If you rent an apartment, you should know all your rights as a tenant, but a very important one is the particulars of when your landlord CAN and CAN’T legally enter your place.

Yes, landlords sometimes need to enter the places they own to check on certain things, but everyone should still be aware of the ins and outs of the rules regarding these matters.

According to a real estate expert named Erin Eberlin, there are four major reasons why a landlord can enter a place they own.

1. To perform some maintenance.
2. If the property is for rent or for sale.
3. If there is a health or safety concern.
4. They have a court order to enter the premises.

And keep in mind that in most cases, landlords are required to give you advanced notice of a visit like this, usually 24 or 48 hours. But keep in mind that in some states such as Georgia and Alabama, they don’t have to give tenants any notice at all.

And remember that there’s a difference between routine maintenance and an emergency like a gas leak, fire, or flooding. If the latter occurs, the laws make it clear that landlords are allowed to enter without notice.

Generally, landlords are usually supposed to let their tenants know in advance when they’re going to come in and those visits are supposed to come during normal hours such as 9 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday, unless another time is arranged.

Laws about this can vary a little bit from state to state, so check out this list about every state if you have any questions or concerns. And check your lease, too, for any other fine print!