When Can a Landlord Enter a Rental Property? Entry Notice Rules by State (2026)

Blog, Landlords

You need a plumber in to look at the hot water system. Or a valuer for the bank. Or you’ve decided to sell and want buyers through on Saturday. Whatever the reason, it’s your property, so can’t you just let them in?

Not quite. Once a tenant moves in, the home is theirs to live in, and every state and territory sets out when you can come in, how much notice you have to give and what hours you’re allowed to turn up. The rules are a bit different depending on why you’re entering, and they’re different again in each state. Get them right and entry is simple and lawful, even when the tenant isn’t home. Get them wrong and the tenant can refuse, and they’d be within their rights.

This guide puts all eight jurisdictions side by side: the entry notice for each common reason, the hours, the forms, and the extra rules that kick in once you’re selling or re-letting.

The short answer

In every state, a landlord can enter a rental property during a tenancy only for a reason the law allows, with the right amount of notice for that reason, and inside set hours. Emergencies are the main exception.

Check you have a lawful reason. Repairs, a routine inspection, a valuation, showing the property to buyers or new tenants, and a few others. “Just checking in” isn’t one.
Find the notice period for that reason in your state. It ranges from 24 hours to 14 days depending on where you are and why you’re going in (tables below).
Put it in writing, on the prescribed form if your state has one. Queensland’s Entry notice (Form 9), WA’s Form 19, SA’s Notice to enter premises, Victoria’s Notice to renter of entry and the NT’s Form RT09.
Say why you’re coming and when. State the reason, the date and a time or time window.
Turn up inside the permitted hours, and leave once the job’s done. Don’t stay longer than the visit needs.

Entry for repairs, maintenance and safety checks

Routine inspections have their own frequency caps, and we’ve covered those separately in our guide to routine rental inspections. This article is about every other reason you might need to get in.

The most common one is repairs. This table shows the notice for non-urgent repairs and maintenance, and the hours you’re allowed to be there.

State / territory	Notice for non-urgent repairs or maintenance	Hours you can enter	Notice form
NSW	At least 2 days	8am to 8pm, not Sundays or public holidays	No prescribed form; give written notice
VIC	24 hours, in writing	8am to 6pm, any day except a public holiday	Notice to renter of entry to rented premises
QLD	48 hours	8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday	Entry notice (Form 9)
WA	72 hours, in writing	8am to 6pm weekdays, 9am to 5pm Saturdays, not public holidays	Form 19, Notice of proposed entry to premises
SA	At least 48 hours (or at the tenant’s request)	8am to 8pm, not Sundays or public holidays	Notice to enter premises
TAS	At least 24 hours	8am to 6pm	No prescribed form; put it in writing anyway
ACT	1 week in writing (or another agreed period)	8am to 6pm, not Sundays or public holidays	No prescribed form; give written notice
NT	24 hours	7am to 9pm	Form RT09, Notice of Requirement to Enter Premises

Sources, straight from the regulator: NSW Government, Consumer Affairs Victoria, the Queensland RTA, Consumer Protection WA, SA.GOV.AU, Consumer Affairs Tasmania, the ACT Government and Consumer Affairs NT. Tenancy law changes often, so check the current page before you send a notice.

A few things the table can’t hold:

Hours can stretch if the tenant agrees. Every state lets you enter at another time with the tenant’s consent. Victoria adds a timing rule: an agreement to come in outside the normal entry rules has to be made no more than 7 days before the visit.
Smoke alarms have their own rules in some states. In NSW, it’s at least 2 business days’ notice to inspect or assess a smoke alarm, but only 1 hour to repair or replace one, and work to meet a statutory health or safety obligation is 2 days, the same as a repair. Queensland treats smoke alarms and safety switches like other repairs (48 hours).
Victoria’s safety-check rules widen on 13 October 2026. From that date, two-yearly gas and electrical safety checks apply to every Victorian rental agreement, whatever its start date, according to Consumer Affairs Victoria’s list of changes. Getting in to meet a legal duty like that is a 24-hour entry, the same as a repair.
The tradie needs the same notice you do. Notice covers whoever is coming in: you, a plumber, a valuer or a pest inspector. In NSW, anyone you send in your place (a selling agent, valuer or tradesperson) needs your written consent and has to show it to the tenant if they’re home.

When you can enter without notice

Almost every state recognises that some things can’t wait a week. You can generally go in without the usual notice in an emergency, such as a burst pipe, a gas leak or a fire, or to protect the property from damage that’s about to happen. Beyond that the details vary:

NSW also allows entry without notice for urgent repairs, if you’ve tried and failed to get consent and have reasonable cause for serious concern about the health or safety of someone in the home, if you reasonably believe the tenant has abandoned the property, or under a Tribunal order.
Queensland needs no notice in an emergency or where entry is necessary to protect the property from damage about to happen. Suspected abandonment is different there: it’s a 48-hour entry notice.
WA needs no written notice in an emergency, to collect rent under the agreement, or where the tenant agrees at or just before entry.
SA lists an emergency and a reasonable belief that the tenant has abandoned the premises.
Tasmania allows entry without permission where you reasonably believe the tenant is injured or ill and can’t give permission, that refusing immediate access is likely to cause damage, that someone is at risk, that damage has occurred, or that the property has been abandoned.
ACT urgent repairs need “reasonable notice” rather than a fixed period, and the normal hours don’t apply to urgent repairs or health and safety reasons.
NT allows entry without notice in an emergency or where there’s significant damage, and where you’re satisfied the property has been abandoned and rent is owing. If you think it’s abandoned but no rent is owing, you need a declaration from NTCAT first.
Victoria sets entry out in a closed list of reasons with set notice periods, and Consumer Affairs Victoria’s entry guidance doesn’t describe a no-notice emergency entry. If something genuinely urgent happens in a Victorian rental, call the renter first (and emergency services if it’s dangerous), and check with Consumer Affairs Victoria before you rely on going in without notice.

“Emergency” means a real one. A tap that’s been dripping for a month is a repair, and it gets repair notice.

Checking that a breach has been fixed

If you’ve served a formal breach notice and want to check the problem’s been put right, several states have a specific entry for that:

Queensland: 48 hours on a Form 9 for a follow-up inspection after a significant breach.
Victoria: 24 hours where you believe the renter has failed to meet their duties, such as damaging the property.
SA: 7 to 14 days’ notice on Form 2, and only after a breach notice has been served.
Tasmania: 24 hours where you reasonably suspect a breach, or to make sure repairs have been properly done.

Keep a follow-up visit to the items you raised. As we explain in our routine inspections guide, WA’s Consumer Protection is explicit that a follow-up only covers what you flagged, and the same habit is a good one everywhere. In states without a specific breach-check entry, the usual routes are the tenant’s agreement or your next routine inspection.

Showing the property to buyers or new tenants

This is where the rules get the most detailed, because a run of showings is far more disruptive for a tenant than one tradie visit. If you’re selling a tenanted property, or lining up the next tenant before this one leaves, the second table is the one you need.

State / territory	Showing prospective tenants	Showing prospective buyers	Limits worth knowing
NSW	Reasonable notice, only in the last 14 days of the tenancy	14 days’ written notice of the intention to sell before the first inspection; then times by agreement	Tenant doesn’t have to agree to more than 2 buyer inspections a week, with 48 hours’ notice each
VIC	48 hours, and only in the last 21 days of the agreement	48 hours, plus a notice of intention to sell at least 14 days before sales inspections	No more than twice a week, an hour at most each time; the renter is compensated for each sales inspection
QLD	48 hours, only once the tenant has given or received a notice to leave	48 hours, plus a Notice of lessor’s intention to sell (Form 10)	Open houses need the tenant’s written agreement; once either side has given notice to end the tenancy, no more than 2 entries in 7 days (smoke alarm, safety switch and urgent damage visits excepted)
WA	Written notice, only in the last 21 days	Reasonable written notice	A reasonable number of occasions
SA	Reasonable notice, only in the last 28 days	At times agreed with the tenant, who must not unreasonably refuse; SACAT can set times if you can’t agree	No more than 2 buyer showings in any 7 days unless the tenant agrees
TAS	48 hours in writing, only after a notice to vacate or termination, or within 28 days of the end of a fixed term	48 hours in writing	Once a day, no more than 5 days a week; open homes need the tenant’s written permission
ACT	24 hours, only in the last 3 weeks of the tenancy	Written notice of the intention to sell, then 48 hours each time	Tenant doesn’t have to agree to more than 2 buyer inspections a week, but must not unreasonably refuse
NT	24 hours, only in the 28 days before the agreement ends	24 hours	Showings must be reasonable in number

Two of these deserve a closer look.

Victoria pays the renter for sales inspections. For each sales inspection, the renter is entitled to compensation of half a day’s rent or $30, whichever is greater. If you’re planning a sales campaign in Victoria, budget for it.

Queensland open homes need written agreement. If your tenant won’t agree to an open house, you’re back to individual viewings, each on a Form 9 with at least 48 hours’ notice, and the RTA says the owner or manager must accompany the people viewing unless the tenant has agreed otherwise.

Photos for the listing are an entry of their own in some states. NSW allows one visit for marketing photos or video in the 28 days before marketing starts, on reasonable notice. Victoria needs 7 days’ notice to take photos or video for advertising. And most states restrict what you can publish: NSW bans publishing interior photos that show the tenant’s belongings without their written consent; Queensland and Tasmania have the same written-consent rule; SA adds 7 days’ written notice before you take photos at all; and the NT requires consent where an image would identify an occupant, reveal something sensitive about them or show valuables. Photograph the property rather than their belongings, and ask before anything goes online.

Selling with a tenant in place has a lot more to it than entry, from fixed-term leases to how buyers see a tenanted home. Our guide to selling a rental property with tenants walks through the options. And if you’re showing the place because the tenant is leaving early, our article on what to do when a tenant breaks the lease explains why finding the next tenant quickly matters for both of you.

Valuations and other reasons

Valuations: 7 days’ notice in NSW (no more than once in 12 months) and in Victoria; 48 hours in Queensland. Elsewhere, check your state’s page; in SA, a reason not specifically listed falls under the general “any other genuine purpose” entry, which needs 7 to 14 days’ written notice or the tenant’s consent.
Garden maintenance in SA: at a time arranged with the tenant no more than 7 days beforehand, or with 7 to 14 days’ notice.
Condition reports in the NT: 24 hours.
Rent collection: WA, SA and the NT still list it as an entry reason (7 days’ notice in the NT; in SA only at a pre-arranged time, no more than weekly, and only if the tenant has turned down a way to pay that doesn’t involve a visit). It’s rarely needed now that most rent is paid electronically.

Can the tenant refuse entry?

Yes, if your notice isn’t valid. That means too little notice, no written notice where writing is required, the wrong form, a time outside the permitted hours, a reason the law doesn’t recognise, or (for showings) the wrong stage of the tenancy. Victoria spells this out on its renter-facing pages, and the other states work the same way in practice.

If you’ve done everything properly, it’s a different story. The tenant can ask to move the time, and it’s worth saying yes where you reasonably can, but in most states they can’t simply block a lawful entry. WA’s Consumer Protection says a tenant “cannot unreasonably delay inspections, repairs or other visits.” In SA, refusing entry after a valid notice can be a breach of the agreement. In the NT, a landlord who’s being kept out of a lawful entry can apply to NTCAT for an order. Whatever your state, don’t force your way in. A breach notice and then your state’s tribunal or your tenancy authority’s dispute service are the path.

Most of the time it doesn’t come to that. A tenant who gets a clear, polite notice with a reason and a time window, and a landlord who sticks to it, rarely ends up arguing about entry at all.

Does the tenant have to be home?

Generally no, if you’ve given valid notice. Queensland’s RTA says tenants don’t have to be present unless being present is a condition of an agreed entry. In WA, the tenant has the right to choose to be present. SA requires you to make a reasonable effort to arrange the visit at a time that suits a tenant who’s said they want to be there (except for emergencies, breach checks and suspected abandonment).

The NT is stricter for inspections: they must be carried out in the tenant’s presence unless the tenant refuses to attend without good reason, waives the right in writing, isn’t there at the arranged time, or it’s an emergency.

Wherever you are, being there is usually better for both of you. The tenant gets to point out the thing that’s been bugging them, and you avoid any question about what happened while you were inside.

Keeping a record of every notice

Every entry notice you send is part of the tenancy’s paper trail. Keep a copy of each one, with the date you served it and how. Victoria’s guidance lists post or handing it to the renter in person, and allows electronic notices where the renter has agreed to receive them that way. WA, SA and the NT also allow email (in SA, only to an address the tenant has given for notices). If an entry is ever disputed, a dated notice with the reason and time on it settles it fast. Your lease should also set out the entry terms, which is one more reason to use your state’s standard agreement; we cover that in our guide to residential lease agreements.

The bottom line

Entering a tenanted property is easy to get right once you know the three things that matter: a lawful reason, the right notice for that reason in your state, and the permitted hours. Repairs need anywhere from 24 hours to a week depending on where you are. Showing buyers or new tenants comes with extra limits and, in Victoria, a payment to the renter for each sales inspection. Emergencies are the exception almost everywhere.

Write the notice, name the reason, give a time, use the form, keep a copy. Do that and entry becomes one of the most routine parts of managing your own rental, and your tenant will know you respect that it’s their home.

Keep every notice with the rest of the tenancy

Running your rental yourself? PropertyNow’s rental management software keeps your digital lease, condition reports, rent records and documents in one place, so the paper trail is already there when you need it.

See rental management software

Frequently asked questions

How much notice does a landlord have to give to enter a rental property?
It depends on the state and the reason. For non-urgent repairs it’s at least 2 days in NSW, 24 hours in Victoria, Tasmania and the NT, 48 hours in Queensland and SA, 72 hours in WA and 1 week in the ACT. Routine inspections usually need a week or more (Tasmania is the exception at 24 hours), and showings to buyers or new tenants have their own rules.

Can a landlord enter without notice?
Only in limited situations, mainly a genuine emergency or to prevent damage that’s about to happen. Most states also allow entry without notice where the property appears to have been abandoned, and some list other situations (NSW includes urgent repairs). Victoria’s entry rules don’t describe a no-notice emergency entry, so check with Consumer Affairs Victoria first there.

Can a landlord enter on a Sunday?
Not in NSW, Queensland, WA, SA or the ACT without the tenant’s agreement. Victoria allows entry between 8am and 6pm on any day except a public holiday, so Sundays are possible there. Tasmania’s guidance gives 8am to 6pm with no day restriction, and the NT allows 7am to 9pm.

Do I need to use a form for an entry notice?
In Queensland (Form 9), WA (Form 19), SA (Notice to enter premises, plus Form 2 for a breach check), Victoria (Notice to renter of entry to rented premises) and the NT (Form RT09), use the regulator’s form. In NSW, Tasmania and the ACT there’s no prescribed entry form, but give the notice in writing anyway so you have a record.

Can a tenant refuse entry for an open home?
In Queensland and Tasmania, an open home needs the tenant’s written agreement, and in SA buyer showings happen at times agreed with the tenant (SACAT can set times if you can’t agree). Elsewhere the tenant can’t unreasonably refuse properly notified buyer inspections, but there are limits on how often: no more than 2 a week in NSW, Victoria, SA and the ACT, and once a day, 5 days a week in Tasmania.

Does the tenant have to be home when the landlord enters?
Usually not, as long as valid notice was given. The NT is the main exception for inspections, which must happen in the tenant’s presence unless they refuse, waive it in writing or aren’t there at the arranged time.