What to do if your tenant is refusing access

By Mark Dawson, Senior Partner at AST Assistance – help for landlords

As a landlord, there are several reasons why you would wish to enter a property when it is occupied. Most typically, this includes carrying out repairs, holding a viewing, or checking on the property’s condition.

However, you may encounter issues in accessing the property since, as the legal resident of the property, the renter has the right to refuse you entry in certain circumstances.

It is critical that you understand when you are legally permitted to view the property – or risk legal ramifications. Repeatedly attempting to access the property illegally may lead to serious penalties. Read the guide below to understand the best course of action if a tenant denies access.

What are your options as a landlord?

If a renter refuses property access, there are options available to you, the landord. These options depend on the type of tenancy, the reason for needing access to the property, and how these factors affect your rights as a landlord. The law governing property access has changed over the years, therefore it is vital that you understand your rights before seeking to address the matter.

Being denied entry can be stressful – especially if the reasons for requesting access are time-sensitive. As such, knowing your rights to circumvent a denial of access will mean using the law to your advantage; enabling you to carry out any activities you are permitted to do in a timely manner.

What contractual rights do I have to view the property?

To gain access to the home while without breaking any laws, you must first check that the tenancy agreement specifies the grounds for the inspection. If the tenancy agreement specifies that you have a pre-agreed-upon reason for access, you can be confident that you have the contractual right to enter the property.

What if my renter rejects inspection access?

If you have the right to visit the property for inspection – but the tenant refuses you this right – they are then in violation of contract.

This can give you cause to pursue legal action, but it is vital that you understand your rights before doing so, since choosing the wrong course of action might lead to penalties and delayed access.

Even if you have legal access to the property, you should always get permission from the renter ahead of time. Assuming permission may lead to disagreements and a breakdown of trust, which may make future access to the property problematic.

To begin, if a renter refuses entry to a home for a property inspection, inform them that this is a violation of contract and are therefore liable to legal action. You should point out that they are legally required to grant access, so that there is no uncertainty.

Under no circumstances should you attempt to enter the property after the renter has denied you entrance. Instead, seek the help of experts in tenancy law, who will help you to communicate your rights as a landlord and find a suitable solution. This gives you a much better chance to quickly settle any disagreement or refusal affecting inspection access, likely saving you time and money in the long run.

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

UK house prices growing by 2.5% according to Halifax

Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark: “This slight dip in house prices will likely have been influenced as a direct consequence to the current state of the global economy. There will always be a need for people to move house regardless of international trading relations; however, many aspiring or current homeowners will no doubt be discouraged…
Read More
Breaking News

UK house prices dip slightly in May, but market remains steady

Average property price now £296,648 compared to £297,798 last month Annual rate of growth slows to +2.5% from +3.2% in April Overall house prices have remained stable so far this year Northern Ireland continues to lead annual price growth in the UK Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages, Halifax, said: “Average UK house prices fell by…
Read More
Breaking News

Estate Agent Content

Do you think that your estate agency / property business requires content? Is content marketing still a thing in 2025? Are you concerned if anyone will read your words? Is it worth investing in estate agent content? Businesses with blogs generate 67% more leads than those without. As competition for attention online increases it remains…
Read More
Breaking News

The cost of voids rises by £200 for England’s landlords

The latest analysis by Dwelly, one of the UK’s leading lettings acquisition and success planning experts, has found that landlords have been hit with a 26% increase in the cost of void periods in the past year, equivalent to lost income of almost £200. Dwelly analysed average void period data from March 2024 and March…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 5/06/25

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. Demand Rises for Housing and Infrastructure Projects Rising demand for housing, infrastructure and energy projects across Wales has driven continued growth at Lichfields’ Cardiff office, which this year marks 25 years in the capital. The team of 17 planning professionals is one of the largest…
Read More
Breaking News

Construction continues to enjoy a season in the sun

Underlying performance is on the rise during Q.2 2025 Today, Glenigan, one of the construction industry’s leading insight experts, releases the June 2025 edition of its Construction Index. The Index focuses on the three months to the end of May 2025, covering all underlying projects, with a total value of £100m or less (unless otherwise…
Read More