Arranging access to your rental property

When a tenant rents a property, most landlords want them to treat it as their home, this means respecting their right to have notice for inspections or repairs and not turning up unannounced. While you may own the bricks and mortar as soon as your rent it to a tenant, they have the right to refuse access if they see fit.

Some tenants are very easy going and laid back about access and you may fall in to the trap of presuming they wont mind you popping round or giving the contractor the door key. However by doing this you could find yourself in hot water. If you enter a property without permission or without notice you could be sued from trespass and for breaching the tenants right to quiet enjoyment.

The Housing Act 1988 states that a tenant must give 'reasonable access for repairs to be carried out', despite this, the landlord or agent still cannot access the property is the tenant refuses. Most tenants who refuse access mention their right to 'quiet enjoyment' which allows a tenant the right to uninterrupted use of the property and gives protection from interruptions or harassment.

To prevent problems gaining access to your property when repairs are required or for annual inspections, it is worth getting to know the tenants and what their reasons may be for refusing access.

• Security - tenants may have been burgled in the past or may be generally fearful of security. They could be fleeing domestic violence.
• Illness - people who are ill generally don't wish to be disturbed. This may be an issue if the illness is long term. 
• Mental Health Issues - they may have paranoid fears or be reclusive or hoarders.
• Young Families - People with babies may not want to disturb their routine or be unavailable during school runs.
• Issues with a member of staff - this may be because of their gender or a previous disagreement

Once you have ascertained why the tenant doesn't want to allow access, you can work with them to find a solution. This may be visiting in pairs, changing the time of a visit or working with the tenants support network to make them feel more at ease.

While it can be frustrating, by working with your tenant to make them feel comfortable about visits and allowing access, you will build a better relationship with them and ensure that you can access your property to carry out repairs and check the condition of the property.