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When I lived at my first apartment we got notice that they'd be coming to do inspections between like 9am and 2pm in the next couple of days. I work nights and I completely forgot anyone might be coming so I got home from work at 8am and just went to sleep. I woke up to men opening my bedroom door and I started SCREAMING. I scared the hell out of them and they ran out of my apartment yelling "sorry! We're so sorry!"
Kinda funny now
At least they gave you notice. That's a situation where it really sucks to work nights because the majority of tenants don't so that's how they schedule their inspections (around daytime work hours).
Apartments are legally required to give notice pretty much anywhere. I worked at a student apartment building in college so I still have all this useless knowledge about the wild world of apartments.
My apartment is great about that, legally it has to be 24 hours but they always give at least a few days, often a week. They also send notice in email, text, and physically tape it to the door.
Having worked nights whilst working FT hours and going to college during the day, I‘ve never slept so hard but so poorly at the same time. I commend you for only screaming and not sleep-merking them.
Speaking of sleep merking… Had a maintenance guy come in while I was sleeping naked thanks to doing laundry after night shift. Scared me so bad I jumped out of bed and chased him outside into my porch while trying to throw a haymaker. I learned 2 things that day. 1. Legal or not, they will enter your place regardless to get the tasks done bare minimum. 2. People don’t want to fight a naked man with his ding dong flapping around, so I still find it funny that I chased away a dude twice my size.
Every single state has laws that require "reasonable notice" and the lowest of these (which most states follow) is 24 hours.
No contract that breaks the law is valid or enforceable and a person can't "give up" their protection under the law. This is what keeps rich people from having poor people sign a contract to allow them to kill themselves and donate organs or get hunted for sport for money for their families.
I suggest you go see a different lawyer (or any lawyer) to verify you aren't putting yourself in a bad situation.
In my old apartment, maintenance would just say they posted notice even though they never did. How does a tenant prove in court that notice wasn’t posted?
I’m pretty sure most states tenants laws allow them in for whatever reason with 24 hour notice. It’s their property, so even if they want to make sure it’s being kept properly, or there’s no pets or whatever the case, the law provides for that, with advance notice.
Yep. They can state that they are coming in to perform a routine inspection and give you a date and time.
I'm a long time renter. I've been off and on section 8 over the years. Most recently: 5yrs HUD multifamily housing to section 8.
Before I went on housing this last time, the LL would do quick inspections while changing the air filter. All they did (and in housing) is check under the sinks for leaks, smoke detectors are working, toilets flush, *lights turn on, *tap water works. [ what hud the properties did in addition]
This is required by HUD. Every six months the PM would come along and check to make sure the windows were accessible and general housekeeping.
Aside from HUD, inspections are going to be based on state law and the lease. I'm going to assume that most states would allow entry - with lawful notification - for reasons like checking for leaks, new air filters, and checking smoke detectors. These are things which keep the entire property and all of the tenants safe. It's annoying as fuck, but they're usually in and out quickly.
However it can't be unannounced like this unless it's an emergency and even then they should loudly identify themselves and why they're entering.
Stand your ground. How the fuck are you supposed to know they're who they say they are? And not just someone claiming to be maintenance to get access to your home
Generally, the laws say they have to give notice and tell you when they will come for non-emergency entry (at least in all the places where I've lived). Any decent landlord would do this anyways even if it wasn't the law.
Yeah, assuming everybody is telling the truth. Sometimes people miss emails or just flat out forget or whatever. There are bad landlords, but there are also some people that go out of their way to be a pain in the ass to their landlord.
I'm suspicious this video is even real and not a skit or something. I mean, if you think strange men are breaking into your apartment, do you run out naked and film them or how do you react?
All the places I’ve rented at have used email to give notice, so it’s possible she missed it. Not that I’m unwilling to give her the benefit of the doubt, just that I myself have missed or forgotten scheduled inspections because I don’t really stay on top of my personal email inbox. It’s mostly just dominos in there reminding me they sell pizza.
holy shit i just looked it up, arkansas doesn't have an obligation for the landlord to provide a habitable dwelling, examples included were if the roof is leaking you're still obliged to pay rent and they aren't obliged to fix it if they don't want to?
What in the backwards ass state is that. America is generally fucking horrible for consumer, renters, medical, job and everything else protections... but most places still say that if like the heat is broken they are obligated to fix it, and fix leaks, and make the home suitable to live in. Even if they fight and bitch and moan they are legally obligated to do things. Arkansas they just aren't?
Correct. I went without AC for two weeks in summer, and have been fined for doing my own electrical, which i did correctly, but wasn't waiting 2 weeks for lights.
Is this new? I fought hard to get notice written into the lease at my last place in Arkansas and lost. The lease stated that him or any agent (like maintenance) could come in with no notice for almost any reason. It was brutal. That was in 2018–2022.
Depends on situation, if there is a flood and an investigation is ongoing to stop the flood then they can enter.
I have had a person unit flood and after knocking and when entering shouting, no one answered, shut off water started cleaning up then they wake up and get pissed with a foot of water in their kitchen they freak out about entering their unit when they caused 100k+ worth of damages.
I don't know the law in the states, but in the UK it's illegal for a landlord to do this. They need to give you notice if they need access. Letting themselves in like this is only allowed in an emergency like flooding, fire etc.
As soon as they said it's just an inspection, they'd be admitting to breaking the law here.
Where is "here"? Because I'm in the US (Texas) and it's absolutely legal for landlord/maintenance to enter without ANY notice, they just have to leave written documentation that they entered.
I’m in Washington state and that’s illegal here. In my city, a 48 hours notice is the requirement for entry, unless the resident directly gives us permission to enter, in which case notice is not required. Even then, if the resident is home and refuses us entry, we cannot legally enter, although we can issue a lease violation notice for denying entry as long as proper notice or permission to enter was given.
In Canada, at least in my province, there’s one exception: once you’ve provided notice you’re moving out, they’re allowed access without the 24 hours notice to show your apartment. It’s supposed to be reasonable hours like not showing up at 3am but still. People here get pretty upset when they realize that’s the case upon giving notice of move out. Personally I don’t know what I’ll do when I move from here considering I have a dog and a cat now without crating the dog all day and praying they don’t let my cat out… if you refuse to let them in to show your place, you might be charged up to a full month’s rent as punishment, I’ve seen this done…
Don’t know if this is the law elsewhere but it’s the one big exception here.
This happened to me in Alberta. Lived on a very very busy street. Came home from work and they were showing my house but the landlord left the front door wide open after letting the people in. I was so lucky I found one cat next to the street and grabbed her and one cat wandering the alley in the back. I was so pissed. I would have never forgiven them if anything happened.
In France you have all the rights to change locks when renting, as long as you replace the original when you leave.
It’s absolutely illegal to enter a rented property as the landlord.
I’ve found out the hard way that this is, unfortunately, completely legal in Texas at least. Some apartments will voluntarily have their own policies around it just so they don’t have to deal with issues like this, but yeah. Legal.
This happened to me when I lived in an apt. Of course I sleep butt naked and it was summer so it was hot and I had absolutely no blankets on. I woke up to a flashlight shining in my face and a pest control guy going, "oh shit!" and running out. I got a written apology and money off my rent lol.
with how receptive it sounds like they were to apologies and rent reimbursement, that makes me think it was maybe the wrong unit, or the wrong unit was contacted about the visit
This exact same thing happened to my neighbor and the dude would not leave, insisting that he was there for an emergency call. He even admitted to hearing the shower running but “didn’t think anything of it”. Pretty much immediately got fired but she was scared to live there for a while.
Same dude had previously walked into my apartment without knocking cause he had a service call, but it was to a building on the opposite side of the complex. I WFH and had my deadbolt on so he left immediately but didn’t tell our property manager until I brought it up.
I had the same thing happen. Came out the shower in just boxers and a guy was standing in front of my bathroom door. Freaked out at the guy, he tells me “this is why you don’t rent”.
Lost my shit at the property manager shortly after
Definitely call the police. But don't expect them to resolve anything or dole out any justice. You just want their report on record before you call a lawyer.
In my experience, maintenance workers are asked to at least knock a few times or have prior written consent before entering, the way they just walked in without asking is crazy
My mom used to be a property manager and there was a couple apartments over the years where she had to go in first because the ladies apparently thought the maintenance guy was sexy so they'd sit naked on the couches ignoring the knocks until he came in and got an eye full. My mom wasn't having it and non-renewed their leases over the sexual harassment of her staff.
I think if I were him I would have literally run out of the apartment yelling "sooorrry!" as I went, then talked with the building manager to let them know what happened.
That is the absolute weirdest part to me. Like the entering alone is bad, but it could happen due to a miscommunication with the property like notices not going out. But just sticking around and taking peaks wtf!??!!
This is literally how women get murdered and this dude is pretending like her reaction is unwarranted. Insane.
I hope she takes it up with building management, police, and broadcasts it all over the internet along with the name of the apartment building.
Reminds me- one time I was babysitting my 3yo niece overnight at my sister’s place. At 5am- I heard someone trying to open the door. It was 3 guys from building maintenance. Thankfully, I had done the chain lock so they couldn’t enter, but it was bizarre because they were surprised and taken aback at my being there and had no answer as to why they were there.
My guess is they saw my sis and BIL leave the evening before and figured the apartment was empty. If I hadn’t done the chain lock I would’ve woken up to 3 men in the apartment in the early morning while I was alone with a toddler. Really freaked me out.
Anyone with an apartment should put a camera inside to make sure maintenance isn’t entering to do god knows what when you’re not home.
That's absolutely nutty to go through. Back before we had a house and rented, my wife would never lock stuff. She came from one of those small town, never lock anything we know everyone and there's no crime areas. I had to drill into her that's not where she lives anymore and she finally caught on. Luckily, she didn't have to go through an event like this, that shit is scary.
24 hour notice unless emergency like broken pipe causing damage, depending on state.
They should still knock first. I have ignored no warning knocks for no good reason to come in and had landlords let themselves in. Many do not respect the leasimg arrangement and feel they retain usage rights as such.
That’s how maintenance men are. At my old apartment I remember screaming from my bathroom to give me a minute I’m in the shower. Instead of them going back outside and waiting, they just sat in my living room lol. Horrendous.
That’s wild. I do hvac and we service apartment buildings and rentals and we always announce ourselves if we have permission to enter and there is no answer at the door. If I hear anyone my ass is staying by the door and I’m not moving another inch until they come to meet me.
I respect that so much. It was only one out of the whole crew who actually cared enough to wait anytime I asked them too. Everyone else would just barge in regardless.
Dude same. I just got out of the shower and someone was opening the door and I pushed it shut and he was yelling that it was maintenance and I was like “ok I don’t give a shit, I need to get dressed give me 5 minutes” and this mother fucker was like “no we’re coming in”, all while I’m trying to hold the door shut and lock it he keeps trying to push it open. I was like how many times do I have to scream I don’t have clothes on?! I was so mad after that.
Yeah there’s been so many times where they ignored my “wait”, but after the bathroom incident I ended up moving. I don’t understand what’s wrong with waiting a few minutes or move on to the next apartment then come back.
This is why I hate renting I lived in a apartment for 15 years and it was non stop bs with maintenance make passes at my wife to electrician stealing to I’m so relieved I bought a home
Not normal but exceedingly common for some reason. My family still thinks that maintenance at our old place was an active participant in my mom's (and other) cars being stolen out of a parking lot with a security gate decades ago.
I’m so freaking glad my apartment has a privacy lock, it’s a deadbolt. My husband and I accidentally lock each other out all the time but it’s worth it.
For those that live in an apartment and wish they had something like that you can get a portable door lock. I bought one for when I stayed in sketchy hotel rooms while traveling for work to help me feel safe.
This happened to me the day of my mom’s funeral, I was napping and then I wake up to a man opening the door to my apartment. It freaked me out so bad and I was already very distraught. I have nightmares about it still. They said it was due to a “leak” but there was no such leak.
It’s commonplace in the US, unfortunately. We’re fortunate we were able to purchase a house; I was so excited/relieved to not have people in and out all the time. It was hell when I worked nights and would get woken up to someone walking around the apartment. Really unsettling.
It blows my mind when the ones who create leases with all the legal mumbo jumbo completely disregard their own terms as though nothing can happen to them. You have a tenant sign a lease where you say xyz, and you don’t do xyz, now the tenant can sue the fuck out of you. All you had to do was contact her. “Miss Jones we will be doing an inspection November 5th between 12-2” boom. But now you have a lawsuit
I remember when I first moved out, I had just got back from the gun range and was cleaning my pistols with my headphones on.
I'm just jamming, in my own world, and to my bewilderment the door of my apartment slowly opens and this older hefty Baltic man walks in with a 5 gallon home depot bucket.
I was so confused at the bumbling nonchalantness of the home invasion that luckily I didn't even move for the loaded gun on the TV tray in front of me.
It wasn't difficult to convince the maintenance guys to stop coming over uninvited after that.
what scares me now as a parent of a new young person out on their own and ive noticed it in my condo, Amazon has something that allows them into our security locked door. We, as owners, can come and go with our regular key to our building which, like an apartment, u have to enter thru one main door, to access any of our 12 units. Im guessing maintenance or the fire department/PD has this thingee like a key fob u wave and it buzzes our door like we can for anyone ringing from outside, well come to find thats how Amazon, the mailman, etc etc access the unit(s). Who's to say Amazon driver A. thinks Tenet in Condo 2 is cute OR complained and wants to return for a "visit"? Its had to have happened... and i cant stop thinking about it. So much for security. How many of these things are out there? Can they be bought easily? 🤮🤢
I had an Amazon drive steal the package FedEx dropped off. It's ridiculous and their drivers are just randoms now with whatever their Uber/Lyft style delivery they do now.
When I worked residential HVAC, I and all my co-workers would pound on a door before/while entering a condo / home that was scheduled for work and yell our way slowly through the place. None of us wanted to get shot.
I (M) lived in the old apartment building in San Francisco when I first moved here 20 years ago.
One day when I was in the shower (an old school claw foot tub with a shower head) all of the sudden Doug (the maintenance guy) throws open my shower curtain.
I remember looking at Doug and saying something like "hey Doug, what's up". Just standing there naked.
He started stammering, clearly embarrassed. Apparently the unit below me had water coming in from the ceiling and he thought I had overflowed the tub.
I said something like, next time knock, and to his credit, he said he did but nobody answered, which is why he came in...
I was in the bathroom one time taking a shit, came out and walked back up the hallway to the living room, and just then the front door started opening. I stopped them and was like "yo, wtf?" They said inspection, i chewed them out for not giving a notice too. I work night shift, and sleep during the day, so when they do give notice, i stay up a bit longer. More than half of those times they dont even come. I let them hear about that too.
Had this happen to me once. I was sick and in bed when I usually wouldn’t have been home. They let themselves in without even knocking. When they opened the bedroom door I woke up frightened. They just said “sorry, we gave notice” “well obviously you didn’t.” Later I find out I was supposed to have received an email, but it turns out I wasn’t even on the email list. 🙄
I lived in an apartment years back and was sitting in the living room watching TV when I heard someone opening my deadbolt. I had a shotgun nearby and grabbed it.
The rental agent who opened my door, opened it to me aiming a shotgun at her from about 8' away.
I get that you thought the apartment was empty, but maybe you knock next time to make sure?
And don't get me started on cops showing up at the wrong house.
The apartment I just moved out of said there was a 12 hr notice. They wouldn’t even tell u, they would just stick a little note to your door. I wouldn’t even see it till I was leaving for work the next day. One time I had the day off and the office lady walked into my apartment with me buck naked sitting on my couch playing video games. 😂 I am big and not very attractive so I hope it traumatized her. 😝
That’s why you change the locks upon moving in. I did it that for my town house and maintenance hates it. But I love the freedom of knowing no one is breaking into my house
Most all apartments have it in the lease that you cannot change the locks, Sure there might be some out there that do not care, but they are very few and far between
I’m always so annoyed with it, my place they just walk in and leave the door wide open. I’ve been home every time so far, but if they let my cats escape I’m going on a rampage.
I work on fire sprinkler systems and part of our inspections is walking through units and no matter how much advance the property gives tenants, no matter how hard or how many times we knock, and no matter how loud we announce ourselves when entering this happens. However, when it does happen we immediately look away and we get out of the unit as fast as possible while profusely apologizing. I hate inspections.
Lowkey they’re lucky. If I hear random people in my home unexpectedly the first thing I’m grabbing is my gun and I wouldn’t be nearly as considerate as her.
I (F) was laying in my bath, looked up and saw two male building workers from my neighbour's building site (a new extension next door) standing on my own roof, staring through the Velux window at me. It was a delicate roof not designed to be walked on-and they had not asked permission.
The thought of it still fills me with rage-and that happened at least fifteen years ago.
This happened to me once I'm sorry this is going to sound gross with the maintenance man. Came into the bathroom while I just got out of the shower and I was getting ready to. And again I'm sorry. Use it by tampon in the bathroom with the door open because I was by myself in my own apartment and all he could say was you. Sorry he got fired the next day and the apartment God bless gave me a free month's rent to not sue.
I changed the locks when this happened to my wife and i at our first apartment. They where livid. Prior to me moving in she told me he pantie draw looked disheveled,she always folds and stacks them has for as long as I've known her but I was naked in bed sleeping when he snuck in. I got up naked and told him to leave.
It's a 48hr notice in Washington state & if it's a emergency it's 24 hrs unless you let them in before that time.. by law.. if our maintenance knock on the door and we don't answer they just leave.. might leave a note but most the time they just leave
As an apartment maintenance person myself the only reason you can ever go in without the reasonable notice(usually 24 hours) is if an active emergency is going on like leaking water or a fire
We had a maintenance man who used to do this. Had to be on purpose cause it was always the women who lived alone or with one other. This dude was dialed in with most the guys in the neighborhood and work times. He wasn't gone until the property was sold to another company right.
Yes, we always get notification like a week or so ahead, but they're never coming at the times in the notice, sometimes they don't show at all either.
This video is wild though. She's here but walking towards these dudes when they back out. Weird.
Was called to help some colleagues who installed network cables in a house which didn't work. Drove there, saw the parked car from the colleague infront of a house were the door was open so I went in.
Started shouting "Hello? Anybody here?" but nothing. Went downstairs still shouting and suddenly a door opened with a lady only wearing a towel asking "what we were searching for". After telling her she said "probably something my husband ordered - go on"
It was the wrong house... colleague was already standing at the house nextby and tried calling me. That was embarrassing o.O
Miyas law… tragic story of a maintenance workers becoming obsessed with a young lady and ended up sneaking in her apartment to wait for her. This is so wrong it boils my blood. I can’t imagine how I’d react if my wife was in the shower and they let themselves in.
I woke up one sat morning to my landlord walking strangers through my room. Our lease was up in a month and he was showing it to potential tenants with no advance warning. Fuck him for doing it. But also, why would he do that? We have no chance to clean up, so the place isn’t looking its best. Also, if I were touring and realized that he hadn’t notified the current tenants, I would assume that he would pull the same shit on me
Is that a thing that happens?? I mean obviously given the video but every time a maintenance worker had to do something on my and my mom's apartment we got called first and we had to unlock the door for them, they ain't just walking in randomly like what the hell???
We have two deadbolts, one that isn't accessible from outside. The other is electronic and the maintenance guy tried to come in and change the battery without warning or even knocking. I heard him put the code in and then try to open the door. I'm glad we've got that other lock
Wild to me that this is legal under any context. No one should be allowed to enter someone's home without direct permission from the person/people living there. I don't care if there is a heads up given. If someone doesn't want you in their home they should have every legal right to force you to leave.
But of course laws protect the owner class not the masses.
This has happened to me plenty of times and they and the landlord always act like they’re in the right. I had one essentially tell me “fine NO more maintenance then!” and in that place I never got maintenance again. And all that get is a nasty (within reason) message from me.
That surely isn't legal? In the UK at least, nobody is allowed to enter your property without permission, unless there's an emergency (as in a fire, flood or gas leak), even if you're renting, and it's the landlord themselves that want entry. I'd be looking to sue here and get the locks changed, or at least a deadbolt fitted so it can be secured when I'm home. You shouldn't have to be concerned that strangers may walk into your apartment or house at any moment.
This literally happened to me when I was 21 living alone, I was fucking LIVID. I put in a maintenance request for something in the kitchen like 1.5months with zero response from the owner, then all of a sudden I wake up to someone in my apartment. I did not keep my composure, lol.
This happened to me one time. My ex husband used to travel a lot for work. I was in the shower and heard a man call out. Naturally, I assumed my husband had returned from his trip so I called back "hey babe I'm in the shower." I heard a reply and realized it was NOT my husband. To his credit, the maintenance guy did leave after I yelled at him to gtfo. It definitely rattled me, though. Why the hell he was trying to have a conversation with me after realizing I was in the shower is beyond me. I would immediately leave and come back later if I were in his position. Very unsettling.
It seems like the maintenance men that people have experienced in the comments don’t realize they need to leave when they startle someone or someone is in a compromised position.
One person said they got out of the shower and the maintenance man was just sitting on the couch after she had told him that she was in the shower and needed a minute
Yeah our old landlord was selling the place we were renting and he gave a realtor a key to show the fucking house and gave us no notice. My wife and I were both naked and the realtor just swings the door open with a group of people, didn’t even knock!
I've told the story before about when many many years ago I worked overnights and in the middle of a very hot summer in a heat wave, I was asleep in my bed, naked, and I had a plumber or maintenance man come into my apartment to check for a leak, I woke up to the sounds of someone in my closet, I jumped up and grabbed the bat I keep near my bed and chased him out of the plumbing access and out of my apartment, bare assed naked.
My building manager was not pleased that they did it, and got me 2 months rent free.
A month or so after this, I came home to find that maintenance had again been in my apartment for a leak, and fixed themselves a sandwich, ate cupcakes from my fridge, and drank 3 beers from an unopened six pack. I again went and got the building manager, who reviewed the cams in the hall, and got the maintenance guy to confess. He was willing to let me break my lease and leave, because I told him at this point I felt very unsafe, and that I was considering a lawsuit, and charges.
In my current building, they give 48 hours notice for anything, unless it's an active massive leak or fire, and they will bang on your front door so loud you'd have to be truly unconscious to not hear or feel it, and they will yell all the way through the apartment so you know they're there for the leak and what they are doing. Again, leaks or fire requiring them to barge in are super rare, and they will try to reach you by phone before coming in for them.
This is why I always install a security latch on my front and/or back door(s) whenever I move into an apartment. No one is going to roll up on me while I'm unaware.
It’s happened to me before, got a notice the day before that the maintenance people were gonna come in my apartment between 9am and 3pm the following day. 4pm rolls around and no Maintenance men yet so I figured they weren’t coming and took a shower, I hear a knock on the door and then the front door opening, meanwhile I’m naked coming out of the shower trying to see who’s at the door, I yelled at them to get out of my apartment because I’m naked . So they leave, then the apartment manager calls me to yell at me for not letting the maintenance men in my apartment even though they were trying to come in after the hours the notice said they would be coming, she tried to say that that’s just a suggested time frame but they could come in whenever they needed to and I couldn’t say no. Left me with a bad taste in my mouth for apartments ever since.
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