This woman felt so uncomfortable with what her landlord did that she’s now considering moving out of her apartment.
TikToker Shelby Grammer (@lil_cheb) recently shared a video of herself hiding in her closet.
There was an intruder in her home, but she says it was someone she knew—her landlord.
“Hiding from my landlord in my closet bc why did he let himself in with his own personal key… walked right in,” Grammer said.
“He things nobody is here so I’m being nosey like wyd here.”
The situation left Grammer with a bad feeling and questioning how often he comes in without her knowledge.
“That’s weird right… like how often do you come in MY HOME? ready to move again lol,” she said in the caption.
Grammer has yet to post a follow up.
Her TikTok has over 350,000 views as of this writing.
Can a landlord enter your home without permission?
For the most part, your landlord cannot enter your home without permission. While there are exceptions to his rule, there are still processes they must follow, according to FindLaw.
About half of all U.S. states have rules regarding landlords entering rentals. While they vary from state to state, generally, the law says that a landlord can’t just enter a tenant’s home for any reason at just any time.
Instead, they must give written notice at least 24 hours in advance and can usually only come during normal business hours from Monday to Friday.
Many state laws only allow entry in specific circumstances, FindLaw states, including:
- During an emergency;
- To make repairs or assess the need for repairs;
- To inspect the premises for damage;
- To show the premises to insurance or mortgage companies;
- To investigate potential tenancy violations under the lease agreement;
- To show the apartment to prospective tenants or prospective buyers/purchasers;
- If the tenant invites the landlord in or asks them to enter the apartment; or
- To comply with local, state, or federal law, such as to cooperate with law enforcement pursuant to a warrant by court order.
The exception is if there is an emergency, like a fire or severe water leak.
A tenant cannot unreasonably deny entry in one of the situations listed above, but they can request the date of entry be moved.
What if my landlord trespasses?
In Grammer’s situation, it seems clear her landlord trespassed since she had no idea he was going to randomly show up at her home.
If she chose to, Grammer could make a claim with the court.
Most guidelines say tenants should first speak to their landlord about the violation. If that doesn’t work, send a written letter. After that, a tenant can choose to take the matter to the courts.
Commenters react
“I’d call the police and say someone broke into your house, don’t tell them you know it’s your landlord,” a top comment suggested.
“Change the locks and switch them back when you leave,” a person said.
“He setting up cameras,” another theorized.
@lil_cheb That’s weird right… like how often do you come in MY HOME? ready to move again lol
♬ original sound – hxmz.x7_ﾒ𝟶
The Daily Dot reached out to Grammer for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message.
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