Landlord Right of Entry Australia: All Permitted Reasons + Notice Periods by State (2026)

In Australia, owning a rental property does not give a landlord — or their property manager — a general right to enter whenever they choose. Every state and territory has a Residential Tenancies Act (or equivalent) that lists the specific reasons for which a landlord or agent may enter a tenanted property, the notice required for each reason, and the times and days on which entry is permitted.

This structure exists to protect tenants' right to quiet enjoyment — a core right in Australian tenancy law that prevents the property owner from treating a tenanted home as though it were vacant. At the same time, the legislation ensures landlords have adequate access to protect their asset: inspect its condition, carry out repairs, comply with safety obligations, and manage the sale or re-letting of the property.

The rules are not uniform across states. Notice periods for repairs range from 24 hours (Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Northern Territory) to 72 hours (Western Australia). The number of permitted routine inspections per year ranges from two (Victoria, ACT) to four (NSW, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania, NT). Reasons that are explicitly listed in one state's Act may not appear in another's with the same terminology or procedure.

This guide covers the main permitted entry reasons and notice requirements for all eight Australian jurisdictions, updated to 2026. Where the rules for routine inspections are summarised briefly, a link to the detailed frequency and notice guide is provided — the focus here is the full picture of all permitted entry types, not just inspections.

Every Australian state and territory recognises that certain situations require immediate access to a rental property regardless of notice periods. These are genuine emergencies — situations where people or property are at serious and immediate risk, and waiting for even 24 hours would cause harm.

Examples that generally constitute an emergency across all jurisdictions include:

• A burst water pipe actively flooding the property
• A gas leak or smell of gas inside the building
• A fire, or serious and active smoke penetration
• Major structural damage posing an immediate collapse risk
• A dangerous electrical fault with an immediate safety risk
• Any situation suggesting the tenant or another person in the property may be in danger

What does not constitute an emergency:

• A dripping tap or slow leak
• A broken air conditioner in mild weather
• A refrigerator that has stopped working
• Cosmetic damage to walls, floors, or fixtures

These are repairs, and the notice requirements for repairs apply. Treating non-emergency maintenance as an emergency to bypass the notice requirement is unlawful entry.

In practice, when attending a genuine emergency, the property manager should document the situation as found — photos with timestamps, written notes of what was observed and what action was taken — and promptly notify the tenant of what occurred, who attended, and what further access may be needed for follow-up repairs. This protects the agency and creates a clear, defensible record.

The most frequent reason for unscheduled property access is repairs and maintenance. The required notice period for this purpose varies between states and is separate from — and generally shorter than — the notice required for routine inspections.

New South Wales — At least 2 days' written notice must be given before entering to assess the need for repairs or to carry out non-urgent repairs, under the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW). For repairs that are urgent (but not a genuine emergency), entry with 2 days' notice is permitted.

Victoria — At least 24 hours' written notice is required before entering to carry out repairs or maintenance under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (VIC). The notice should state the reason for entry and the proposed time, and entry must occur between 8am and 6pm.

Queensland — A minimum of 24 hours' notice is required before entering to carry out or arrange repairs under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (QLD). Entry must be between 8am and 6pm on weekdays; entry on Sundays or public holidays requires tenant agreement.

Western Australia — A minimum of 72 hours' written notice is required for entry to carry out non-urgent repairs, under the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (WA). This is the longest repair-access notice period in Australia. The written requirement means a phone call does not suffice.

South Australia — At least 48 hours' written notice is required before entering for repairs and maintenance under the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA), with entry limited to normal hours (8am to 8pm, not on Sundays or public holidays without agreement).

Tasmania — A minimum of 24 hours' notice is required for repair access under the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 (TAS), with entry between 8am and 6pm.

Northern Territory — At least 24 hours' written notice is required under the Residential Tenancies Act 1999 (NT).

Australian Capital Territory — Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (ACT), a landlord may enter for urgent repairs promptly without advance notice where the delay would worsen the damage or create a safety issue. For non-urgent repairs, reasonable written notice is required and entry must occur at a reasonable time.

Across all states, where a tradesperson is attending rather than the property manager directly, the same notice rules apply. The notice is given to the tenant; the fact that the person entering is a plumber or electrician rather than the PM does not change the tenant's entitlement to proper prior notice.

Routine inspections are the most planned and most regulated type of property access. The statutory frequency caps and notice requirements for routine inspections are covered in detail in the routine inspection frequency guide for all 8 Australian states.

In summary:

• Victoria and the ACT cap routine inspections at two per year (once every six months). Victoria also prohibits the first routine inspection within the first three months of a new tenancy.
• All other states and territories (NSW, QLD, WA, SA, Tasmania, NT) permit up to four routine inspections per year, typically at quarterly intervals.
• Notice period is 7 days' written notice in most states; 24 hours in Tasmania; 7–28 days in South Australia (both a minimum and maximum).
• Queensland requires the prescribed Entry Notice Form 9 for all routine inspections — informal written notice does not comply.

Routine inspections are the only entry type subject to an annual frequency cap. Attending the property more times than the cap allows — even with proper notice — constitutes unlawful entry. Inspections beyond the cap should never be documented as a different type of entry to work around the limit.

When a tenancy is ending and the property needs to be re-let, landlords and property managers need access to show the property to prospective incoming tenants. Most states permit this during the notice period but restrict the timing and require advance notice.

New South Wales — Under the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW), the landlord may show the property to prospective tenants a reasonable number of times during the 14 days before the tenancy agreement ends. Reasonable notice is required before each visit.

Victoria — During the notice period to vacate, the rental provider may show the property to prospective renters with reasonable notice given before each inspection, at a reasonable time. The Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (VIC) does not fix a specific number of allowed showings during this period.

Queensland — At least 48 hours' notice is required via Entry Notice Form 9 for each showing. Entry must be between 8am and 6pm, not on Sundays or public holidays without tenant agreement.

Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, ACT, NT — All states permit showing to prospective tenants during the notice period with appropriate notice. Agents managing properties in these states should confirm the specific notice requirement against their state's Act, as the terminology and minimum period varies.

In practice, tenants who are ending their tenancy are often willing to agree to a showing schedule if they are given genuine advance notice and some control over timing. Agencies that communicate openly with the outgoing tenant about the re-letting campaign have fewer access complaints than those that serve formal notice and show up with prospective tenants in tow.

When a landlord lists a tenanted rental property for sale, the tenancy continues and the tenant retains full rights to quiet enjoyment. The sales campaign does not override notice requirements. Each state's legislation addresses buyer access specifically, and property managers need to apply the correct rules — not assume that because the property is for sale, access is unrestricted.

New South Wales — Entry to show prospective purchasers may occur no more than twice in any week, with at least 48 hours' written notice before each visit, under the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW).

Victoria — Prospective buyer viewings are capped at twice per week and are limited to one hour per visit unless the tenant agrees to a longer session. At least 48 hours' written notice is required before each viewing, with entry between 8am and 6pm under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (VIC).

Queensland — At least 48 hours' notice via Entry Notice Form 9 is required for each buyer inspection. Critically, the property owner must also have issued a Notice of Intention to Sell (Form 10) to the tenant before or at the same time as the first Entry Notice — this is a separate requirement under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 (QLD) that is easy to overlook. Where the selling agent is different from the managing agent, the selling agent must give the managing agent a copy of every Form 9 before entering. The RTA recommends agreeing on a showing schedule with the tenant at the outset of a sales campaign to reduce the number of individual notices issued.

Western Australia — Reasonable written notice is required under the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (WA). The Act does not specify a minimum advance notice period for buyer access; reasonable notice in context of a sales campaign is the standard.

South Australia — Written notice is required, and buyer showings are capped at two per week unless the tenant agrees to more. Agents should confirm the current specific notice period with Consumer and Business Services SA, as the Residential Tenancies Act 1995 (SA) provisions may have been updated.

ACT, Tasmania, NT — Written notice is required before each buyer inspection. Check the relevant state Act or tenancy authority for the current notice period.

One compliance point that affects sales campaigns specifically: property managers and selling agents must obtain the tenant's consent before photographing or filming the tenant's personal possessions for advertising purposes. Photographing the property itself is standard practice, but capturing a tenant's furniture, artwork, or belongings in images used for marketing requires a separate consent process in most jurisdictions.

Most state Acts list additional specific purposes for which entry is permitted beyond the main categories above. The most common are:

Valuation — Entry to enable a professional valuation of the property. In New South Wales, the landlord may arrange a valuation once in any 12-month period with at least 7 days' written notice under the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW). Queensland requires 48 hours' notice for valuation access. Other states have similar provisions with notice requirements.

Safety and compliance inspections — Entry to service or test smoke alarms, check gas appliances, or carry out other mandatory compliance work. Some states categorise this separately from repairs; others treat compliance work as maintenance. See the smoke alarm compliance guide and gas and electrical safety guide for the specific obligations that trigger access rights in each state.

Entry under a tribunal order — Where a tenant has unreasonably refused entry for a lawful purpose, the landlord can apply to the relevant tribunal for an order authorising access. Entry under such an order is lawful provided the order is current and the terms of the order are observed.

Suspected abandonment — Where there is reasonable grounds to believe the property has been abandoned, most state Acts permit entry to confirm the situation before taking further action. The procedure for dealing with apparent abandonment varies by state and should be followed carefully — incorrectly treating an occupied property as abandoned is a serious breach.

Even where proper notice has been given for a lawful reason, entry must occur at a reasonable time. Most states define acceptable entry hours explicitly in their legislation.

The standard across most of Australia is 8am to 6pm on weekdays. Western Australia specifies 8am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays as the reasonable hours for inspection access.

Most states prohibit entry on Sundays and public holidays for routine inspections, unless the tenant specifically agrees. In New South Wales and Queensland, routine inspections cannot take place on Sundays or public holidays without tenant consent. Victoria permits Sunday inspections between 8am and 6pm but prohibits inspections on public holidays.

For buyer showings, day and time restrictions generally follow the same pattern as routine inspections in each state. The tenant has the same right to object to a showing on a Sunday or public holiday as they do to a routine inspection at the same time.

Genuine emergencies are not subject to day or time restrictions. A gas leak at 11pm on a Sunday requires immediate access, and the normal hour restrictions do not apply.

Property managers who schedule repairs or inspections outside permitted hours — even with a notice that gives the correct number of days — are still in breach of the entry rules. The notice period and the permitted hours are separate requirements, and both must be satisfied.

Unlawful entry occurs when a landlord or property manager enters a rental property without:

• A reason permitted by the relevant state's legislation, or
• Giving the required notice for that reason, or
• Entering at a time outside the permitted hours, or
• Entering more frequently than the statutory cap allows (for routine inspections)

It is also unlawful entry to enter for a purpose other than the one stated in the notice — for example, giving notice of an entry for repairs but using the visit to conduct an unscheduled general inspection.

The consequences of unlawful entry for an agency include:

Tribunal orders — The tenant can apply for an order restricting further access, or for compensation for disturbance and loss of quiet enjoyment caused by the breach.

Effect on bond disputes — A history of unlawful access by the property manager creates a credibility problem in bond dispute proceedings, even where the underlying bond claim is legitimate. Tribunals can take conduct into account when assessing the reliability of inspection evidence.

Regulator complaints — Tenants can lodge a formal complaint with the relevant state tenancy authority, which may investigate the agency's conduct more broadly.

The agencies most exposed to unlawful entry risk are those managing properties across multiple states who apply the rules of one jurisdiction to another. Applying NSW's 2-day repair notice to a WA property (where 72 hours is required), or conducting three routine inspections in a Victorian property (where two is the annual cap), are straightforward compliance errors that dedicated property management software or clear state-specific checklists would catch.

Staying consistently compliant with right-of-entry rules across a portfolio — especially a multi-state portfolio — requires systems, not just awareness. These practical steps reduce the risk of inadvertent breaches.

Document every entry. Record the reason for entry, the notice given (with date and method of service), the date and time of actual entry, and who attended. A notice sent by email and not acknowledged by the tenant can still constitute proper written notice if served correctly; retain the evidence of service. This documentation matters if a tenant later alleges unlawful access.

Use the correct notice form per state. In Queensland, the Entry Notice Form 9 is a prescribed form — informal written communication does not satisfy the requirement for inspections and many other types of entry. Other states require written notice but do not prescribe a specific form; ensure your templates include all required information (purpose, proposed date and time, property address).

Match the rules to the state of each property. A WA property requires 72 hours for repairs; an NT property requires 24 hours. Using a single national notice template with the shorter period exposes WA tenancies to unlawful entry claims. Apply the specific state's rules to each property in your system.

Separate the entry types in your records. Routine inspections count against the annual cap; repair visits do not. A maintenance visit recorded as a routine inspection in your system will falsely indicate that one of the year's inspection slots has been used.

Check for legislative updates. Residential tenancies law across Australia changes regularly. Victoria's 2025 reforms introduced new entry restrictions for certain circumstances. South Australia's frequency cap for routine inspections took effect in July 2024. Keeping pace with state-by-state legislative changes is a standing compliance obligation — the state-specific rental law change guides on this site cover recent reforms as they occur. See Victorian rental law changes and South Australian rental law changes for recent examples.