Delaware Code Title 25 Sec. 5510 – Landlord remedy for unreasonable refusal to allow access
(a) The tenant shall be liable to the landlord for any harm proximately caused by the tenant’s unreasonable refusal to allow access. Any court of competent jurisdiction may issue an injunction against a tenant who has unreasonably withheld access to the rental unit.
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 25 Sec. 5510
- Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
(b) The landlord shall be liable to the tenant for any theft, casualty or other harm proximately resulting from an entry into the rental unit by landlord, its employees or agents or with landlord’s permission or license:
(1) When the tenant is absent and has not specifically consented to the entry;
(2) Without the tenant’s actual consent when tenant is present and able to consent; and
(3) In any other case, where the harm suffered by the tenant is due to the landlord’s negligence.
(c) Repeated demands for unreasonable entry or any actual entry which is unreasonable and not consented to by the tenant may be treated by the tenant as grounds for termination of the rental agreement. Any court of competent jurisdiction may issue an injunction against such unreasonable demands on behalf of 1 or more tenants.
(d) Every agreement or understanding between a landlord and a tenant which purports to exempt the landlord from any liability imposed by this section, except consent to a particular entry, shall be null and void.