How many hours' notice must a landlord give before entering in California?

24 hours. The standard is reasonable written notice, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable. The notice must state the date, the approximate time, and the purpose of the entry.

What reasons allow a landlord to enter a rental in California?

A landlord may enter for an emergency, for agreed or necessary repairs, decorations, alterations, or improvements, to show the unit, for a pre-move-out inspection, under a court order, or after abandonment or surrender.

Can a landlord enter without notice in an emergency in California?

Yes — California recognizes an emergency exception to the entry-notice requirement.

Are there time-of-day limits on when a landlord can enter in California?

Entry must be during normal business hours unless the tenant consents at the time of entry or otherwise agrees.

How much notice must a landlord give before entering in California?

Verified July 7, 2026 All California topics →

Check your municipality. California does not preempt local rent regulation — city or county ordinances may impose rent caps, notice rules, and fee limits that are stricter than the state-level rules on this page and are not covered here. Verify your municipality's ordinances before relying on any figure below. Verified local pages: Berkeley , Beverly Hills , Culver City , Hayward , Inglewood , Los Angeles , Los Angeles County (unincorporated) , Mountain View , Oakland , Pasadena , Pomona , Richmond , Sacramento , San Francisco , San Jose , Santa Ana , Santa Monica , West Hollywood .

What the state record says

California has a statewide rent cap. The Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) limits annual increases on covered units to the lesser of 5% plus regional CPI or 10%, with at most two increases per 12 months. Many units are exempt, and stricter local rent-control ordinances control where they exist. The cap is codified at Civ. Code § 1947.12. It is measured against the lowest rent in the prior 12 months and is in effect through 2030. Exempt: housing with a certificate of occupancy within 15 years (a rolling window); most single-family homes and condos not owned by corporations or REITs, where the exemption requires the statutory written disclosure to the tenant; and owner-occupied duplexes.

California landlords must give reasonable written notice before entering an occupied unit — 24 hours is presumed reasonable — stating the date, approximate time, and purpose, and entry must happen during normal business hours unless the tenant agrees otherwise.

Cited to Cal. Civ. Code § 1954 · Verified July 7, 2026

Entry without notice is allowed only in emergencies, with the tenant's at-the-door consent, or after abandonment.

California entry notice at a glance

Advance notice required	24 hours
Notice standard	The standard is reasonable written notice, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable. The notice must state the date, the approximate time, and the purpose of the entry. Entry must be during normal business hours unless the tenant agrees otherwise. Six days' mailed notice is presumed reasonable when notice is mailed.
Permitted reasons	A landlord may enter for an emergency, for agreed or necessary repairs, decorations, alterations, or improvements, to show the unit, for a pre-move-out inspection, under a court order, or after abandonment or surrender. The showing category covers showings to prospective tenants, buyers, lenders, or contractors.
Emergency exception	Yes
Time-of-day restrictions	Entry must be during normal business hours unless the tenant consents at the time of entry or otherwise agrees.

Cite this page: "Landlord Atlas, California Landlord Entry Notice Laws (verified July 7, 2026), landlordatlas.com/laws/entry-notice/california/" — free to cite and quote with a link (how these records are verified). Every figure above is cited to the California statute in the citations section below.

Common questions: California entry notice

Each answer is the verified value from the table above, restated as a direct answer. Free to quote with a link to this page.

How many hours' notice must a landlord give before entering in California?: 24 hours. The standard is reasonable written notice, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable. The notice must state the date, the approximate time, and the purpose of the entry.
What reasons allow a landlord to enter a rental in California?: A landlord may enter for an emergency, for agreed or necessary repairs, decorations, alterations, or improvements, to show the unit, for a pre-move-out inspection, under a court order, or after abandonment or surrender.
Can a landlord enter without notice in an emergency in California?: Yes — California recognizes an emergency exception to the entry-notice requirement.
Are there time-of-day limits on when a landlord can enter in California?: Entry must be during normal business hours unless the tenant consents at the time of entry or otherwise agrees.

Statute citations

Cal. Civ. Code § 1954 (verified 2026) Official source

How this record was verified: Web verification against leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (Civ. Code 1950.5, 827; AB 12 bill text) with corroborating county/city government sources (SF.gov, LA County DCBA, San Mateo County) for AB 1482 and Civ. Code 1954 operation.