Landlord Entry Rights and Your Quiet Enjoyment
You rent the house, so it is your home. The landlord owns the house, so it is their property. Both of those are true, and the Residential Tenancies Act sets out exactly how they coexist: the landlord may enter, but only for defined reasons, only with the right notice, and only in a way that respects your reasonable peace, comfort and privacy.
Most disputes here come from one misunderstanding. People assume a landlord can do anything as long as they give notice. That is not the rule. For some things notice is enough. For others, and open homes are the big one, the landlord needs your permission, which is a different thing entirely.
The three things to remember
Inspections need at least 48 hours and no more than 14 days notice, and can happen no more than once in any 4 weeks. Repairs need 24 hours. And showing the property to prospective tenants or buyers needs your permission, not merely notice.
A landlord selling the property must ask your permission to hold viewings or an open home. You cannot unreasonably refuse, but you can set reasonable conditions: which days, what times, how many, whether you are present. Many landlords and some agents believe 48 hours notice is sufficient. It is not, and agreeing to terms in advance and in writing is much easier than arguing about it every Saturday.
The notice periods, in one place
| Reason for entry | What is required |
|---|---|
| Routine inspection | At least 48 hours notice, no more than 14 days in advance, no more than once in any 4 week period |
| Repairs or maintenance | At least 24 hours notice, entry between 8am and 7pm |
| Repairs in a boarding house | At least 24 hours notice, entry between 8am and 6pm |
| Methamphetamine testing | At least 48 hours notice, or 24 hours for a boarding house |
| Showing prospective tenants or buyers | Your permission, which you cannot unreasonably refuse |
| Emergency, such as fire or flooding | No notice required |
| Exterior grounds work the landlord is responsible for | No notice required for the grounds, without disturbing your peaceful enjoyment |
A Tenancy Tribunal order can also authorise entry. That is the formal route when a landlord believes access is being unreasonably refused, and it exists precisely so that nobody has to force the issue at the door.
Inspections: the 4 week rule
The frequency limit is the part landlords most often get wrong. Once in any 4 week period is the maximum, and that applies however many things the landlord wants to look at. A landlord who inspected a fortnight ago cannot inspect again this week because they have thought of something else.
The notice window has two ends, which is unusual and worth noticing. At least 48 hours, so you get fair warning. No more than 14 days, so a landlord cannot send one notice in January that covers a visit in March.
There is no requirement for you to be home during a properly noticed inspection, and equally no requirement that you leave. Being present is often worth it: you can point out maintenance issues, and a shared understanding of the property's condition prevents arguments about the bond later. If you cannot be there, photographs on the day are a reasonable substitute.
Repairs, and the difference between urgent and not
Ordinary repairs need 24 hours notice and happen in daytime hours. Urgent repairs are different, because the point of urgency is that waiting causes damage or danger. A burst pipe does not wait for tomorrow.
If you have reported something urgent and nothing is happening, the Act gives you a route: after telling the landlord and giving them a reasonable opportunity, you may be able to arrange the repair yourself and recover reasonable costs. Follow the process carefully and keep every message, because the recovery depends on having done it properly rather than on the repair having been necessary.
What quiet enjoyment actually means
Quiet enjoyment is a legal term and it is not about noise. It means your right to use the property without unreasonable interference from the landlord. It is the principle sitting behind every one of the notice rules above.
Interference does not have to involve entering. Repeated unnecessary contact, turning up unannounced, letting yourself into the grounds constantly, or contacting a tenant's employer can all engage it. So can withholding something you are entitled to.
If your landlord enters improperly
Changing the locks is not the answer. A tenant may generally change locks only with the landlord's consent, and doing it unilaterally creates a separate breach on your side of the ledger that will be raised against you.
When the property is being sold
This is where entry disputes concentrate, because the landlord's interest in showing the place off and the tenant's interest in a normal life pull hardest against each other.
| Situation | Where you stand |
|---|---|
| Photographs for marketing | Your permission is needed, and you can ask that your possessions are not photographed |
| Open homes | Permission needed. Reasonable conditions on frequency and timing are legitimate |
| Private viewings | Same as above, and each visit is a separate request unless you have agreed a standing arrangement |
| A sale going ahead | Your tenancy generally continues. The buyer takes over as landlord and existing fixed terms are not extinguished by the sale |
That last row is the one that reassures people most. A property being sold does not end your tenancy by itself. What can follow a sale is a notice under whichever ground applies, and those grounds have their own notice periods.
Rather than negotiating every viewing, settle a written arrangement at the start: two open homes a week, Saturday and Wednesday, one hour each, 24 hours confirmation, no photographs of personal items. Landlords generally accept this readily because it gives them certainty too, and it converts a recurring argument into a single agreement.
What this guide does not cover
Ending a tenancy, notice periods for termination, and the grounds a landlord can rely on are a separate subject. Boarding house tenancies follow adapted rules, covered in boarding houses and renting a room. Flatmates who are not tenants sit outside these protections entirely. Commercial tenancies are governed by their lease rather than by this Act. This is general information rather than legal advice, and Tenancy Services publishes the authoritative guidance free.
Test Your Knowledge
Ten questions on when a landlord may come in.
Sources: Tenancy Services on access, inspections and damage and repairs, and the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 section 48, landlord's right of entry. This is general information rather than legal advice.
If you've found a bug, or would like to contact us, or learn more about James Graham and Calculate.co.nz.
Calculate.co.nz is partnered with Interest.co.nz for New Zealand's highest quality calculators and financial analysis.
Calculate.co.nz is the sister site of CalculatorHub.com, the world's largest calculator website by tool count.
All calculators and tools are provided for educational and indicative purposes only and do not constitute financial advice.
Calculate.co.nz is proudly part of the Realtor.co.nz group, New Zealand's leading property transaction literacy platform, helping Kiwis understand the home buying and selling process from start to finish. Whether you're a first home buyer navigating your first property purchase, an investor evaluating your next acquisition, or a homeowner planning to sell, Realtor.co.nz provides clear, independent, and trustworthy guidance on every step of the New Zealand property transaction journey.
Calculate.co.nz is also partnered with Health Based Building and Premium Homes to promote informed choices that lead to better long-term outcomes for Kiwi households.
Calculate.co.nz is hosted in Auckland by SiteHost New Zealand.
All content on this website, including calculators, tools, source code, and design, is protected under the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). No part of this site may be reproduced, copied, distributed, stored, or used in any form without prior written permission from the owner.
About & trust: Why Calculate is NZ's most comprehensive · By the Numbers · How we compare · Editorial standards · How we keep data current · NZ finance glossary · Research & data · Financial literacy NZ · About · Privacy policy · Terms of use
Reviewed and maintained. Last reviewed 2026-08-10 and checked on a twice-monthly cycle against IRD, RBNZ and Stats NZ. How we keep data current.
© 2026 Calculate.co.nz. All rights reserved. Building free NZ calculators since 2011.