Landlord’s Realtor Letting Prospects Enter My Home Unsupervised—Is This Legal?

[Annette Eck]

I’m in the middle of moving out of my rental home, and my landlord’s agent has been scheduling showings without much regard for any of my requests. I’ve made it clear that I need reasonable notice, but the agent has flat-out told me that I don’t get to choose or consent to the times. We’ve had 6 showings in the past week alone, which is already a lot, but the most concerning part is what’s been happening during these showings.

Here’s the real kicker: there have been showings (with prior notice given) when we weren’t home, and my cameras caught prospective buyers entering unaccompanied—no realtor, no landlord, just strangers walking into my occupied home.

In one instance, my husband happened to be home and answered the door. The young couple who entered were totally confused and thought he was the realtor! They even said they thought the house was vacant. It was super awkward for everyone, and they left quickly. But other times, it’s been even more unsettling—people are using the lockbox code to let themselves in when we’re not home. These are people who just called in for a showing and were apparently given the code by the agent with no one there to supervise. Even though the realtor would message me “showing with agent,” I know for a fact she’s lying, as she has been caught doing so on other occasions.

Is this even legal? I understand showings are part of the deal when a property is being rented or sold, but this seems like a huge breach of security and tenant rights. I’m worried about liability, safety, and frankly, whether my personal belongings are at risk.

I’m in Illinois (but not in Cook County or Chicago, where I know the laws are stricter). Is there any law or regulation that prevents this? What can I do to stop it? Has anyone else dealt with something similar? Any advice on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated!