If I’m renting a room in a house and there are other tenants, can my landlord say that I cannot have guests and stop in unannounced?
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If I’m renting a room in a house and there are other tenants, can my landlord say that I cannot have guests and stop in unannounced?
The landlord does not live here. She is now telling me that I may not have guests because i am renting a room and it is not fair to other tenants. She regularly has been stopping by unannounced and entering the house when there is a vehicle here that she knows is not mine. She also stops by regularly when she sees a vehicle that she knows is not mine and enters the property asking me if someone stayed here. No where in the lease does it state that I am not aloud to have guests or that she can enter property at any time. It was a basic lease with just rental amount and address. She has told me that this is private property and this is not what she expects from her tenants. Can she try and evictme?
Asked on November 20, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Tennessee
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
The landlord may not restrict your guests unless those guests are in fact disturbing the right to "peaceful enjoyment" (peace and quiet) of other tenants; if they are, then the landlord can serve you with a Notice to Cease having guests and, if you do not, then evict you. (Or rather: she can then bring an eviction action in court against you, but to actually evict you, would have to prove that your guests were disturbing others).
If the tenants are only renting out rooms in the house, and no one is renting the entire home, the landlord may enter the 'common areas" of the home (e.g. living room, kitchen) at will, but not the specific rooms rented by tenants; those may only be entered on reasonable notice for inspection, maintenance, pest extirmination, or to show the building to possible buyers or renters, or in an emergency (e.g. gas leak, large water leak, electrical problem, etc.)
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