Here's a useful overview on state-by-state regs regarding landlord's right of entry. In general, you have a right to privacy except in these cases, unless your lease stipulates otherwise and you agreed to the stipulations. (In some very tenant-friendly states, even those extra stipulations that you agreed upon may not hold up in court.)

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/chart-notice-requirements-enter-rental-29033.html

I'm not sure if you're coming back, op, but I would certainly advise a strongly worded letter in response to your landlord's violation of your privacy and overstepping and lack of notice. Something like:

Dear Landlady,

I am writing with a concern regarding your recent visit to my home on [date] and your subsequent commentary regarding cleanliness.

I am the legal resident of this home and neither I nor my roommates, also signatories to our lease agreement with you, gave you permission to enter our home on [date]. We were given no prior notice for your visit nor was there any emergency reason for you to be on the property. The lease agreement grants you reasonable access with 24 hours notice for purposes of maintenance. There was no maintenance done during this visit.

Furthermore, your presence in my bedroom with no permission or prior notice, without any emergency cause, was a violation of my privacy and our lease agreement. In addition, there is no clause of our lease agreement requiring me to maintain certain guidelines regarding organization of my clothing and and other possessions on the property. You have no right to dictate how I organize my room, nor should you have been present in my room in order to critique how it appeared.

In addition, you have attempted to impose rules verbally that are not at all in our lease agreement, such as that we may not have overnight guests and that we may not take food out of the kitchen. You have no right under the law to impose these rules nor do we intend to abide by them.

Your intrusive and frequent visits are limiting our ability to feel safe in our own home and to believe that our privacy is protected. In the future, we will require you to abide by our written lease agreement, which requires 24 hours notice and cause for your entry to the property. We ask that you cease any communication with us that does not pertain to the terms of our lease agreement.

We have been good tenants and are entitled under the law to the safe and private enjoyment of the property for which we have leased access until the end of our lease term.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Signed,
Tenant

Plus one pp

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion, too - you could always move the clothes from the floor to a laundry basket and the papers to a desk and not just piled in the corner. Random papers and clothes on the floor = mess (and possible bug attractor or fire hazard), and that's bugging your landlord.

I'm not saying she isn't out of bounds, but maybe you could use this as a reason to be a little neater? I can guarantee you that at some point, this will drive another roommate or spouse crazy. Seriously, you have what, 3 months left? Just go along to get along and look for a new place for next year.

You never would say that to someone who you perceived is an "adult". If op said "I am renting in a house and the landlord drops In to tell is that we don't clean up well enough" you would probably not say "oh well just clean up".

If you are in DC the landlord is required to give 24 hours notice before entering the property unless it is an emergency. In addition, most leases do not specify the level of cleanliness other than to state that efforts must be made to maintain the property as not to attract pests (insects, rodents). It is usually stated that the property needs to be left in that same condition as when you found it; however, telling you how to maintain the condition of your house while you are living there is over-stepping on the part of the landlord with the exception of a serious problem (i.e. hoarding, so dirty as to attract pests, etc).

It sounds like your "landlord" doesn't know the laws or doesn't wish to abide by them. I am a landlord for several properties in the city and I can tell you that I would never dictate how a tenant should live in the space. I have had tenants that lived in a way that I would never want to live (dirty dishes, dirt and hair everywhere, an overall dirty sense of the place...), but I would never say anything because it is not my business. However, I do expect that the property is in the same condition upon leaving as when a tenant moved in. If it is not then that is what I have a security deposit for. I have retained money from the security deposit because tenants have not cleaned properly and that is clearly stated in the lease.

OP - you need to let the landlord know that she is violating the DC law (if you are in DC). Go online and find the laws related to a landlord entering a property and forward them to her. She will not like it, but you have the right to let her know where she is over-stepping the boundaries.At the same time, you must learn what is expected when you move out. Assume that the property should be thoroughly cleaned - that includes making sure the oven is cleaned, the refrigerator is cleaned and the kitchen and bathrooms are also cleaned thoroughly. If you have carpeting then you may need to shampoo the carpet before moving out. If you have broken anything (holes in walls, etc.) you will need to repair those. If you cannot get them fixed then you need to let the landlord know and then make an agreement about the cost of the repair. Also, allow yourself time after moving everything out to clean the house completely. If you do not do this then the landlord has the right to charge you for all of the cleaning.