CA Landlord 24-Hour Notice of Entry Rules

Quick Answer

Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1954, you give your tenant reasonable written notice before you enter an occupied unit, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable. The notice states the date, an approximate time, and the purpose of entry, and you enter only during normal business hours. If you mail the notice, six days is presumed reasonable. You need no notice in an emergency, after the tenant has abandoned the unit, or when the tenant is present and consents. Statute text last checked October 2, 2026.

Key Takeaways

• You enter only for a listed reason. Section 1954(a) names the purposes, and repairs, agreed services, and showings are the common ones.
• Written notice carries three details. State the date, an approximate time, and the purpose of the entry.
• 24 hours is presumed reasonable. That presumption covers a notice you hand over, leave with a suitable person at the unit, or leave on, near, or under the usual entry door.
• Mail needs six days. A notice mailed at least six days before the entry is presumed reasonable.
• Business hours are the default. You may enter outside normal business hours when your tenant consents at the time of entry.

1. When You May Enter (§ 1954(a))

Your tenant’s right to privacy limits your right to inspect, so § 1954 lists the cases in which you may enter an occupied dwelling. The ones you will use most are:

1. Emergency: an immediate threat to life or property, such as an active leak, fire, or gas odor.
2. Necessary or agreed repairs and services: repairs, decorations, alterations, or improvements, and services the tenant has agreed to.
3. Showings: to exhibit the unit to prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workers, or contractors.
4. Court order.
5. Abandonment or surrender: the tenant has left the unit.

The statute includes a few other narrow purposes, such as certain health and safety inspections. Read § 1954(a) against your reason for entry before you schedule it.

2. The Written Notice and How to Deliver It

Your notice states the date, an approximate time, and the purpose of the entry. You may deliver it in any of these ways:

• Hand it to the tenant.
• Leave it with someone of suitable age and discretion at the unit.
• Leave it on, near, or under the usual entry door where a reasonable person would find it.
• Mail it.

Twenty-four hours is presumed reasonable. If you mail the notice, mail it at least six days before the intended entry. A presumption can be overcome by evidence, so allow more time when the work is not urgent.

Practice tip, not a statutory requirement: a window of a few hours is easier to defend than an open-ended day.

3. Normal Business Hours

Section 1954 limits entry to normal business hours and does not define them. Many landlords use 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays as a working standard. You may enter at another time when your tenant consents at the time of entry, so ask in the moment instead of relying on a consent given at move-in.

4. Showing the Unit for Sale

Once you list the unit for sale, you may give oral notice of a showing, in person or by phone, when you have told the tenant in writing within the preceding 120 days that the unit is for sale and that you or your agent may arrange showings orally. After that written notice, 24 hours is presumed reasonable. When you enter, leave written evidence of the entry inside the unit.

5. Quick Reference

What This Guide Does Not Cover

This guide covers residential entry under California Civil Code § 1954. It describes what the statute says as of the check date above and does not predict how a court will rule on your facts.

It does not cover:

• The pre-move-out inspection, covered in the move-out pre-inspection guide.
• Commercial leases, police search warrants, and building code condemnation orders.
• Entry by fire, police, or public health officers.
• Personal property left after abandonment, covered by Civil Code § 1983.