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Maintenance keeps entering my apartment without my consent. What can I do?

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DLJ1212002

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? I live in Nevada. I have been living in a apartment complex for about a year now. I have put in two work orders. The first was because the door to my storage was locked and they didn't gove me the key. In the work order I specified that they didn't have permission to enter. They came in anyway and I wasn't dressed. I informed them of what happend and they assured me it wouldn't happen again. The second time It was for a small leak on the tub. They didn't come to fix it until 3 weeks later. I wasn't home when they came in, and again they didnt have permission to enter. At this point I began to feel uncomfortable because they can come in at anytime. I wrote a letter to them to give a 30-day notice. They said I couldn't do that because the reason they entered was for an emergancy. Can they do that?
 
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Gail in Georgia

Senior Member
As a tenant, you have a right to be notified when non-emergency repairs requiring entrance will be made. As a general rule, this is a 24 hour notice, although this does not have to specify the exact time entrance will be made

This is negated if the repair is deemed an emergency.

Management is under no obligation to follow your 30 day notice for repairs.

Gail
 

FarmerJ

Senior Member
They entered because you made repair request! If a emergency repair comes up they will enter and do notice to you after the fact. NRS 118A.500 Tenant’s refusal to allow lawful access to dwelling unit; landlord’s abuse of access.

1. If the tenant refuses to allow lawful access as required by the rental agreement or this chapter, the landlord may obtain injunctive relief to compel access or terminate the rental agreement. In either case the landlord may recover actual damages.

2. If the landlord makes an unlawful entry or a lawful entry in an unreasonable manner or makes repeated demands for entry otherwise lawful but which have the effect of unreasonably harassing the tenant, the tenant may obtain injunctive relief to prevent the recurrence of the conduct or terminate the rental agreement. In either case the tenant may recover actual damages.

(Added to NRS by 1977, 1343)
this info was found @ NRS: CHAPTER 118A - LANDLORD AND TENANT: DWELLINGS SO your choices are to stop making repair request OR when you do make them ask them to give you a target date for the repair. Rental repairs are prioritized , things like drain lines not working or water heaters that fail get a higher priority than say a closet door knob that wont turn to latch shut. SO even if you get a targeted date other things can cancel it out, You might get farther by asking them to call you to make sure your awake before entering.
 

DLJ1212002

Junior Member
I understand they can enter in an emergency, but in both cases, they weren't emergencies. The first was a lock on an outside storage closet on my patio. The second was a small leak, that took them 3 weeks to come and caulk. The day I put the order in for the leak was a friday and they told me maintenance would be there on monday, but maintenance didnt come until 3 weeks later.
 
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FarmerJ

Senior Member
When you are at home then I guess your going to have to get one of them door knob jack post that holds the door shut from the inside. Did you see any definitions of notices for repairs to be given to tenants in your state in your states laws ? IF there is none then they just DONT have to when you requested the repairs! Many PM firms use long cards to hang on doors to say Maint entered , time an date BUT unless your state laws direct them to give you a specific notice In theory they can knock and tell you ` We`re here to ___________ OR even call you 30 minutes before and enter. If you find nothing in your state laws that defines non emergency entry then I suggest when you start looking at your next rental ASK what the policy is about notifications to tenants for entry to complete non emergency repairs. IF they tell you maint will call you either the day of the repair or the day b4 the repair and leave a door knocker card saying what time they were there , THEN this is what you want. IF they do not have a clear policy for notices to tenants for non emergency entry then keep looking!
 
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Alaska landlord

Senior Member
Stop putting in work orders and I can almost bet they will stop entering.

Permission to enter is implied when you put in a work order. If you don't want service don't request it. three weeks before they entered is too long and for that one a notice to enter should have been posted, but only if its in your lease agreement or mandated by state law.

Only a minority of states require a 24 hr notice to be posted before entering.
 

DLJ1212002

Junior Member
Thank you very much for your help. I asked the apartment complex I'm in now what their proceedures were as far as entering the apartment and some other things prior to moving in. They just dont follow those proceedures. I think I'll wait out my lease and buy a house. Thank you to everyone.
 

ecmst12

Senior Member
You seriously want to ask for 30 DAYS notice to come do a repair that YOU ASKED FOR??? Yes, you should buy a house and PAY someone to come and fix your stuff.

Reasonable request would be for the person to call when they are on their way over so that you can make sure you are decent when they get there, and to knock loudly when they arrive. 24 hours notice you can ask for and not be laughed at, but when you request the repairs, they are not required to do this.
 
Almost all apartments/rental homes have a non-keyed deadbolt that locks from the inside. It is designed this way, so that when you're home, they cannot put their key in and enter the property. If you do not have one, request one. This will provide you with 2 deadbolts to lock when you are home.
 

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