Notice to Enter for a Walkthrough: California's Rules

California Civil Code section 1954 lets a landlord enter a rental to show it to prospective or actual purchasers, but only during normal business hours and after reasonable written notice that states the date, approximate time and purpose of the entry. The statute presumes twenty-four hours to be reasonable notice, and a notice mailed at least six days before the entry, unless there is evidence to the contrary. For showings to buyers, the notice can be given orally once the tenant has been told in writing, within the previous 120 days, that the property is for sale, and written evidence of the entry must be left inside the unit. Selling the property itself requires no notice to the tenant at all; only entering it does.

This article is part of our tenant-occupied rentals knowledge center. For the whole sale, lease and deposit included, see the pillar, selling a rental with tenants in Southern California.

When a landlord may enter at all

Section 1954, subdivision (a), lists the only cases in which a landlord may enter a dwelling unit. The ones that matter in a sale are:

• To exhibit the unit to "prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workers, or contractors"
• To make necessary or agreed repairs, or to supply necessary or agreed services
• To make the pre-move-out inspection described in Civil Code section 1950.5, subdivision (f)
• In an emergency, when the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit, or under a court order

A buyer's walkthrough fits the first case directly. "I own it and I am selling it" is not, by itself, a reason to enter; each entry has to be for one of the listed purposes, with notice.

What the written notice must say

Subdivision (d)(1) sets the default rule. The notice must be in writing, state the date, the approximate time and the purpose of the entry, and the entry must happen during normal business hours. It can be delivered in any of these ways:

How the notice is deliveredNotice the statute presumes reasonableWhat to keep

Handed to the tenant

Twenty-four hours, absent evidence to the contrary

A copy of the notice

Left with someone of suitable age and discretion at the unit

Twenty-four hours, absent evidence to the contrary

A copy, and who received it

Left on, near or under the usual entry door where a reasonable person would find it

Twenty-four hours, absent evidence to the contrary

A copy, and when and where it was left

Mailed

Mailed at least six days before the entry

A copy and proof of the mailing date

Oral, for a showing to purchasers only

Twenty-four hours, if the written for-sale notice was given within the previous 120 days

The written for-sale notice, and the note left inside after entry

"Presumed reasonable" is a presumption, not a promise: the statute says it holds "in absence of evidence to the contrary." Giving more than the minimum, and asking the tenant which times work, costs a seller little and usually saves the showing.

The for-sale notice and oral notice for showings

Subdivision (d)(2) is the rule written for sales. If the purpose of entry is to show the unit to prospective or actual purchasers, the landlord or the landlord's agent may give notice orally, in person or by telephone, but only if:

1. The tenant was notified in writing, within 120 days of the oral notice, that the property is for sale and that the landlord or agent may contact the tenant orally to arrange showings.
2. The oral notice still includes the date, approximate time and purpose of the entry.
3. At the time of entry, the landlord or agent leaves written evidence of the entry inside the unit.

Twenty-four hours is presumed reasonable for the oral notice too. The 120-day window matters when a sale runs long: if the written for-sale notice is older than that, send a new one before relying on phone calls.

Business hours, consent and harassment

Three more parts of section 1954 shape how showings actually go:

• Normal business hours. Entry outside them is allowed only with the tenant's consent at the time of entry, or in an emergency or after abandonment.
• No notice is needed to respond to an emergency, after the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the unit, or when the tenant is present and consents at the time of entry.
• No abuse of access. Subdivision (c) says the landlord may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant.

The last point has teeth. Civil Code section 1940.2 makes it unlawful, for the purpose of influencing a tenant to vacate, to commit a significant and intentional violation of section 1954, and a tenant who prevails is entitled to a civil penalty, capped by the statute, for each violation. Repeated showings arranged to wear a tenant down are exactly what the statute describes. If a tenant objects to the schedule, change the schedule.

How much notice do I have to give tenants if I want to sell?

To sell: none. A sale is not a reason to end a tenancy, and a rental can be sold subject to the existing lease without any notice to vacate. To show the unit: the entry notice described above, for each visit. To end the tenancy: that is a separate question with its own rules. Civil Code section 1946.1 sets notice periods for ending a month-to-month tenancy, and the Tenant Protection Act or a city ordinance may require a just cause and relocation assistance. Termination is not covered here; take it to an attorney or your court's self-help center before serving anything. The payments involved are in relocation assistance: when it applies and what it costs.

Is it harder to sell a house with tenants?

It can be, and it is better to say so plainly. Showings are limited by notice and business hours, rooms are lived in, and most owner-occupant buyers want the home empty. On the open market, an occupied rental tends to draw investors, who price the rent roll and the rules they inherit.

That is why the two numbers on an occupied rental come from one walkthrough rather than a run of showings. One written notice, one visit at a time the tenant agrees to, and nobody asks the tenant to stage, tidy or leave. The cash column prices the property with the lease in place. The open-market column is a preliminary estimate, not an appraisal, of what it would bring listed, occupied or vacant.

Listing can still net more, and the written recommendation says so when it does: for example when a tenant is already leaving on their own, so showings can happen in an empty unit, or when the home is the kind owner-occupants compete for and you have time for a listing period. Then you are introduced to a designated local expert, an independently licensed California agent who works that neighborhood. Mr. Cali Offers does not list houses. For a landlord who wants out without coordinating any of this, see tired landlord: exiting without timing move-outs.

A walkthrough notice checklist

• Written, with the date, an approximate time window and the purpose ("to show the unit to a prospective purchaser")
• Delivered by one of the methods in subdivision (d)(1), with a copy kept
• Timed during normal business hours unless the tenant agrees otherwise at the time
• For a series of showings, a written for-sale notice first, renewed if the sale runs past 120 days
• A note left inside after any entry made on oral notice
• Ask before photographing personal belongings or private rooms

If the tenant is leaving anyway, section 1950.5, subdivision (f), adds a separate step: the landlord must tell the tenant of the right to request an initial inspection before move-out, and must give at least 48 hours' written notice of it unless both sign a waiver. The deposit rules at closing are in security deposits when a rental is sold.

What this looks like in practice

These are the kinds of files that come in, described without names or figures.

• A rental near the Claremont Colleges with student tenants whose class schedules decide when a walkthrough can happen. See the Claremont area notes.
• A duplex in Ontario owned from out of state, where the notice is delivered locally and the walkthrough photos and video go to the owner.
• A triplex in Upland where each unit gets its own notice and its own time slot on the same day.

Next step

Read how we handle tenant-occupied rentals, or send the address and tell us how your tenants prefer to receive notice. You can also call (909) 498-3977. The cash offer comes from independent buyers and investors who buy subject to the lease. There is no cost and no obligation to get the two numbers and the written report.

Sources

• California Civil Code section 1954 (landlord entry, notice, showings to purchasers), text read on California Public Law: california.public.law (accessed November 6, 2026)
• California Civil Code section 1940.2 (conduct to influence a tenant to vacate, including violations of section 1954), text read on California Public Law: california.public.law (accessed November 6, 2026)
• California Civil Code section 1946.1 (notice to end a periodic tenancy), text read on California Public Law: california.public.law (accessed November 6, 2026)
• California Civil Code section 1950.5 (security deposits; pre-move-out inspection), text read on California Public Law: california.public.law (accessed November 6, 2026)
• California Courts Self-Help Guide, Prepare a notice (landlords): selfhelp.courts.ca.gov (accessed November 6, 2026)

Mr. Cali Offers is not a law firm and does not advise landlords or tenants on entry, terminations or notices; confirm them with an attorney or your court's self-help center. Cash offers come from independent buyers and investors who buy for their own account and may resell for profit; a cash offer is generally below what the open market would bring. Any value shown is a preliminary estimate, not an appraisal. Nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice.