My jurisdiction is: Georgia
I recently had a tenant in a multi-tenant house claim that I was violating her privacy because I didn't wait to be let into the house.
I had emailed each tenant on Monday of the week that I would be by after the 1st of the month (Wed.) to pick up the rent checks and that they could leave them either on the mantle in the den or in the kitchen on the countertop. I showed up on the afternoon of the 2nd (Thurs), knocked, rang the doorbell, and then let myself in with my key, and retrieved the rent checks and left. The lease they signed says that the landlord has access to the property for maintenance, cleaning, inspections, showing perspective tenants or real estate agents, etc and the exact words of the terms state "...when practical 24 hours notice will be given..." Does the email I sent a couple of days earlier count as notice? If I left a message on a common answering machine would that also count--or would I have to try to contact each tenant individually?
Is there any validity to the tenant's claim that, "I have to have their approval and wait to be let inside and cannot use my own key"? After I have given prior notice and knock/announce my presence is their any reason I am not allowed to enter the property?
I recently had a tenant in a multi-tenant house claim that I was violating her privacy because I didn't wait to be let into the house.
I had emailed each tenant on Monday of the week that I would be by after the 1st of the month (Wed.) to pick up the rent checks and that they could leave them either on the mantle in the den or in the kitchen on the countertop. I showed up on the afternoon of the 2nd (Thurs), knocked, rang the doorbell, and then let myself in with my key, and retrieved the rent checks and left. The lease they signed says that the landlord has access to the property for maintenance, cleaning, inspections, showing perspective tenants or real estate agents, etc and the exact words of the terms state "...when practical 24 hours notice will be given..." Does the email I sent a couple of days earlier count as notice? If I left a message on a common answering machine would that also count--or would I have to try to contact each tenant individually?
Is there any validity to the tenant's claim that, "I have to have their approval and wait to be let inside and cannot use my own key"? After I have given prior notice and knock/announce my presence is their any reason I am not allowed to enter the property?
