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Inspections, Entry Notices & Access
Inspections, Entry Notices & Access
Respecting Your Home and Privacy
While you are renting a property, it is your home and you are entitled to reasonable privacy and quiet enjoyment.
There are circumstances where Loyal Keeper Group, the property owner, a tradesperson or another authorised person may need to enter the property for purposes such as:
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Routine inspections
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Repairs and maintenance
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Checking completed repairs
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Smoke alarm or safety switch work
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Property valuations
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Showing the property to prospective tenants or purchasers
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Other reasons permitted under Queensland tenancy legislation
Where required, the appropriate notice will be provided before entry.
Entry Notice – Form 9
For most entries during a general tenancy, an Entry Notice – Form 9 is used to notify you:
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Why entry is required
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The date of entry
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The relevant time or time period
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Who may be entering the property
The amount of notice required depends on the reason for entry.
Common Entry Notice Periods
Routine Inspection
Minimum notice: 7 days
Routine inspections cannot generally be carried out more than once every 3 months, unless the tenant agrees in writing.
Repairs or Maintenance
Minimum notice: 48 hours
This may include access by a tradesperson or other authorised person to inspect or carry out maintenance.
Checking Completed Repairs or Maintenance
Minimum notice: 48 hours
Where entry is to check repairs or maintenance that have been completed, additional timing requirements apply under Queensland tenancy legislation.
Smoke Alarm Installation, Maintenance or Replacement
Minimum notice: 48 hours
Safety Switch Installation, Repairs or Maintenance
Minimum notice: 48 hours
Property Valuation
Minimum notice: 48 hours
Showing the Property to a Prospective Purchaser
Minimum notice: 48 hours
A reasonable amount of time must also have passed since the last entry for the same purpose.
Additional requirements apply where the property is being sold.
Showing the Property to a Prospective Tenant
Minimum notice: 48 hours
This type of entry generally occurs after a Notice of Intention to Leave or Notice to Leave has been issued.
A reasonable amount of time must also have passed since the last entry for the same purpose.
By Mutual Agreement
If you and the property manager/owner agree to entry, access may occur at the mutually agreed time.
When Can Entry Take Place?
Unless the tenant agrees otherwise, entry to a general tenancy must generally occur:
Monday to Saturday
Between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM
Entry on a Sunday, public holiday, before 8:00 AM or after 6:00 PM generally requires the tenant's agreement.
Routine Inspections
Routine inspections allow our Property Management Team to:
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Check the general condition of the property
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Identify repairs and maintenance
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Check for leaks, deterioration or safety concerns
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Check fixtures and inclusions
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Identify future maintenance requirements
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Confirm that the property is being reasonably cared for
A routine inspection is not a housework inspection.
We understand that the property is your home and that people are living there.
However, we ask that the property is presented in a reasonably clean and maintained condition so that we can properly inspect the property and identify any maintenance issues.
Before a Routine Inspection
It can be helpful to:
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Carry out normal cleaning and tidying
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Ensure kitchen and bathroom surfaces are reasonably clean
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Vacuum or sweep floors
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Attend to lawns and gardens where these are your responsibility
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Make outdoor areas reasonably accessible
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Report any maintenance issues you are aware of
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Ensure access is available to areas that need to be inspected
You do not need to make the property look like nobody lives there.
Our focus is the condition, care, maintenance and safety of the property.
Do I Need to Be Home?
No.
You are welcome to be present during a routine inspection, but you are not generally required to be home.
Where a valid Entry Notice has been issued and the legislative entry requirements have been met, authorised entry may take place even if the tenant is not present.
If you have a genuine concern about the scheduled entry time, please contact our Property Management Team as early as possible.
Where practical, we will consider reasonable requests, although issuing an Entry Notice does not automatically mean that the scheduled entry can always be changed.
Inspection Time Windows
For a routine inspection, the Entry Notice will specify either:
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A particular time; or
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A maximum 2-hour entry window
For example:
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
The person conducting the routine inspection must enter within the nominated inspection time or window.
Different timing rules may apply to people such as tradespeople or property valuers attending for other authorised purposes.
Reporting Maintenance During an Inspection
Routine inspections are a useful opportunity to identify maintenance, but you should not wait for the next routine inspection to report a repair.
If you notice damage, a leak, appliance fault or maintenance issue, please report it as soon as reasonably possible through PropertyMe.
Report Maintenance Through PropertyMe
If the issue is a genuine emergency repair:
1300 880 824 – 24/7 Urgent Reporting
Emergency Repairs – What to Do
Photos During Routine Inspections
Photographs may be taken during a routine inspection where they are reasonably required for management of the property.
For example, photographs may assist us in documenting:
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Maintenance requirements
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Damage or deterioration
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Fair wear and tear
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The condition of fixtures or inclusions
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Completed repairs
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Matters requiring discussion with the property owner
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A possible tenancy breach
Any photographs containing personal information must be handled in accordance with applicable privacy and tenancy requirements.
Our focus during routine inspection photography is the property and its condition, not your personal belongings.
If you have a particular privacy concern, please raise it with our Property Management Team.
Photos Used for Advertising
Different rules apply when photographs are intended to be used to advertise a property for rent or sale.
If advertising photographs show your personal possessions, your written permission is required before those photographs can be used for advertising.
Personal possessions can include items such as:
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Furniture
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Personal belongings
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Family photographs
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Vehicles
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Boats
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Other identifiable possessions inside or outside the property
Allowing a photographer or agent to enter the property does not by itself constitute permission to publish photographs showing your possessions.
Where marketing photography is required during your tenancy, we will communicate with you regarding the proposed arrangements.
Open Homes
An open home is different from an individual private viewing.
An open home can only be held where the tenant agrees in writing.
If you agree to an open home, an appropriate time should be arranged with consideration given to minimising disruption to your quiet enjoyment of the property.
You are not required to agree to an open home merely because the property is being sold or re-let.
Individual prospective purchaser or prospective tenant inspections may still be conducted in accordance with the applicable entry provisions.
When a Tenancy Is Ending
Additional entry frequency limits apply once either:
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A Notice to Leave – Form 12 has been issued; or
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A tenant has given a Notice of Intention to Leave – Form 13
While the notice is in effect, the property manager/owner generally cannot enter the property more than 2 times within a 7-day period.
Certain exceptions apply, including entry:
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By mutual agreement
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For particular smoke alarm requirements
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For particular safety switch requirements
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Where entry is reasonably necessary to protect the property or its contents from imminent or further damage
Where prospective tenant viewings are required, Loyal Keeper Group will endeavour to organise access efficiently and minimise unnecessary disruption.
Entry Without the Usual Notice
There are limited circumstances where entry may occur without the usual Entry Notice period.
These can include:
Emergency
Where there is a genuine emergency.
Protecting the Property
Where the property manager/owner reasonably believes entry is necessary to protect the property or its contents from imminent or further damage.
Tenant Agreement
Where the tenant agrees to the entry.
Other limited legislative exceptions may also apply.
Repairs and Tradespeople
Where access is required for a repair or maintenance appointment, please assist by providing reasonable access to the affected area.
Where possible:
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Keep the area around the repair accessible
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Secure pets appropriately
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Advise us of any relevant access information
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Let us know if circumstances affecting access change
Please do not leave a tradesperson unable to access an area after an authorised appointment has been arranged.
Keys and Entry
Where lawful entry has been arranged and the tenant will not be home, Loyal Keeper Group may use agency-held keys where appropriate and authorised.
Keys held by our office are controlled as part of our property management procedures.
If there is a particular access issue, alarm, gate, pet or security arrangement that we need to know about, please advise us before the scheduled entry.
Pets During Inspections or Repairs
If you have an approved pet, please ensure it is safely managed during inspections, maintenance or other authorised access.
This is important for:
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The safety of your pet
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The safety of our staff and tradespeople
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Preventing the pet from escaping
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Allowing required areas of the property to be inspected
If special arrangements are required because of your pet, please let us know in advance.
If You Have Concerns About Entry
If you believe:
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An Entry Notice contains an error
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The proposed entry does not comply with the required notice period
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There is a significant access issue
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You have a particular privacy or safety concern
please contact our Property Management Team as soon as possible.
We encourage tenants to raise concerns early so that the circumstances can be reviewed before the scheduled entry wherever possible.
Contact Our Property Management Team
Loyal Keeper Group
Phone: 1300 880 824
Email: info@loyalkeeper.com.au
For maintenance:
Report Maintenance Through PropertyMe
For emergency repairs:
Emergency Repairs – What to Do
Official RTA Information
For current Queensland Government information regarding entry, inspections and tenant privacy:
RTA – Open Houses and Viewings
RTA – Taking Photos in a Rental Property