Inspection and Repair Letters for Commercial and Residential Landlords

Access Letters for Commercial and Residential Landlords

From time to time during any tenancy, whether commercial or residential, the landlord or their agent will need to have access to the property. This may be for a routine inspection, to carry out repairs or to prepare the property for sale or reletting.

Most tenancy agreements and leases will contain clauses allowing the landlord to enter the property for these purposes. Typically, the landlord will have to give the tenant notice – either “reasonable” notice or a fixed period of, say 48 hours or 3 days. It is important that landlords abide by the terms of the lease or tenancy agreement when arranging access.

Our new template Access Letters cater for a range of situations where access is required to a property:

• To carry out repair or maintenance work
• Routine inspection
• To have the property appraised by an estate agent or lettings agent
• For viewings by potential buyers or tenants.

The letters can be sent by a landlord or a managing agent to the tenant. They set out when access is required and for how long, and who will be entering the property. They state whether or not the tenant needs to be present and, if not, how the visitor will gain access to the property. The tenant is asked to sign and return a copy of the letter to acknowledge receipt.

Use of these letters will help landlords and agents to comply with their notice obligations under leases and tenancy agreements. Copy correspondence should kept on the tenant’s file to enable the landlord or agent to demonstrate compliance.