Showings Follow the Same Notice Rules as Any Other Entry
There's no separate, looser standard for showings — a landlord bringing a prospective tenant through your unit has to follow the same advance-notice and reasonable-hours rules that apply to a repair visit or an inspection. See the state-by-state table below for the exact notice your state requires. What's different about showings is usually the timing relative to your move-out, not the notice itself: many leases specify when showings can start, commonly somewhere in the last two to three months before your lease ends, and it's worth checking your specific clause rather than assuming a standard window applies.
Some States Treat the Notice Itself Differently
A few states carve out a specific, sometimes shorter, notice rule just for showings. Washington generally requires two full days' written notice for entry, but only one day's notice to show the unit to a prospective buyer or tenant, and once that notice is given the tenant "shall not unreasonably withhold consent" (RCW 59.18.150(6)).
California has a similar-looking shortcut that's easy to misread. Cal. Civ. Code § 1954(d)(2) lets a landlord give notice for a showing orally, in person or by phone, without the usual written notice — but only when the unit is being shown to a prospective or actual purchaser, and only if the landlord already gave written notice within the prior 120 days that the property is for sale. That oral-notice shortcut doesn't apply to showing your unit to a prospective new tenant when your own lease is ending. For a rental showing in California, the standard rule applies instead: written notice stating the date, approximate time, and purpose, with 24 hours presumed reasonable (Cal. Civ. Code § 1954(d)(1)). Either way — Washington's shortened notice or California's standard notice — some advance notice is still required; neither state allows a same-day walk-in to show your unit to a new renter.
How Often Is Too Often
Notice compliance is only half the picture — the frequency and manner of showings matters too. A landlord scheduling one showing a week during your final month is a normal part of turning over a unit; a landlord scheduling multiple showings a day, or showing up outside the agreed window "just to check," starts to look like the entry is being used to pressure you rather than market the unit. Washington's statute addresses this directly: a landlord "shall not unreasonably interfere with a tenant's enjoyment of the rented dwelling unit by excessively exhibiting the dwelling unit" (RCW 59.18.150(6)). California's entry statute separately bans using the right of access to harass a tenant (Cal. Civ. Code § 1954(c)), which applies just as much to a string of showings as to any other kind of entry.
You Generally Can't Refuse a Properly Noticed Showing
If the notice and timing genuinely meet your state's requirements, refusing to allow the showing is usually treated as a lease violation on your end, not a right you have. What you can do is push back on the manner of showings — asking in writing that they be consolidated into a single weekly window, scheduled for specific days, or reduced in frequency — especially if the current pace is genuinely disrupting your ability to live in the unit. Put the request in writing rather than raising it verbally, so there's a record of what you asked for and when.
What Your Lease Says About the Showing Window
Beyond state notice law, your own lease is usually the more specific document here. Look for language about when showings can begin relative to your move-out date, whether you're entitled to any say in scheduling, and whether a lockbox or sign is allowed on the property. A lease that's silent on timing doesn't mean showings can start the day you sign a 12-month lease — landlords generally still have to justify the timing as reasonable, and courts look skeptically at showings that start unusually early relative to the lease term remaining.
Protecting Yourself During a Showing Period
Keep a simple log of every showing request and whether it matched what your lease and state law require: date requested, date and time given, and how much advance notice that actually was. If a landlord starts scheduling showings before the window your lease allows, or without proper notice, a written reminder of the actual rule is usually enough to fix it. Honestkey's lease review flags your specific entry and showing clauses so you know your rights before a dispute over timing turns into something bigger — upload your lease and it will show you exactly what it says about showings.