Real Estate Law Blog

“Mi Casa Es Su Casa”… Not So Fast, Landlords

Mi Casa Es Su Case translates to “My House Is Your House.” That sounds nice, and while technically true, tenants are not always so welcoming to their landlord. In fact, sometimes they may downright refuse to let their landlord enter their unit. There are several reasons that access by the landlord to an occupied unit may be necessary: to address a disturbance, to respond to an emergency, to make repairs, etc. However, a landlord must be mindful of the parties’ respective rights under the Uniform Residential Landlord Tenant Act.[1]While tenants generally have a right to quiet and exclusive possession of the property during the lease term, the tenants may not unreasonably withhold consent or deny access to the landlord.[2] Pursuant to Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 383.615, the landlord is entitled “to enter the dwelling unit in order to inspect the premises, make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations, or improvements, supply the necessary or agreed services, or exhibit the dwelling unit to prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workmen, or contractors.”[3] More >