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I live in Illinois and I am aware of the complete lack of laws regarding what a landlord can and cannot do in regard to giving notice before entering a tenants apartment. However, my landlord entered my apartment while I was sleeping (I work nights), did not announce himself, and looked around my apartment and inspected my bathroom before he leg t. The lease says he can enter at will. Is this legal? I didn't even know he was there. He left a note in my mailbox that said I had to clean my toilet. I sleep in my underwear and I don't have a bedroom door (studio apartment). It just seems creepy and wrong to me. Thoughts? Please don't give me advice to put a chain in my door. Already got that from my parents. Just looking for answers about his right to enter my apartment unannounced.
Last edited by amyn73; 03-18-2017 at 02:17 PM..
Reason: Error
Unfortunately, you live in a state with no rules about a landlord entering an apartment. More unfortunately, you signed a lease stating the landlord can enter at will.
What did you think that meant ? Since you signed the lease you agreed to that condition. Now you're seeing the results of that.
You can try to speak with your landlord and see if you can get him to agree to some notice before he enters. However, the fact that he did not even knock first, tells you something about his mindset. When your lease is up, you can try to renegotiate the terms of the lease. However, I don't think that is going to work with this landlord. Plan on moving.
Putting a lock & chain on the door is a modification to the apartment that is probably against the lease as it keeps the landlord from entering at will. I doubt if your landlord would permit it.
Landlord laws are usually not state laws, but rather local municipality. And many places in Illinois DO have regulations about what a landlord can do. What town or city do you live in?
In those places with LL regulations, most state that a landlord can only enter without prior notice in an emergency. It would be up to you to file a complaint and demonstrate that they have violated the law.
Do you have a chain on your door? If so, start using it when you are sleeping. If not, you could always get a door alarm or a door security bar. Short of breaking the door down, the landlord can't get in with one of these installed.
If he was a decent person, he would have noticed you were there sleep, exited, and knocked until you answered the door. I don't know if he was within the law or not, but I would find an excuse to do so, and leave asap.
If he was a decent person, he would have noticed you were there sleep, exited, and knocked until you answered the door. I don't know if he was within the law or not, but I would find an excuse to do so, and leave asap.
Any decent landlord would pound on the door until he discerned that there was nobody home.
If I was the landlord I would have exited immediately.
Not out of decency but of the danger of getting charged in a " she said/he said" accusation.
Double that, square it, then mulitipy by the national debt.
It's crazy for a landlord to enter a unit without all the proper legal grounds covered.
And worse, in many states a tenant just might misinterpret unauthorized LL entrance as a house invasion, and defend himself/herself by lethal force granted us by our Constitutional right to bear arms.
You LLs, you might be right, but you might be dead right, and a tenant justifiably ruled as a case of self defense.
Go ahead. Gamble. Sadly, if you lose you will not be posting on our forum any more.
Short of breaking the door down, the landlord can't get in with one of these installed.
Or just put a bunch of stuff in front of the door. If you don't have anything heavy, you could just put a bunch of empty boxes or cans or something, so if he does come in again (since you said you didn't even know he was there), then it will be obvious if he did, and it will be obvious that you don't want him to.
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