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Published July 15, 2026
Give 24 hours written notice with date, time, and purpose during normal business hours. Refusal after that can become a lease violation.
California Civil Code section 1954 requires a landlord to give reasonable written notice, presumed to be 24 hours, before entering an occupied rental unit for repairs, inspections, or showings, stating the date, approximate time, and purpose. Entry must happen during normal business hours unless the tenant agrees otherwise, and if a tenant still refuses lawful entry after documented notice, that refusal can itself become a lease violation you address with a 3 day notice to cure or quit.
Civil Code section 1954 lists the reasons a landlord may enter an occupied unit: to make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations, or improvements; to supply services; to show the unit to prospective tenants, buyers, lenders, contractors, or workers; in an emergency; when the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit; or under a court order. Outside of an emergency or abandonment, you need to give notice first.
The statute treats 24 hours as reasonable notice absent evidence to the contrary, which is why nearly every lease and every property manager defaults to a full day. The written notice must include the date, the approximate time of entry, and the purpose. It can be delivered personally, left with someone of suitable age at the unit, or posted on, near, or under the usual entry door in a way a reasonable person would find it. Mailing a notice also satisfies the statute but you then have to account for mail time, which is why most of us hand deliver or post at the door instead.
Entry may not happen outside normal business hours unless the tenant consents at the time of entry, and the statute bars landlords from abusing the right of access or using it to harass a tenant. Repeated unnecessary entries, or entries scheduled specifically to inconvenience a tenant, can expose an owner to a claim even when notice was technically given. We tell every owner: use this right for a real business purpose, document why, and do not use it as leverage in a dispute.
A tenant does not get to simply say no once you have served a compliant 24 hour notice for a legitimate purpose. If the tenant refuses or is not present and does not respond, document the date, the notice you served, and the refusal in writing, ideally with a photo of the posted notice and a follow up text or email confirming the tenant declined access. A single missed appointment is rarely worth escalating. A pattern of refusals is a different story: it can be treated as a breach of the lease covenant to allow lawful access, which under California's summary eviction procedure can support a 3 day notice to cure or quit followed by an unlawful detainer if the tenant still refuses.
If there is a genuine emergency, a gas leak, active flooding, fire, or an immediate safety hazard, section 1954 does not require advance notice. Use judgment here. A slow drip that can wait until morning is not an emergency that justifies walking in unannounced.
Document every entry attempt: the notice you served, how and when you delivered it, and what happened when you arrived. That paper trail is what protects you if a tenant later claims harassment, and it is what supports you if the refusals become a pattern you need to address through a formal notice. Reasonable, well documented entries protect both your compliance and your relationship with the tenant.
If keeping this paperwork straight is not how you want to spend your evenings, that is what we do.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with a licensed professional before you act.
Last verified: July 2026.
Topics: playbook, landlord entry, civil code 1954, tenant relations, eviction
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Schofield Properties is a family run property management company at 323 Richmond St, El Segundo, CA 90245. We have managed the South Bay since 1972 and personally oversee about 186 doors today. Book a call to talk about your property.
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