§ 5-6. Can the landlord enter your flat?

The landlord (utleier) can enter your home (bolig) for inspection (tilsyn) and maintenance (vedlikehold) — but he must give you notice a reasonable time in advance. Without notice, it is only lawful if it is necessary to prevent damage and it is impossible to notify you.

The Tenancy Act (husleieloven)·LOV-1999-03-26-17

Machine-translated from Norwegian. The Norwegian text is the one that applies. Read the original in Norwegian.Norsk English العربية Polski Українська

The text of the law (unofficial translation)

The tenant (leier) must, to the extent necessary, give the landlord or the landlord's representative access to the rented premises (husrom) for inspection.

The tenant must give the landlord or others access to the rented premises to the extent needed to carry out mandatory maintenance, lawful alterations or other work that must be done to prevent damage to the rented premises or the rest of the property. If the work causes inconvenience for the tenant, the tenant may demand a rent reduction (leieavslag) under § 2-11 second paragraph, provided that the inconvenience is not insignificant. The provision in the previous sentence does not apply if the defect (mangel) is due to circumstances on the tenant's side.

The tenant shall be notified a reasonable time before inspection or maintenance work is carried out. Before work as mentioned in § 5-4 is started, the tenant shall be notified with a deadline as mentioned in § 9-6 first paragraph. The provisions in the first sentence do not apply if measures are necessary to prevent damage to the rented premises or the rest of the property, and it is not possible to notify the tenant.

Source: Lovdata — Husleieloven (the Tenancy Act) § 5-6

What does this mean?

Your home is your home — you have a right to privacy and peace. But the landlord owns the building and has legitimate reasons to come in now and then.

Two types of visits:

Inspection — the landlord wants to see that everything is in order. He may do this, but you must be given notice a reasonable time in advance. What is reasonable? At least a few days, preferably a week. The landlord calling on Monday and asking to come on Tuesday may be too little, depending on the situation.

Maintenance and work — a plumber needs to replace pipes, an electrician needs to look at the fuse box, a painter is coming at the landlord's request. You must give access, but you must be given reasonable notice. For larger alterations under § 5-4, the notice must be as long as the notice period (oppsigelsesfrist) — three months.

Emergencies without notice: If there is a risk of damage — a pipe has burst, there is a fire, a serious leak — and it is impossible to notify you, the landlord can enter without notice. This is a narrow exception, not a general right to turn up whenever it suits him.

Inconvenience gives you a rent reduction. If work is going on that inconveniences you — and the inconvenience is not insignificant — you can demand a rent reduction for that period under § 2-11.

Examples

The landlord calls on Friday afternoon and says he is coming for an inspection on Monday morning. Marius works from home and thinks this is too short notice. He can ask to postpone it to a day that suits better — "a reasonable time" means that both parties' situations are taken into account.

The plumber needs to replace the stopcock in the kitchen, and the landlord notifies Sara one week in advance. The work takes three hours and Sara cannot use the kitchen in the meantime. It is some inconvenience, but probably not enough to give a rent reduction. Had she been without water for a week, the situation would have been different.

Common mistakes

  1. Thinking the landlord is never allowed to come in. He is — but with notice.
  2. Thinking the landlord can come at any time because he owns the building. No — he must respect your privacy and give notice.
  3. Refusing access for necessary maintenance work. You cannot do that — you must give access, even if it is inconvenient.

What should you do?

If you receive notice of an inspection or work: Confirm in writing that you have received the notice. If the time is inconvenient, suggest an alternative. Document all communication. If you will not be home at the agreed time, clarify whether the landlord can have a key for a limited period — and set the conditions for this in writing.

Frequently asked questions

Can the landlord have a key to my flat?
Yes, the landlord can have a key — but he cannot use it to enter without agreement and notice, except in emergencies. It is not unusual for landlords to have a spare key, but its use is regulated.
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