Under Del. Code tit. 25 § 5509, a Delaware landlord must give the tenant at least 48 hours' written notice before entering a rental unit, and entry is limited to the hours between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. In a genuine emergency the landlord may enter at any time without notice.
Del. Code tit. 25 § 5509 requires that 'the landlord shall give the tenant at least 48 hours' notice of landlord's intent to enter, except for repairs requested by the tenant, and shall enter only between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.' Permitted purposes include inspecting the unit, making necessary or agreed repairs and improvements, supplying services, and showing the unit to prospective buyers or tenants. The 48-hour notice and time-of-day limits do not apply when the tenant requested the repair. 'In the case of an emergency the landlord may enter at any time,' such as fire, flood, or a burst pipe. A landlord who repeatedly demands entry without proper purpose, or a tenant who unreasonably refuses lawful access, each have remedies under §§ 5509-5510.
A landlord who enters without the required 48-hour notice or outside permitted hours may face a tenant action; conversely, a tenant's unreasonable refusal of lawful access lets the landlord recover damages or terminate under § 5510.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Wilmington, DE
Residential swimming pools in Wilmington require a building permit from the Department of Licenses and Inspections and must comply with the Delaware State Bu...
Wilmington, DE
Delaware does not preempt local tiny-home rules, and Wilmington's City Code Chapter 48 (Zoning) treats dwellings under the standard residential district bulk...
Wilmington, DE
Carports in Wilmington are accessory structures regulated under City Code Chapter 48 (Zoning) and require a building permit from the Department of Licenses a...
Wilmington, DE
Wilmington follows Delaware HB 80 (2017) informal sanctuary protections. The Wilmington Police Department limits civil immigration cooperation with ICE; crim...
Wilmington, DE
Delaware's Healthy Delaware Families Act (DE 19 §3702A) created statewide paid family and medical leave, fully effective 2026. Wilmington cannot create a sep...
Wilmington, DE
Delaware preempts local minimum-wage rules. The state minimum wage rose from $13.25 (2025) to $15.00 effective 2026 under DE Title 19 §902, applying uniforml...
See how Wilmington's landlord entry & notice rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.