Landlord Entry and Privacy in New York City
Your landlord owns the building, but your home is yours. In New York City a landlord needs notice and a good reason to enter, except in a true emergency. This guide covers entry rules, locks, lockouts, and what to do if a landlord will not leave you alone.
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Your landlord cannot walk in whenever they want. For normal visits, the landlord must give you notice first. The visit must happen at a reasonable time. In a true emergency, like a fire or a burst pipe, the landlord can enter without notice.
✓ Sources checked August 23, 2026
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With notice, the landlord can enter for only a few reasons. They can make needed or agreed repairs. They can enter when your lease allows it. They can show the apartment to future tenants or buyers.
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You have a duty too. If you refuse needed repair visits without a good reason, the landlord can use that against you. Repeated unfair refusals can become grounds for an eviction case.
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You can change your own locks. But the law says you must give the landlord a copy of the new key.
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It works differently the other way. If the landlord changes your locks without giving you a key, that breaks NYC's Unlawful Eviction Law. This protects you even without a lease if you have lawfully lived there more than 30 days.
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If you get locked out, go to the nearest police station and report it. Then go to housing court and start an illegal lockout case. Keep proof that you live there, like your lease, rent receipts, bills, or mail. Bring those papers to the police and the court.
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A landlord who forces you out illegally pays a real price. A court can order the landlord to pay you 3 times your damages. The court can also order the landlord to let you back in.
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You have the right to privacy and quiet in your home. The law calls this quiet enjoyment. Nobody acting for the owner may interfere with it. Repeated intrusions meant to push you out count as harassment, and harassment is illegal.
NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Tenants' Rights FAQs: harassment NYS Homes and Community Renewal (DHCR) Harassment: Overview✓ Sources checked August 23, 2026
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If your apartment is rent stabilized or rent controlled, you can report harassment to the state housing agency, DHCR. File form RA-60H. If DHCR finds harassment, it can fine the owner. Any tenant can also bring a harassment case in housing court.
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Where to get help: call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline. NYC renters get free legal advice there about entry, lockouts, and harassment.
✓ Sources checked August 23, 2026
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If the landlord starts an eviction case against you, you can get a free lawyer through NYC's Right to Counsel program. Call 311 and ask for the Right to Counsel. It is free in every ZIP code, no matter your immigration status.
✓ Sources checked August 23, 2026
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If a lockout leaves you homeless or costs you your belongings, apply for a One Shot Deal emergency grant from NYC HRA. It can help replace lost items and keep you housed. Apply on ACCESS HRA or call 718-557-1399.
✓ Sources checked August 23, 2026
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Free legal aid groups across New York can take lockout and harassment cases if you qualify. Check lawhelp.org to find one near you.
✓ Sources checked August 23, 2026
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