tenant refused inspection

[David H.]

This is a new one that I have just experienced. The tenant refused to allow an inspection. I never had an issue with doing inspections on prior tenants. Do you folks all do inspections during the lease? I suppose if they did cause damage, there is not much I could do about it until they left. Hopefully, the security deposit would cover the repairs. 

[Account Closed]

I never did inspections....the reason being that if I saw how a tenant actually lived I would evict them.  Therefore, I'd never have tenants.  What I would do, is check everything out as the tenants call us to do repairs.  Either my husband and I saw the home ourselves, or our handyman would report back the way the tenants were living.  

A tenant CANNOT REFUSE an inspection.  However, according to your state law, you must give them ample notice.  Normally a 24 hour notice that you plan to do an inspection that day and therefore you are notifying them in case they want to be there.  You must notify them (or give this notice) to them in writing.

If a tenant then changed the locks and still refused my entry, I sent them a Notice to Quit terminating their tenancy with us for a Lease Violation.  (You must have all this in writing in the Lease Agreement in order for it to hold up in court)

Nancy Neville