Can My Landlord Deny Me Access to My Apartment?


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I have a room rental with a month-to-month written agreement in Silver Spring, MD. My landlord has tried to block my entrance by placing a chain on the entrance door and asking me to report to her every time I egress or ingress the apartment. There is nothing listed in the rental agreement under the use of premises addressing this issue, which I find ridiculous. I am afraid I would need to stay in a hotel if she does not open the door when I arrive at 8:00 pm. In this case I would probably call the police. What are my rights under this situation?

In general if you’re renting a room it’s implied that you be able to access it (within reason). I don’t know whether the police will enforce this for you, but you would certainly be in a position to recover any reasonable costs you incurred.

As a practical matter, I would strongly suggest finding a new place to live. You’re month to month, so you can do that pretty quickly.