It is a violation of state and local law for a landlord to lock a tenant out of their home for any reason. Likewise, a landlord may not shut off a tenant’s utilities for any reason, even if the tenant has not paid or is late in paying their rent. Unfortunately, these things do happen and can leave a tenant feeling distraught and emotionally devastated. But, taking these actions can leave the landlord financially liable to the tenant for things like emotional distress, lost property, and loss of the tenancy.
Humphreys Joiner Law Group, LLP represents tenants who have been locked from their homes by their landlords or who have had their utilities shut off by their landlords. We also represent tenants whose landlords have threatened to lock them out or to shut off their utilities. In these situations, the landlords can be financially liable to their tenants for such actions.