Can Your Landlord Do a Walkthrough Without Your Consent if You're Moving Out
If a tenant has given notice to move, can the landlord perform a walkthrough to inspect the premises before the tenant moves out? Can they do the inspection even if the tenant is not at home? A landlord in Georgia wants to perform the inspection two days before the tenant moves out, and the tenant would prefer that she not do so, because the tenant won't be home at the time and the unit will be full of boxes.
Re: Can Your Landlord Do a Walkthrough Without Your Consent if You're Moving Out
In most states, a landlord would be able to do a final inspection of the rental upon giving reasonable notice to the tenant. In some states, the tenant can demand a pre-move out inspection and the right to be present.
Georgia does not have a statute that addresses either the question of notice or the landlord's right to enter, but broadly speaking Georgia courts appear to generally require at least 24 hours notice for non-emergency entry.
As for inspection, many landlords prefer to inspect when the premises are empty, for exactly the reason you mention -- it may not be possible to observe damage with furniture and boxes still in the unit. But it's not prohibited in Georgia. Also, the pre-move out inspection may give the tenant an opportunity to dispute a damage claim for a problem identified by the landlord at that time, or to fix a problem before moving out.
When vacating, the tenant should take clear photographs that show the condition of the rental unit, and video if and where appropriate, so as to be able to dispute any later damage claim by the landlord.