They have ways around that. We've rented apartments and they would often enter without our consent when we weren't home. They would call it things like "Maintainence" and such. Just like every month they would do routine "maintaince" where they would jot the serial numbers down on the stove or dishwasher and do a walk through. We all know its just an excuse to snoop around. The "law" won't do crap to help you. I changed our locks and screwed the windows shut after we found out they were entering without our consent. We first noticed the problem when alcohol we had it the cabinet started going missing. Then a few days later all the pictures of my wife in the apartment as well as her underwear and other clothes disappeared. They even used our computer to upload photos to the internet they took from around the complex of young/teenage girls (we lived right next to a middle school)! You could clearly see which apartments they were taken from around the complex. At one point during this crap the guy tried breaking in while my wife was home alone. She pulled a gun on him and sent him running. Management as well as the Abilene PoPo told us to take a hike. We put that place on CL really quick. Paid for the deposit and everything for someone to take over our lease.
However, on the subject of snakes, we weren't supposed to have any, but they never brought it up. I still would not risk it. Show them exactly what you have, how big it gets and that you can properly care for it and contain it.