose, describe the work, list who will enter, and note whether the tenant should be present and how pets should be handled.
Deliver and keep a copy
Choose a delivery method the tenant will see, sign the notice, deliver it, and keep a dated copy on file in case access is later disputed.
How New York Entry Law Works
New York is one of the states with no statewide statute governing landlord entry. The Real Property Law is silent on the subject – it does not set a notice period, a list of permitted purposes, or reasonable hours, the way many other states do. Entry is instead governed by the lease and by the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment that every New York tenancy carries. Whatever the lease entry clause says about notice and access binds both sides, and a well-drafted clause states the notice period, the permitted reasons, and the hours of entry.
Best practice when the lease is silent: give reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time – 24 hours is the working norm New York landlords and tenants use even though no statute requires it – and enter only for a legitimate purpose during ordinary daytime hours. Reasonable, documented notice protects you and keeps a routine entry from being challenged as a breach of the tenant’s quiet enjoyment.
Two points are specific to New York. First, New York City has no separate entry-notice rule: a landlord in the five boroughs follows the same reasonable-notice standard as the rest of the state. Second, if a tenant unreasonably refuses a properly noticed lawful entry, a New York landlord must not force the door – the recourse is to seek a court order compelling access. The one clear exception to notice is a genuine emergency – fire, flood, gas leak, or another immediate threat – where the landlord may enter at once; document it. For every routine entry, this form gives the tenant clear written notice and leaves you a dated record that you provided it.
About the New York Notice to Enter
A New York Notice to Enter is the written notice a landlord or property manager gives a tenant before entering the rental unit. New York has not enacted a statewide landlord-entry statute – the Real Property Law simply does not address routine entry – so there is no state-law notice period to satisfy. That does not mean a landlord can walk in unannounced. Entry is governed by the lease and by the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment that runs through every New York tenancy, and giving clear, reasonable notice is both the professional standard and the best protection against a dispute.
Because the lease and quiet enjoyment control, the first step is always to read the entry clause. A typical New York lease grants the landlord a right of entry for repairs, inspections, showings, and similar legitimate purposes, and often sets a notice period – 24 hours is the most common, though it is a contract term and a custom rather than a statutory command. If the lease specifies a period or a delivery method, follow it exactly; a landlord who ignores the lease’s own terms undercuts the very document that authorizes entry. Where the lease is silent, the accepted default is reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time.
New York City deserves a specific note because so many New York tenancies are in the five boroughs. The city has no general entry-notice ordinance that overrides the statewide silence, so a New York City landlord follows the same standard as a landlord upstate: the lease governs, and reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time is the practice for routine, non-emergency entry. Do not look for a special city rule that does not exist; look to the lease and to reasonable custom.
What counts as a legitimate purpose is broad: repair and maintenance work, annual or move-out inspections, showing the unit to a prospective tenant, buyer, lender, or appraiser, pest control, servicing heating and cooling systems, and testing smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors. This form lets you state the exact purpose, describe the work, list who will enter, and note whether the tenant’s presence is requested or required. Spelling out who will be in the home, and how pets should be handled, removes most of the friction that makes tenants resist access. Enter at reasonable hours and choose a delivery method the tenant will actually see.
The risk a New York landlord manages is not a statutory penalty but a breach claim, and the proper response to a stubborn tenant is procedural rather than physical. Repeated entries without notice, entry for harassment, or entry at unreasonable times can breach the lease and the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment. And if a tenant unreasonably refuses a properly noticed lawful entry, the landlord’s recourse is a court order compelling access – never a forced entry. A dated, signed notice for every routine entry is the simple, durable record that shows you asked properly before any of that. Pair a consistent entry practice with disciplined tenant screening and a documented screening process so your New York tenancies are well-run from application through move-out.
New York Entry Notice Requirements
- New York has no statewide statute setting a notice period – entry is lease-governed and bound by quiet enjoyment.
- Follow the lease’s right-of-entry clause for notice period, purpose, and hours.
- Where the lease is silent, give reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time (24 hours by custom).
- New York City has no separate entry rule – the same reasonable-notice standard applies.
- A genuine emergency allows immediate entry; an unreasonable refusal is addressed by court order, not force.
Service Methods Permitted
- Personal delivery to the tenant.
- Posting on the door, alone or combined with email.
- Email or text where the lease permits electronic notice.
- Certified mail for a documented record when timing allows.
Common Mistakes
- Ignoring the lease’s own entry clause, which – with quiet enjoyment – is the controlling authority in New York.
- Citing a statute for the notice period; New York has none, so do not invent one.
- Assuming New York City has a special entry rule – it does not.
- Forcing entry when a tenant refuses, instead of seeking a court order.
- Keeping no dated copy, leaving no record that reasonable notice was given.
Best Practices
- Treat 24 hours of written notice at a reasonable time as your default, even when the lease asks for less.
- State the exact purpose, time window, and persons entering.
- Offer a clear way to reschedule so the tenant has an alternative to refusing.
- Keep every signed notice on file in case you must later seek a court order.
Bottom line
New York sets no statewide notice period for landlord entry, and New York City adds no special rule, so the lease and the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment control – but the durable best practice is reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time, 24 hours by custom, for a legitimate purpose. Emergencies allow immediate entry, and an unreasonable refusal is met with a court order, never force. A dated, signed notice for every entry is your record that you acted reasonably. Treat reasonable written notice as a fixed habit for every routine entry, not just the contested ones, and keep each signed copy on file for the life of the tenancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does New York law require advance notice before a landlord enters?
No. New York has no statewide statute setting a notice period for landlord entry – the Real Property Law is silent on the subject. Your rights and obligations come from the lease and the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment, so the entry clause in the lease, read together with reasonable-notice custom, controls when and how a landlord may enter.
How much notice should a New York landlord give?
Because no statute sets a number, give reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time. In practice landlords and tenants treat 24 hours as the working norm, and entry during ordinary daytime hours for a legitimate purpose – repairs, inspection, or showings – is what courts and tenants expect, even though it is a custom rather than a statutory requirement.
Does New York City have a special entry-notice rule?
No. New York City has no general entry-notice ordinance that overrides the statewide silence. A landlord in the five boroughs follows the same standard as the rest of the state: the lease governs, and reasonable prior notice at a reasonable time is the accepted practice for routine, non-emergency entry.
What about emergencies?
In a genuine emergency – fire, flood, gas leak, or another immediate threat to life or property – a New York landlord may enter at once without advance notice. Document the emergency and what was done so the immediate entry is clearly distinguished from a routine, noticed entry.
What purposes justify entry?
Repairs and maintenance, inspections, showing the unit to a prospective tenant, buyer, lender, or appraiser, pest control, servicing heating and cooling systems, and testing smoke or carbon-monoxide detectors are all routine, legitimate reasons to enter on reasonable notice for a legitimate purpose.
What if the tenant refuses a properly noticed entry?
If a tenant unreasonably refuses a lawful entry for which proper notice was given, the landlord should not force entry. The correct recourse in New York is to seek a court order compelling access. A dated written notice like this one is the record showing the landlord asked properly before going to court.
Should the tenant be present?
Not required, but the form lets you state whether the tenant’s presence is requested or required. Recording it – along with how pets should be handled – reduces confusion and disputes on the day of entry and supports the tenant’s quiet enjoyment of the home.
Screen New York tenants thoroughly before move-in
A solid tenant relationship starts with thorough screening. Tenant Screening Background Check has been verifying renters since 2004 — credit, eviction filings, criminal background, and employment — across all 50 states and DC.
Related Resources
Published by Tenant Screening Background Check
Established 2004 · 20+ Years · All U.S. States & Territories · Statute-Based · Attorney-Reviewed
A Private Eye Reports™ service trusted by landlords, property managers, and attorneys.
