South Australia Rental Property Inspection

Section 72 Sets the Rules

Landlord entry rights in South Australia are strictly regulated under Section 72 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1995. You cannot enter a tenanted property whenever you choose — each type of visit has its own notice period, timing constraints, and frequency cap. Unlawful entry is an interference with the tenant's quiet enjoyment, which carries penalties of up to $35,000 under the 2023 amendments.

The Entry Categories

Genuine emergency — no notice required. If there's an imminent danger to life, safety, or valuable property (active fire, gas leak, flooding), you can enter immediately without written notice. You may also enter with the tenant's consent at, or immediately before, the time of entry.

Routine property inspection — 7 to 28 days' notice. You must give at least 7 days but no more than 28 days' written notice. The notice must specify a two-hour window during normal business hours. Since July 2024, routine inspections are capped at four per 12-month period. That's four total, not four per purpose — so if you inspect in January, April, July, and October, you've used your allowance for the year.

Non-emergency repairs — at least 48 hours' notice. When you need to enter for non-urgent repair work, give at least 48 hours' written notice. Entry must occur during normal business hours. The tenant can waive the notice period if they prefer the work done sooner.

Housing Improvement Order compliance — at least 48 hours' notice. If the Housing Safety Authority has issued an order and you need to enter to carry out the required works, the same 48-hour rule applies.

Showing the property to prospective tenants — reasonable notice. During the final 28 days of an existing tenancy, you can show the property with reasonable written notice for a reasonable number of occasions, during normal hours.

Rent collection — by arrangement. In-person rent collection is permitted at a pre-arranged time, maximum once per week, and only if the tenant has refused a fee-free electronic payment option. In practice, this almost never applies.

What "Written Notice" Means

The notice must be in writing and delivered to the tenant. It should state the date, the purpose of entry, and — for routine inspections — the two-hour window. Keep a copy. If the entry is later disputed at SACAT, the notice is your primary evidence that the visit was lawful.

Use a method of service permitted by the current tenancy rules. If you plan to give notice electronically, confirm that the tenant has agreed to receive notices that way; otherwise use another permitted method.

Pre-Tenancy Inspections

The pre-tenancy inspection happens before the tenant moves in, so Section 72 entry rules don't apply in the same way — there's no tenant in occupation. But the inspection itself is critical.

Under the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2025, the landlord must complete and sign a property inspection sheet documenting the condition of the property, its fixtures, and fittings, and give a copy to the tenant when the tenancy agreement is entered into. The tenant can then record any disagreement with the description. This document becomes the baseline for any bond dispute at the end of the tenancy.

Walk through every room and photograph key risk areas: smoke alarms (check the manufacture date), window locks, door locks, bathroom seals, kitchen plumbing, and any existing damage. Date-stamped photos paired with the signed inspection sheet create a strong evidentiary record.

Documenting Routine Inspections

During a routine inspection, note the condition of the property against the inspection sheet from commencement. Look for:

• New damage or unreported wear
• Tenant compliance with their Section 69 duty to keep the premises reasonably clean
• Smoke alarm functionality (press the test button)
• Any maintenance issues the tenant hasn't reported
• Signs of structural problems (damp patches, cracked walls, sticking doors that might indicate subsidence)

Record your findings in writing. If you identify a defect, you are now on notice and must act with reasonable diligence under Section 68.

The Four-Inspection Cap in Practice

Four inspections per year means you need to plan them. Most self-managing landlords space them quarterly. If you use one visit to address a specific concern mid-cycle, you might only have three routine inspections left. Non-emergency repair entries under the 48-hour notice rule don't count against the inspection cap — they're a different category.

The cap applies to any 12-month period. Track inspections on a rolling basis so visits do not exceed four within any such period.

The SA Rental Minimum Standards guide includes a statutory notice and entry calendar that tracks each visit type, its notice period, and the running inspection count — so you never exceed the cap or miss a notice obligation.

See more South Australia guides →