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Posts: 105

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Q: Landlord entering apartment without consent?

So I'm on the verge of murdering my landlord (figuratively speaking). Last night, for the 2nd time, he just entered my apartment without prior consent. Nothing. The first time he did it I was in the apartment, but last night I was coming home from work and found him inside. He wasn't stealing, just rummaging around for something he'd thought he'd forgotten inside one of the cupboards (BS). He seems like a fairly harmless guy, so I don't know if he's just thick or really doesn't see a problem.

I warned him the first time, but evidently that wasn't enough - am I in my right to change the lock and not give him a key?

12 years 10 weeks ago in  Housing - China

 
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Posts: 3025

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I did it at my apartment, cost me 200 Rmb to do it, and I kept all the keys.  I did save the old lock, when I move out, I will change it back.

My landlord was not happy about it, I told her I value my privacy, and I had told her prior to signing the rental contract that I did not mind visits, but I did not want anyone entering without my consent while I was not there. 

And yes, everytime she comes now, she calls ahead of time to announce her visit.  No hard feelings, I am also a good tenant and dislike to call landlord over petty repairs.  But do call her on big ones.

Maybe because she lives two floors above me made her not make an issue out of it.
And the fact that I pay my rent one year in advance helps too.  And I pay maybe a month prior to expiration, and she and her husband are real nice persons.

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12 years 10 weeks ago
 
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This is China and the rules are completely different.  You have rented the apartment from the landlord for a fact but in this country the landlord has egress to the apartment at any reasonable hour. 

You could change the locks, etc., etc., and then wait for the provocation that might cost you with the landlord. Depending upon what kind of a tenant he adjuges you to be, he  may just roll withn the change of locks or he may terminate your lease.  I have seen both of these things happen in the past.

This is China and in your place,  I might try to understand why the landlord is doing this.  Does he want to make sure that you are not damaging the apartment?  Has the rent been paid on time and in the increments specified?

If he is just generally going through the apartment, then really, really he should have the courtesy to contact you beforehand.  Do you speak Chinese?  Does whomever rented the apartment for you speak Chinese? To ask him to let you know beforehand is a reasonable request.

My question comes back to the fact that he has done this two times.

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12 years 10 weeks ago
 
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If you suspect your landlord to be snooping around than the only possible thing you can do is talk to him. I'm sure that you can't change the lock without his permission and most of the time you will need the landlords permission to do many things such as painting the place a certain color. But if you do find him suspect of trying to take something and frequently coming into your apartment let him, but not without a spycam. I'd suggest to you to set a spycam up in your apartment so you know exactly what is going on in your apartment while you are away since the landlord always enters without any notification.

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12 years 10 weeks ago
 
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It's happened to me. I've also had neighbours try to barge in while my hands are full of groceries.

As far as I can tell, the main reason they do it is because they want to see the crazy foreign stuff in a foreigner's apartment. Buy a loaf of bread and a copy of the Mona Lisa and then they'll have something to tell their friends, and stop bothering you.

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12 years 10 weeks ago
 
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Maybe some of you are giving your respective landlords too much power over you.  Or maybe, I have been very lucky with mine.  Who knows ? 

In my case, I do enjoy my apartment (even if rented), to my liking.  OK, I have done many things to it, without seeking prior approval.  I have added a second deadbolt to front door (use it when I travel), changed shower in my bathroom, added kitchen cabinets (had none), bathroom cabinet (had none), bathroom heater (light type, had none), painted rooms and balcony (walls were full of nail holes, scratches and foot and mildew marks), added drapes to windows. etc.  My apartment has two floors, under stairway to second floor, the washing machine, brom and mop, bucket, etc are stored, in plain view of anyone entering or using dinning room.  I designed a glass door to cover it, had it built and installed too. 

I also have fully documented the "BEFORE" and "AFTER' by photos, and saved receipts of all my expenses.  My landlady did not complain at all with all my changes, and she knows when I move out, she can pay for the improvements if she wants to keep them, or I will remove and take them with me.  It also gives me a tool if she tries to keep my deposit money, because it clearly shows how I received the apartment.

Prior to me, she had first a local person renting, then a guy from Europe.  Both were lousy tenants, and did some damage.  She seems to be happy with me now, and the apartment looks a lot better too.

So, I do guess it all depends on how your landlord is, and how good are you as a tenant.  Oh, and I also told her not to come unannounced because I am normally nude when in the apartment.  She laughed at that, and said OK.  So that helped too.

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12 years 10 weeks ago
 
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That happened to me too, technically to my girlfriend. For some reason he went into her apartment moved some stuff around and stole my t-shirt. The only reason she found out it happened is her neighbor saw someone unfamiliar going in at the middle of the day while she was at work. Her job was providing the apartment so she didn't even know the landlord. She made the company move her to another place. 

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12 years 10 weeks ago
 
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To answer the original question, my understanding is yes - they are allowed to do that... it's their property, they have the right to walk in when they feel like it! Tenancy laws here, like other laws here, suck! (even when they are followed)

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12 years 10 weeks ago
 
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For everyone's information, there are no tenancy Laws or Regulations in China, from Mao's days there was a rent freeze, but no one looks at it or pays attention to it now days.

And yes, it is their property, and they can enter as they please whenever you want.  But common sense tells me that when they rent to you, they give up that right which is secondary to my right of privacy in my adobe.
Of course, if they choose to knock on my door, and look at the apartment, I should say yes, do come in inmediately, or suggest a time afterwards when it will be more convenient (if I was taking a shower).  I am sure that they will do it often at the beginning of the rental agreement, after they see you are not destroying the apartment, they live you alone.

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12 years 10 weeks ago
 
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He's probably looking through your stuff, perhaps by curiosity, or hoping to find something incriminating? Privacy isn't really respected in general here.

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12 years 10 weeks ago
 
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If you see some unfamiliar stains on your bed, or nose hairs in your underwear, then you should start to worry.

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12 years 10 weeks ago
 
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The first thing I do whenever I move into a new apartment is change the lock.  I keep the old one for the landlord, but there is no way I would let anyone in my apartment without my knowledge.

I don't even bother asking for permission, I just do it.  And I make sure that I buy the best lock possible because I once had a friend who's crazy ex paid a locksmith to open his apartment door.  The locksmith was able to gain entry in less than 2 minutes.

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12 years 10 weeks ago
 
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