Reason for Entering

• Landlords must have a good reason for entering the property, such as repairing an item or typical maintenance.
  
  

Giving Notice

• In a majority of states, landlords must give at least 24 hours notice to the tenant before entering a rental property, according to Rentlaw.com. Other states require landlords to give longer notice and some require no notice at all.
  
  

Type of Notice

• While not required, giving official written notice to tenants when you need to enter the property gives you a paper trail. The paper trail can save you in case of future trouble with the tenant. Nolo.com offers pre-made written notices you can purchase.
  
  

Emergency Situations

• A landlord can justify entering a property without 24 hours notice in cases of an emergency like fire, flood or other disaster.
  
  

Common Courtesy

• When giving notice to enter a property, a landlord must extend common courtesy to the tenant. The landlord may only enter the property when necessary and must enter during a reasonable time of day and for a reasonable duration of time.