Entry to the resident's room
The resident has the right to enjoy the privacy of their room but there are certain times when the provider may need to enter.
The provider can enter at any time if the resident agrees.
The resident may agree at the moment the provider asks them or they may have agreed when they signed the rooming accommodation agreement. Item 9 on the agreement allows the provider to ask for regular access to the resident's room for particular purposes such as cleaning.
At all other times the provider must give the resident written notice on an entry notice (form R9) if they want to enter the resident's room or they may put an entry notice up in the common area if they are entering more than one room on the same day.
The length of notice or warning they give the resident/s depends on the reason they need to go into the room/s.
Remember: If the provider gives the resident the right amount of notice and wants to enter their room at a reasonable time, the resident should allow them access.
The only time the provider can enter the resident's room without an entry notice or without the resident's agreement is:
- in an emergency
- if they believe the resident has abandoned (left permanently) their room
- if they need to do urgent repairs to the premises or a facility in the premises.
At all other times the resident must be given notice.
Remember: The laws clearly describe what it means for a room to be considered abandoned. The provider must be sure (according to these laws) that the resident's room has been abandoned.
| Some reasons for entry | Notice/warning time required using an entry notice (form R9) |
| General inspection (a provider cannot do more than one inspection a month) | 48 hours before they enter |
| To clean the room | 24 hours before they enter unless both the resident and the provider have both already agreed on a regular time in Item 9 of the rooming accommodation agreement |
| To carry out pest control | 24 hours before they enter |
| To make repairs | 24 hours before they enter |
| To show the room to someone who wants to buy the place or who wants to live there | 24 hours before they enter |
| To allow someone to come and value the place | 24 hours before they can enter |
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