10 Things Landlords Generally Cannot Do To A Tenant, From Changing The Locks To Shutting Off The Utilities, And Why State Law Decides The Details

Imagine coming home to a new lock on your door, or waking up to a cold apartment because the heat was shut off on purpose. Landlords who try to force a tenant out this way are using what lawyers call self-help, and most places treat it as illegal.

A black padlock and key hang on a white door, a reminder that landlords cannot simply lock tenants out.

The details are not the same everywhere. As Nolo puts it, every state’s eviction process is different, and some states have not banned self-help evictions even though landlords there still face serious practical and legal risks.

Here are 10 things landlords generally cannot do, based on a 2024 article from Nolo, the Grant County, Washington tenant page and the Tenants Union of Washington. Several of the specifics below come from Washington law, so check your own state. This is general information, not legal advice.

Changing The Locks On A Tenant Is Off Limits, Even When Rent Is Late (Grant County, Washington)

The Grant County page says landlords may not change locks, add new locks, or block the tenant’s use of normal keys, even if rent is late. A locked-out tenant can sue to regain entry.

Nolo describes the same conduct in its 2024 article as changing the locks and putting the tenant’s property out in the street. It calls that kind of shortcut illegal and dangerous.

Shutting Off Utilities To Force A Move Is Not Allowed (Grant County, Washington)

Landlords may not shut off utilities for unpaid rent or to force a move-out, according to the Grant County page. Shutoffs are allowed only for repairs, and only for a reasonable time.

The Tenants Union of Washington points to RCW 59.18.300 and says a tenant can sue in Small Claims Court for up to $100 per day without utilities, plus actual damages.

Letting A Utility Bill Lapse On Purpose Counts As A Shutoff (Nolo, 2024)

Nolo describes a landlord who stops paying a utility bill the landlord is responsible for, hoping that losing water, gas or electricity forces the tenant out. That is treated as a self-help eviction attempt.

Grant County’s page agrees that intentionally not paying utility bills so that service is cut off is treated as an illegal shutoff. A court there may award up to $100 per day plus attorney’s fees.

Blocking Access To Included Amenities Can Also Cross The Line (Nolo, 2024)

Nolo lists blocking access to amenities that come with the rental, such as a laundry room or pool, among illegal self-help actions.

The point is that pushing a tenant out does not require a lockout. Cutting off something the tenant is entitled to use can be treated the same way.

Physically Removing A Tenant Or Their Belongings Is Illegal (Nolo, 2024)

Nolo says entering the rental and removing the tenant and their belongings is an illegal self-help action. It adds that a tenant’s misconduct, such as not paying rent, will not be a valid defense.

Landlords who lock tenants out often face claims that the tenant’s valuable possessions were lost or taken, Nolo says. The article lists possible lawsuits including trespass, assault, battery and wrongful eviction.

Threats And Intimidation Do Not Replace A Court Order (Nolo, 2024)

Nolo says shortcuts such as threats, intimidation, utility shutoffs or attempts to physically remove a tenant are illegal and dangerous. The lawful path is written notice ending the tenancy, followed by an eviction lawsuit.

Only then can law enforcement remove a tenant under a court order. Tenants can also recover real losses like temporary housing or spoiled food, and Nolo says statutory penalties may reach several months’ rent.

Evicting Someone Without A Court Order Is Not An Option (Tenants Union of Washington)

The Tenants Union cites RCW 59.18.290 and says landlords cannot remove a tenant without a court order. A county sheriff must serve the order and oversee removal.

The page adds that a tenant being removed illegally can call the police. It also says a lockout is barred even during an unlawful detainer lawsuit or after a writ of restitution.

Holding A Tenant’s Property To Cover Rent Is Barred (Tenants Union of Washington)

The Tenants Union cites RCW 59.18.230 and says landlords cannot take a tenant’s property to cover rent or other debts. The tenant can demand its return in writing and, if it is not returned, sue for its value and actual damages.

Grant County’s page says landlords may take a tenant’s property only in cases of abandonment, and that lease clauses allowing other seizures are invalid.

Renting Out A Condemned Or Uninhabitable Unit Carries Heavy Penalties (Grant County, Washington)

The Grant County page says landlords may not rent condemned units or units made uninhabitable by uncorrected code violations. For knowingly doing so, the penalty is three months’ rent or three times actual damages, whichever is greater, plus costs and attorney’s fees.

The rule shows that tenant protections cover the condition of a rental from the start, and not just how a tenancy ends.

Punishing A Tenant For Asserting Their Rights Can Be Retaliation (Grant County and Tenants Union)

Grant County’s page says landlords may not retaliate against tenants for exercising legal rights, such as complaining to a government authority or deducting repair costs from rent. Examples include rent increases, reduced services and eviction.

Both Grant County and the Tenants Union say an action within 90 days of the tenant’s protected act is initially presumed retaliatory under Washington law. The Tenants Union gives the example of serving a nonpayment notice on a fully paid tenant who requested a repair.

What should a tenant do if any of this happens? Nolo notes that tenants can often recover actual losses, and in some states the tenant can sue and still remain in the rental. In others, tenants receive only money damages.

Take photos, keep copies of every text and notice, and save receipts for hotel stays or spoiled food. Grant County’s page advises tenants to first ask the utility company to restore service if the power or water is cut.

Then call a local legal aid office or a tenants’ rights group. Because state law decides the details, the person who answers can tell you which remedies apply where you live.

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