Tenant hides in closet after landlord unexpectedly let himself in: 'He thinks nobody is here'

A young woman has turned to TikTok to share an unsettling story of how her landlord entered her property unannounced – forcing her to hide in the closet to avoid an awkward and potentially uncomfortable encounter.

Shelby (@lil_cheb) shared a brief self-recorded clip of herself, explaining: "Hiding in my closet because why did he let himself in with his own personal key... walked right in."

She went on to claim that he believed "no one was in," so instead of confronting the landlord, Shelby hid in the closet to be "nosey".

"That’s weird right… like how often do you come in MY HOME? ready to move again lol," she wrote as the caption.

Shelby has not yet followed up with further details, but the viral video sparked a conversation about tenant privacy and landlord rights.

"I’d call the police and say someone broke into your house, don’t tell them you know it’s your landlord," one suggested.

Another added: "In most states, it is illegal unless they give a specific warning like 24 or 48 hours warning first."

Meanwhile, a third offered a useful solution, writing: "Change the locks? Then when he asks if you changed the locks, ask him how he figured that out then tell him you know what he’s been doing. Tell him it’s against the law."

According to Find Law, in the US, "a right of entry must usually be preceded by proper notice, which in most cases is at least 24 hours notice".

State laws may differ in certain situations including an emergency, damage inspection, to investigate potential property violations and to make repairs.

England also follows a similar set of rules, in that the landlord must provide written notice via email, text or letter before they enter a property.

The tenancy agreement should detail how much notice should be given and when and how often a landlord can visit.

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