How much notice must a New York City landlord give to enter?

New York City is stricter than the rest of the state because the Housing Maintenance Code sets actual notice periods. Under Administrative Code section 27-2008 and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development rule at title twenty-eight of the Rules of the City of New York section 25-101, an owner must give at least twenty-four hours notice to enter for an inspection, and at least one week advance written notice to enter for repairs or improvements. For an urgent repair, such as a class C violation, or an emergency repair needed to prevent damage or injury, no advance written notice is required, but the owner must still try to reach the tenant by telephone, email, or a knock at a reasonable time. Entry must be at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner.

Does New York State outside New York City require notice to enter?

There is no statewide New York statute that fixes a notice period, so outside New York City the rule comes from the lease and the common-law covenant of quiet enjoyment. The New York Attorney General's tenants' rights guidance says a landlord may enter with reasonable prior notice, at a reasonable time, and with the tenant's consent, to make repairs or provide services as the lease allows, and may enter without notice or consent only in an emergency such as a fire or a water leak. Because reasonableness is the test, twenty-four hours written notice for a real purpose during business hours is the defensible practice everywhere in the state.

Does the entry notice have to be in writing in New York?

Outside New York City, no statute requires a particular form, but written notice is strongly recommended because it creates a record that protects both sides in any later dispute. Inside New York City, the Housing Maintenance Code expressly requires written notice for a repair or improvement (at least one week ahead). A written notice that states the date, the time window, the purpose, and the landlord's contact information is a defensible record regardless of the situation, so putting every notice in writing is the safe practice statewide.

Can a New York landlord enter when the tenant is not home?

Yes. A landlord may enter when the tenant is absent, provided proper advance notice was given for a valid purpose and the entry is at a reasonable time. Tenants do not have to be present during a landlord entry. As a matter of courtesy and good practice, the landlord should still knock and announce before entering, even when the tenant is believed to be away, and should leave a written record in the unit noting that an entry occurred and what was done.

What counts as an emergency that allows entry without notice in New York?

An emergency is a situation posing an immediate threat to life, safety, or property. The New York Attorney General gives fire and a water leak as classic examples, and gas leaks and security breaches such as a broken door or window are treated the same way. Routine repairs, a suspected lease violation, and the landlord's convenience are not emergencies. Only a genuine, immediate threat justifies entering without the ordinary reasonable notice, and in New York City an emergency repair still calls for a telephone call, email, or knock when possible.

Can a New York tenant refuse to let the landlord in?

If the landlord has given proper notice for a legitimate purpose at a reasonable time, the tenant generally cannot unreasonably refuse entry. In New York City, the Housing Maintenance Code makes it clear that a tenant shall not refuse lawful access for repairs or an inspection. However, forcing entry against an explicit refusal is not the answer. The landlord should document the refusal, communicate in writing, and, if the refusal is unreasonable and persistent, seek a court order compelling access rather than self-help. For a genuine emergency, the landlord may enter despite a refusal.

What can a New York landlord do if the tenant unreasonably refuses entry?

The New York Attorney General's guidance is explicit: if a tenant unreasonably withholds consent to a lawful entry, the landlord may seek a court order to gain access rather than break in. The correct sequence is to confirm the notice was proper, communicate in writing and offer alternative times, document the refusal, and then, if needed, ask a court to compel access or, in a serious case, pursue an eviction for a substantial lease violation. Forcing entry, changing the locks, or shutting off utilities is never the lawful path and can expose the landlord to unlawful-eviction penalties.

How often can a New York landlord inspect a rental property?

There is no specific statutory limit, but inspections should be reasonable in frequency. Generally, one to two routine inspections per year is considered appropriate. Excessive inspections can be viewed as harassment and can support a claim that the landlord has interfered with the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment, so a landlord should consolidate entries when possible and avoid repeated visits that lack a clear, legitimate purpose. In New York City, a pattern of pretextual or repeated entry can also trigger the anti-harassment provisions of the Housing Maintenance Code.

What are the penalties for illegal landlord entry in New York?

An unlawful entry is a trespass and a breach of the covenant of quiet enjoyment, and the tenant can recover actual damages, a rent abatement, and an injunction to stop repeated entry, and in a serious case may terminate the lease. If the landlord uses force, threats, or a lockout to remove the tenant, Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law section 768 makes an unlawful eviction a class A misdemeanor with a civil penalty of one thousand to ten thousand dollars for each violation, and section 853 allows treble damages. In New York City, using entry to harass a tenant violates Administrative Code section 27-2005 and can carry a civil penalty of two thousand to ten thousand dollars per unit under section 27-2115, with a four-thousand-dollar minimum for a repeat violation. Retaliation is separately barred by Real Property Law section 223-b.

What is the right to quiet enjoyment in a New York tenancy?

The covenant of quiet enjoyment is implied in every residential lease in New York, whether the lease mentions it or not. It protects the tenant's reasonable expectation of privacy, peaceful possession, and use of the rental property without unreasonable landlord interference. It does not mean the landlord can never enter; it means entry must be reasonable in timing, purpose, frequency, and execution. Excessive, pretextual, or harassing entry breaches the covenant and can support a rent abatement, damages, an injunction, or lease termination.

Can a New York landlord retaliate against a tenant who complains about entry?

No. Real Property Law section 223-b prohibits retaliation against a tenant who makes a good-faith complaint about conditions or asserts a legal right, including a complaint about improper entry. A retaliatory rent increase, service reduction, or eviction is unlawful, and the law presumes retaliation if the landlord acts within one year of the tenant's protected activity. A landlord who documents every entry properly is far better positioned to show that any later action was for a legitimate reason and not retaliation.

What should a New York lease say about landlord entry?

Because there is no statewide statute filling in the details, a well-drafted New York lease should state the notice period, the delivery method, the permitted hours, the valid purposes, and the emergency procedure. Sample language provides for entry to inspect, repair, supply services, or show the unit; requires at least twenty-four hours advance written notice except in emergencies; limits entry to reasonable hours; permits immediate entry in a genuine emergency; and asks the tenant not to unreasonably withhold consent for a legitimate purpose. A lease cannot sign away the tenant's covenant of quiet enjoyment, and in New York City the lease cannot undercut the Housing Maintenance Code access rules.

What is the safest way for a New York landlord to handle entry?

Give at least twenty-four hours written notice for every non-emergency entry, stating the date, the time window, the purpose, and a contact; in New York City, give the full one week for a repair or improvement; deliver the notice in a way you can prove; enter only during reasonable hours; knock, announce, and wait; limit the visit to the stated purpose; respect the tenant's belongings; leave the unit secure; and log the actual entry and departure times. Never force entry, change locks, cut utilities, or retaliate. A New York landlord who documents every entry almost never faces a successful trespass, harassment, or quiet-enjoyment claim.

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New York Landlord Entry Laws: The Landlord and Tenant Guide

Notice requirements · New York City access rules · Valid entry reasons · Emergency exceptions · Reasonable hours · Tenant privacy rights — explained clearly for New York rentals

Updated Q3 2026 By Tenant Screening Background Check Editorial Team Applies New York ~17 min read

New York is one of the states with no statewide statute that fixes a notice period for landlord entry. Outside New York City, the right to enter comes from the lease and the common-law covenant of quiet enjoyment, and the New York Attorney General frames the standard as reasonable prior notice, at a reasonable time, for a legitimate purpose — with twenty-four hours written notice the accepted safe practice. Inside New York City, the rule is different and stricter: the Housing Maintenance Code (Administrative Code section 27-2008) does set notice — twenty-four hours for an inspection and at least one week written notice for repairs or improvements. A genuine emergency needs no advance notice anywhere in the state. Getting this right prevents lawsuits; getting it wrong is trespass and a breach of quiet enjoyment, and it can trigger real penalties.

This guide covers the full New York landlord entry framework — valid entry reasons, the statewide reasonableness standard, the distinct New York City access rules, notice requirements, emergency exceptions, permitted entry hours, tenant privacy rights, documentation best practices, and how to handle a tenant who refuses entry. Written for working New York landlords and informed tenants, every practice tip ties to a concrete reduction in liability. Understanding this framework is essential for landlords who want to avoid liability and for tenants who need to know when entry is lawful and when it is not.

The key principles — proper notice, a legitimate purpose, reasonable timing — apply across every New York jurisdiction, and they interlock with the state’s other tenant-protection rules. Entry sits close to the eviction process, the warranty of habitability, and the security-deposit rules, so this page links out to those neighboring guides where they matter. Treat every figure and timeframe here as a starting point and verify the current statute, the New York City code, and any local rule before you enter, refuse entry, or file a claim.

New York Landlord Entry at a Glance

Governing Law

Lease plus common-law quiet enjoyment; New York City adds Administrative Code section 27-2008

Statewide Notice

No statute; reasonable notice (twenty-four hours is best practice)

New York City Notice

Twenty-four hours to inspect; one week written for repairs

Unlawful Entry

Trespass and quiet-enjoyment damages; New York City harassment penalty two thousand to ten thousand dollars

Bottom line: New York has no statewide landlord-entry statute. Outside New York City, entry is controlled by the lease and the common-law covenant of quiet enjoyment; the accepted safe practice is twenty-four hours advance written notice for a legitimate purpose during reasonable hours. Inside New York City, the Housing Maintenance Code (Administrative Code section 27-2008) sets real notice: at least twenty-four hours to enter for an inspection and at least one week written notice for repairs or improvements, with no advance written notice for a genuine emergency. A true emergency — fire, flood, gas leak, or an imminent threat to life, safety, or property — permits immediate entry statewide. Entry used to harass can trigger trespass and quiet-enjoyment damages, unlawful-eviction penalties under Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law section 768, and, in New York City, a civil penalty of two thousand to ten thousand dollars per unit under Administrative Code section 27-2115. These are general rules; verify the current law and any local ordinance before you enter or dispute an entry.

The New York Entry Rule: The Narrow Legal Question

Before diving into scenarios, it helps to see exactly what New York law controls. Unlike states such as California, New York has no single statute that sets a landlord-entry notice period statewide. Outside New York City, the landlord’s right to enter comes from two places: the terms of the lease, and the common-law covenant of quiet enjoyment that is implied in every residential tenancy. The New York Attorney General’s tenants’ rights guidance describes the practical standard — a landlord may enter, with reasonable prior notice and at a reasonable time, to make repairs or provide services the lease allows, and may enter without notice or consent only in an emergency such as a fire or a water leak.

New York City is the important exception. There, the Housing Maintenance Code gives owners an express right of access and, at the same time, fixes the notice a tenant is owed. Under Administrative Code section 27-2008, a tenant may not refuse an owner lawful access to make repairs or improvements required by law or to inspect the unit, provided the access is exercised at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development rule at title twenty-eight of the Rules of the City of New York section 25-101 then spells out the notice tiers, which we cover in detail below.

So the narrow legal question is never simply “may the landlord enter?” A landlord can almost always enter for a proper reason with proper notice. The real question is: was this entry made with reasonable notice, for a legitimate purpose, at a reasonable hour — and in New York City, did it follow the code’s notice tiers? If yes, it is lawful. If it is unannounced, pretextual, or timed to harass, it is trespass and a breach of quiet enjoyment. Everything else on this page — valid purposes, permitted hours, refusal, remedies — orbits that single question.

This framing is what makes disciplined landlords safe and careless ones exposed. A landlord who consistently gives written notice for a real purpose and enters during business hours almost never faces a successful claim. A landlord who “swings by to check on things,” enters at night, or uses inspections to build an eviction file invites liability — even where a single entry might, in isolation, look defensible. The framework rewards process and punishes improvisation.

Takeaway

New York entry law turns on three things: reasonable notice, a legitimate purpose, and reasonable hours, all overlaid by the tenant’s covenant of quiet enjoyment. There is no statewide notice statute; outside New York City the lease and common law govern, and twenty-four hours written notice is the safe practice. Inside New York City, Administrative Code section 27-2008 sets real notice tiers. A genuine emergency needs no advance notice anywhere in the state.

How Much Notice Must a New York Landlord Give to Enter?

The honest answer has two parts. Statewide, there is no fixed statutory notice period — the requirement is “reasonable” notice, which the New York Attorney General and the courts read in light of the purpose, the urgency, any prior communication, and the tenant’s circumstances. Twenty-four hours advance written notice for a routine, non-emergency entry is the practice that is defensible in every New York court. Inside New York City, the notice is set by code, and it is more specific than a bare reasonableness test. The requirement sits alongside the covenant of quiet enjoyment, which applies regardless of what the lease says, and written notice is not merely a formality — it is the record that decides most disputes.

Extractable fact: New York has no statewide statute setting a landlord-entry notice period. Outside New York City, reasonable notice (twenty-four hours in practice) applies under the lease and the covenant of quiet enjoyment. Inside New York City, Administrative Code section 27-2008 requires at least twenty-four hours notice to inspect and at least one week written notice for repairs or improvements. A genuine emergency requires no advance notice.

Reasonable Advance Notice (Statewide)

Twenty-four hours written notice is the working standard for routine entry — inspections, repairs, and showings — anywhere in the state. For non-urgent service work, giving more than the minimum is more defensible, because it gives the tenant room to plan around the visit. Notice of less than twenty-four hours should be reserved for near-emergency situations that fall short of a true emergency but still cannot reasonably wait a full day. Because the statewide test is reasonableness, the safest course is always to put the notice in writing and state the date, the time window, and the purpose.

New York City Notice Is Set by Code

New York City landlords do not have the luxury of a bare reasonableness test. The Housing Maintenance Code sets three distinct notice tiers, which we detail in the dedicated section below: at least twenty-four hours for an inspection, at least one week written notice for repairs or improvements, and no advance written notice for an urgent or emergency repair (though the owner must still try to reach the tenant by phone, email, or a knock). A New York City landlord who applies the general twenty-four-hour habit to a non-urgent repair has actually given too little notice under the code.

Reasonable Hours

New York uses a reasonableness standard for timing rather than a fixed statutory clock. In practice, reasonable hours mean normal business hours — roughly nine in the morning to five in the evening on weekdays — with earlier-evening entries acceptable when the tenant agrees. Early-morning, late-evening, and nighttime entries are generally unreasonable for a non-emergency unless the tenant consents at the time. In New York City, the code’s “reasonable time and reasonable manner” language is read the same way.

Professional Execution and Written Documentation

Knock, announce, and wait. Enter for the stated purpose only, respect the tenant’s belongings, and leave the unit secure, then record what was done. Put every notice in writing, log every entry, and preserve every tenant communication. Documentation is the landlord’s single best defense against a later dispute, and it is the difference between a factual record and an unwinnable argument over who said what.

The safe-harbor practice

New York landlords who consistently provide proper written notice for non-emergency entry almost never face a successful legal challenge. Twenty-four hours written notice for a legitimate purpose is defensible in every New York court, aligns with industry standards, and demonstrates good-faith compliance — and in New York City, giving the full one week for a repair keeps you on the right side of the Housing Maintenance Code. When in doubt, write the notice, give the fuller period, and enter during business hours.

Quiet enjoyment applies whatever the lease says

New York tenants hold an implied covenant of quiet enjoyment — the peaceful possession and use of the rental property without unreasonable landlord interference — and it exists in every residential lease whether or not the lease mentions it. Excessive, pretextual, or harassing entry breaches this covenant and can support claims for damages, a rent abatement, or even lease termination, so the reasonableness of entry matters even when each individual visit has a stated purpose.

Takeaway

The New York notice standard is twenty-four hours written notice in practice statewide, and a set of code tiers in New York City (twenty-four hours to inspect, one week for repairs, none for an emergency). Because the ultimate test outside the City is reasonableness, courts weigh the nature, urgency, and prior communication of each entry, and the covenant of quiet enjoyment applies regardless of what the lease says.

New York City’s Statutory Access Rules (Section 27-2008)

Because roughly 40% of New York’s renters live in New York City, the City’s own access rules deserve their own section — and they are the single most important thing a New York City landlord or tenant needs to get right. The governing provision is Administrative Code section 27-2008, part of the Housing Maintenance Code, backed by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development rule at title twenty-eight of the Rules of the City of New York section 25-101. Together they give the owner a right of access and fix the notice the tenant is owed.

Section 27-2008 provides that no tenant shall refuse to let the owner enter to make repairs or improvements required by the code or other law, or to inspect the unit to determine compliance, as long as the entry is at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner. The rule then breaks the notice requirement into three tiers based on why the owner needs in:

Reason for entry	New York City notice required
Inspection to determine code compliance	At least twenty-four hours advance notice
Repairs or improvements required by law	At least one week (seven days) advance written notice of the start
Urgent repair (for example, a class C violation)	No advance written notice, but notify by telephone, email, or a knock at a reasonable time
Emergency repair to prevent damage or injury	No advance notice; immediate access permitted

Extractable fact: Under New York City Administrative Code section 27-2008, an owner must give at least twenty-four hours notice for an inspection and at least one week written notice for repairs or improvements. Urgent and emergency repairs need no advance written notice, but the owner must still try to reach the tenant by phone, email, or a knock. Access must be at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner.

Two points are easy to miss. First, the one-week rule for repairs is longer than the twenty-four-hour habit most landlords carry, so a New York City owner scheduling non-urgent work needs to plan a full week ahead. Second, the tenant’s duty not to refuse access is real: a New York City tenant who blocks a lawful, properly noticed repair can be brought to Housing Court, and unreasonable refusal can even support an access-based holdover. The obligation runs both ways — the owner must notice correctly, and the tenant must then allow the entry.

Takeaway

In New York City, Administrative Code section 27-2008 and the Housing Preservation and Development rule set three notice tiers: twenty-four hours to inspect, one week written for repairs or improvements, and none for an urgent or emergency repair (with a phone call, email, or knock when possible). Access must be at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner, and a tenant may not unreasonably refuse lawful access.

Valid and Prohibited Reasons for Entry

New York law and industry practice recognize a specific list of valid entry purposes. Any entry outside these categories invites trespass exposure. All non-emergency entries require reasonable advance notice; emergency entries require no notice but must be genuinely urgent. Knowing which category an entry falls into is the first step in deciding whether notice is required and whether the entry is defensible at all.

Standard Valid Purposes

Routine inspection of the premises (typically one to two times per year).
Repairs, maintenance, and improvements — both scheduled and tenant-requested.
Showing the unit to a prospective tenant, buyer, or lender.
Delivering legally required notices such as rent increases, lease renewals, and eviction notices.
Service of legal process.
Contractor visits for pest control, heating and cooling service, and similar work.
Compliance with code enforcement orders.

Emergency Entry (No Notice Required)

Fire, smoke, or an active fire alarm.
Water emergencies — burst pipes, flooding, and major leaks.
Gas leaks or suspected gas leaks.
Security breaches — a broken door or window leaving the unit unsecured.
Medical emergencies — a reasonable belief the tenant is incapacitated.
Imminent threat to life, safety, or property.

Purposes That Are Not Valid

Casual visits or “checking in” without a defined purpose.
Harassment or intimidation of the tenant.
Retaliation for tenant complaints or lawful activities.
Pretextual inspections to gather eviction evidence.
Unauthorized photography of the tenant’s belongings.
Entry during the tenant’s absence for personal rather than business reasons.

These purposes map directly onto the neighboring bodies of New York law. A landlord delivering a nonpayment notice, for example, should read our New York eviction notice laws guide before treating an inspection as a way to build an eviction case, and a landlord entering to make a repair is exercising the same duty of upkeep that runs through the New York habitability laws. A statewide overview of how these notice rules differ across the country lives on our landlord entry laws by state hub.

Entry category	How New York treats it