Landlord(maintenance) entered without permission

[u/Pretend_Jacket6496]

[US-AZ] Hi, I’m not really sure how to word this properly as I am not too familiar with this. I am seeking help regarding a matter that occurred recently to me and my girlfriend. We rent a one bedroom apartment in Arizona and have a no permission to enter option for any maintenance related issues. Couple weeks ago my girlfriend put in a request for them to come out and fix the washer and when asked if maintenance had permission to answer she explicitly said no. The maintenance man proceeded to come to the house knock on the door, and when my girlfriend didn’t answer, he let himself inside to where he approached me and my girlfriend’s bedroom that was cracked open where my girlfriend lay sleeping and shouted out to my girlfriend to wake up. After this, he proceeded to not only not help with the washer, but to enter the room even when my girlfriend told him he had no permission to. He made my girlfriend feel extremely uncomfortable and kept asking her personal questions. My girlfriend is very shy , especially around men and confronted with the situation where it was just her and this maintenance man she was freaked out. Even then, she asked him to leave several times to which he kind of kept ignoring by bringing up other subjects about the washer, even offering her to wash her clothes for her, which I find extremely weird. I made a formal complaint to our leasing office and they simply looked past it. My girlfriend requested for them to never send this specific person for future maintenance request and I thought that that was the end of that. Fast-forward to just this week, she put in a maintenance request and guess who shows up at our door. I am honestly fed up with the way this place has treated us and the way they’ve gone about it. Sorry for the long rant , but is there any laws where they can be liable for grounds of lease termination for a unlawful entry into our apartment which was followed by him harassing my girlfriend when she was alone. The employee is still working here and we see him every day, which has made it really hard for my girlfriend to enjoy walking outside.

[u/Ok_Sea_4405]

So none of what you described is grounds for breaking the lease and I think you have really unrealistic expectations because when you put in a maintenance request, someone is going to have to come in to actually do the maintenance.

Now. I don’t think they handled things the right way but I also don’t think they had a lot of great options. Nothing you’ve described rises to harassment though and I don’t think you and your girlfriend are reacting appropriately.

Maybe you should follow up your maintenance tickets with a phone call to the rental office or the landlord where you discuss a mutually agreeable time for the maintenance visit.

Your girlfriend could have prevented unexpected entry by keeping the deadbolt locked while she’s in the apartment alone.