Written by Gideon ReichentalPublished: 19th May 2025Last update: 7th August 2026
Landlords of commercial and residential buildings have a right to conduct inspections, but there are long-standing issues with friction between landlords and tenants and rules that ensure tenants are protected from unannounced, ad hoc visits that could negatively impact their ability to run their businesses or enjoy their homes.
The basics are that a landlord typically needs to give at least 24 hours’ notice before performing a non-urgent inspection and should have a verified, real reason for entering the property. However, the ideal is to work with a professional inspection team that fosters positive communications and respectfully liaises with tenants.
While periodic property inspections are undoubtedly essential and a key aspect of safeguarding a property’s value, usage, and maintenance and keeping pace with repairs, maintaining a balance and positive tenant relationships is equally vital.
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Key takeaways
Landlords have a right to inspect their commercial and residential property assets, but that doesn’t mean they are entitled to arrive unannounced, as often as they wish, or to conduct inspections without the tenant’s knowledge and consent.
There are rules in place that provide specific requirements, such as a minimum notice period, and good practice guidelines that dictate the best approach to periodic inspections without causing unnecessary upheaval.
For many landlords, commissioning a professional, accomplished security provider to conduct inspections on their behalf is ideal, outsourcing the task, and ensuring tenants can expect reliable communications and that inspections will be performed promptly and proactively.
The Importance of Regular Tenanted Property Inspections
Landlords are responsible for upholding the standards, safety and conditions of any property they let to any client, depending on the lease terms. For residential homes, they have a legal duty of care set out within the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 to confirm that a property is suitable for habitation from the start of a tenancy until it ends.
Regular inspections aren’t punitive or a form of ‘checking up’ on tenants; they are a preemptive way to look for faults, minor repairs, emerging maintenance issues, and potential future complaints and ensure they are dealt with.
Done well, inspections can be a valuable part of the relationship between landlord and tenant. Tenants have the assurance that their landlord is actively working to ensure the property remains in excellent condition without any potential need to make urgent calls when a critical issue arises.
However, regular inspections can also be a preventative measure to protect against poor property use, breaches of the terms of the tenancy, and possible problem tenants. These can become exacerbated if behaviours are overlooked or not identified until the tenancy reaches an end.
Guidance on Scheduling and Informing Tenants of Upcoming Inspections
The norm is to conduct inspections at several stages of a tenancy, although the exact number of visits required per year may depend on the nature of the property. This tends to include:
An initial inspection once the tenancy begins
Final inspections at the end of the tenancy
Periodic inspections throughout the year
In some cases, the first inspection occurs after two to four weeks to enable the tenant to settle in and cover any early snags or issues that have arisen, but going forward, landlords should aim to conduct inspections every three months at most.
We would advise landlords to check the terms of their property insurance before making any plans. This will often set out requirements regarding the frequency of inspections that are obligatory to maintain coverage.
Essentially, if a landlord intends to conduct an inspection themselves or works with a property management or security provider to manage these tasks, they must ensure the tenant is given plenty of advance notice.
While less applicable to commercial tenanted buildings, the Housing Act 1988 dictates that residential tenants have a right to live in the property unobstructed. This means that unwarranted, frequent, and intrusive inspections could create a legal conflict or liability on the landlord’s part.
The standard is to give at least 24 hours’ notice. However, providing notice further in advance is highly advisable and enables both parties to agree on a mutually convenient day and time.
Landlords have the right to inspect their property, but that right comes with real limits around notice and reasonableness. We regularly get called in specifically because a landlord has got the process wrong, so getting the basics right from the outset avoids a lot of disputes further down the line.
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When Can a Landlord Enter a Tenanted Property Without Notice?
There are few scenarios where a landlord has the authority to enter a tenanted property without informing or advising the tenant, but this may be essential in emergencies. Examples might include:
An outbreak of fire or a gas leak
When critical repairs are required to ensure the building or structure is safe
Reports or suspicions of criminal or dangerous activity.
If in any doubt, and particularly when dealing with a problematic tenancy and allegations of illegality, or where there is the potential need to begin eviction proceedings, we strongly advise you to avoid managing this independently.
Depending on the nature and severity of the behaviours being carried out in the property, varied and sometimes complex criminal and civil laws may apply, and professional guidance is essential to ensure compliance with the relevant legislation.
What Is the Benefit of Consulting a Professional Property Inspection Provider?
Professional inspectors provide a valuable service and can complete inspections according to a pre-agreed schedule, reviewing a checklist of priorities and reporting back to log any faults, issues, concerns, or problems identified.
This can be important to maintain insurance coverage, ensure tenanted properties are safe, secure and well-maintained, and for vacant properties with an elevated risk of exposure to vandalism, theft, break-ins, arson, fly-tipping and graffiti.
For landlords, the biggest advantages include:
Comprehensive records and professional assessments of the condition of the property.
Positive tenant liaisons, with a third party who can manage communications and ensure tenants are informed throughout with adequate notice and scope to request an amended date or time as appropriate.
Proactivity in addressing issues or managing repairs and maintenance, giving tenants opportunities to report minor niggles they may not have deemed important enough to report.
Dispute prevention, with a clear log of inspections completed, dates and times, issues or complaints reported, and the forward action taken.
Regular property inspections can help landlords build trust with their tenants, demonstrate their commitment to maintaining high standards, reduce potentially costly liabilities and more extensive repairs, and ensure any tenanted property is efficiently managed throughout the tenancy.
Gideon is an experienced property specialist with almost ten years dedicated to the field of vacant property security and services. With a strong commitment to customer service and operational support, he has built extensive expertise in protecting vulnerable and unoccupied buildings through practical, risk-based security solutions.
His experience includes directly managing portfolios of more than 200 vacant properties, alongside senior management responsibility for wider portfolios exceeding 2,000 properties. This has given him a detailed understanding of the challenges involved in securing vacant assets, from preventing trespass, theft, vandalism, and arson to helping clients maintain compliance, reduce liability, and protect long-term property value.
Gideon has strong technical knowledge of the measures used to secure vacant properties, including steel security screens and doors, monitored alarm systems, CCTV, mobile response, site inspections, and temporary fire and life safety solutions. At Clearway, he supports the delivery of tailored protection strategies designed around the specific risk profile of each property, helping clients secure and manage unoccupied assets with confidence.
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