{"id":369221,"date":"2016-04-04T10:47:16","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/illegal-evictions-can-get-you-in-trouble-for-landlord-harassment.html"},"modified":"2024-06-03T13:19:00","modified_gmt":"2024-06-03T18:19:00","slug":"illegal-evictions-can-get-you-in-trouble-for-landlord-harassment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/illegal-evictions-can-get-you-in-trouble-for-landlord-harassment.html","title":{"rendered":"Illegal Evictions Can Get You in Trouble for Landlord Harassment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 fl-sectionWithSidebar fl-container fl-flex fl-flex-wrap fl-gap30\">\n    \n    <div class=\"fl-page-articles fl-section-main fl-section-main-full-width\">\n        <h1 class=\"fl-no-margin-top\">Illegal Evictions Can Get You in Trouble for Landlord Harassment<\/h1>\n<section class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline\">\n    <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-content\">\n                    By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/melissa-mccall-j-d\/\">Melissa McCall, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by <a\n                href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/katrina-wilson-esq\/\">Katrina Wilson, Esq.<\/a>\n                | Last updated\n        <time>\n                            June 03, 2024\n                    <\/time>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-legally-reviewed\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Legally Reviewed\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\">FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/company-history\/editorial-policy.html\">our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n\n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-fast-checked\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Fact-Checked\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/contributing-authors.html\">contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/?fli=bylinelink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n<\/section>\n<p>An illegal eviction occurs when a landlord uses self-help to evict a tenant. Self-help&nbsp;evictions&nbsp;happen when a landlord retakes possession of a rental property without using the legal eviction process.<\/p>\r\n<p>The use of self-help may amount to landlord harassment. Almost all states prohibit a landlord from evicting a tenant via self-help, which may lead to fines and penalties.<\/p>\r\n<p>This article explores illegal evictions and how to avoid them.<\/p>\r\n<h2>How to Start a Legal Eviction<\/h2>\r\n<p>An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/eviction.html\">eviction<\/a> is a legal process to remove a tenant from a rental property or dwelling unit. Since lease and rental agreements are binding legal contracts, landlords and property managers need a valid reason to remove a tenant.<\/p>\r\n<p>Valid reasons for evicting a tenant include but are not limited to the following:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Nonpayment of rent<\/li>\r\n<li>Engaging in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/faq-landlord-responsibilities-criminal-activities.html\">criminal or illicit activity<\/a> on the rental property<\/li>\r\n<li>Causing severe damage to the rental property<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>These issues can negatively affect the landlord.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/landlord-rights.html\">Landlords&#8217; rights<\/a> allow property owners to protect themselves and their financial interests against these problems. Yet, landlords must take the proper steps to exercise those rights.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<h3>Don&#8217;t Take Shortcuts in the Eviction Process<\/h3>\r\n<p>A state&#8217;s legal eviction procedures apply regardless of what a tenant has done or how a tenant behaves. As a landlord, you cannot take matters into your own hands. You must use their state&#8217;s&nbsp;eviction process. Otherwise, you may risk a lawsuit or criminal penalties for wrongful evictions.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Notify Tenants Before Taking Any Other Actions<\/h3>\r\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/the-eviction-process-faq.html\">legal eviction process<\/a> begins with a written notice to the tenant advising them of the reason for the eviction and an opportunity to avoid it. Consider, for example, a tenant who owes two months&#8217; rent. Their landlord can allow them to pay the past-due rent and avoid eviction through a &quot;pay rent or quit&quot; notice.<\/p>\r\n<p>Other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/rules-for-landlords-and-property-managers-when-evicting-a-tenant.html\">types of notices<\/a> include the &quot;cure or quit&quot; and &quot;unconditional quit&quot; notices. A &quot;cure or quit&quot; notice is often used for violations of rental or lease agreements. Tenants can cure the violation or vacate the rental unit.<\/p>\r\n<p>Landlords use &quot;unconditional quit&quot; notices for extreme situations, like a tenant who hasn&#8217;t paid rent in five months. Whereas the other notices come with a few days&#8217; notice and an opportunity to resolve the underlying issue, in this case the tenant must vacate immediately.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Stubborn Tenant? Consider an Eviction Lawsuit<\/h3>\r\n<p>If the tenant ignores the eviction notice, the landlord may file an eviction action in the appropriate court. In some states, a housing court is the venue for an eviction case; in others, it&#8217;s a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/litigation\/going-to-court\/small-claims-court.html\">small claims court<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>This action, or &quot;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/eviction-and-unlawful-detainer.html\">unlawful detainer<\/a>,&quot; allows the landlord to regain possession of the property. If the landlord prevails in their legal action, the court can issue a writ of possession. This writ legally returns the rental property to the landlord. The court order may also include attorney fees and court costs.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Self-Help Evictions Risk Legal Consequences<\/h2>\r\n<p>Self-help evictions occur when the landlord doesn&#8217;t use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/what-does-the-landlord-need-to-do-to-evict-the-tenant.html\">legal eviction process<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>The following are a few self-help methods landlords use to evict a renter illegally:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>A tenant lockout by changing the locks on the unit<\/li>\r\n<li>Turning off utility services<\/li>\r\n<li>Removing the tenant&#8217;s personal property from the rental unit<\/li>\r\n<li>Threatening the tenant<\/li>\r\n<li>Ordering the tenant to leave<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>These methods can constitute landlord harassment or violate the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/the-legal-standard-for-repairs-warranty-of-habitability.html\">warranty of habitability<\/a>. Tenants who face an illegal eviction or harassment may speak to a real estate or tenant rights attorney.&nbsp;They may seek a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/evictions-and-restraining-orders.html\">restraining order<\/a> or other formal actions to fight these methods.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<h2>Landlord Liability for Illegal Evictions<\/h2>\r\n<p>Illegal evictions open property owners, landlords, and property managers to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/incorporation-and-legal-structures\/what-to-expect-business-liability.html\">significant liability<\/a>. A tenant&#8217;s behavior will not shield a landlord from liability. Instead, a court may view the landlord&#8217;s unlawful actions as landlord harassment.<\/p>\r\n<p>In many states, the tenant can get damages for the expenses of illegal eviction, which may include compensation for:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Temporary housing<\/li>\r\n<li>The food that spoiled during the electricity shut-off<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>Some states allow renters to recover monetary damages such as a few months&#8217; rent or a few times the actual damages.<\/p>\r\n<p>The court may also award to the renter:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>The option to vacate the premises and collect their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/rent-security-deposits.html\">security deposit<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li>The return of all prepaid rent to the departing tenant<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>&nbsp;Landlords may also face criminal penalties for harassment. In New York state, for example,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nysenate.gov\/legislation\/laws\/RPA\/768\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">unlawful evictions<\/a>&nbsp;are a criminal misdemeanor.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Evict Tenants Lawfully Instead<\/h2>\r\n<p>Instead of using <a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.findlaw.com\/definition\/harass.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">harassment<\/a> or other illegal means to force someone to vacate a rental unit, a landlord should follow applicable state laws when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/realestate\/landlord-tenant-law\/how-to-evict-a-tenant-3-ways-landlords-can-get-the-legal-advice-t.html\">evicting a tenant<\/a>. Although it may take longer, and court costs may be expensive, following the process will protect a landlord from hefty damages.<\/p>\r\n<p>With the court order, the landlord can ask a law enforcement officer to remove the tenant from the property. This step avoids the hint of impropriety.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Get Advice for Illegal Eviction Problems<\/h2>\r\n<p>If you are facing an illegal eviction issue as a renter or a landlord, getting help can protect you. An experienced attorney can give you sound legal advice for your specific situation. Speak to a qualified, local&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/landlord-tenant\/?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">landlord-tenant law attorney<\/a>&nbsp;in your area.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"was-this-helpful\">\n    <div\n            class=\"was-this-helpful__question-container\"\n            aria-labelledby=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n            role=\"group\"\n    >\n        <span\n                id=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__question fl-text-lg-bold\"\n        >Was this helpful?<\/span>\n        <button\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__button fl-text-sm\"\n                aria-label=\"Yes\"\n                value=\"yes\"\n        >\n            <span class=\"was-this-helpful__button-text fl-text-bold\">Yes<\/span>\n            <i class=\"was-this-helpful__button-icon\">\n                <svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n     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or neighbor disputes may need the help of local police\n\n                <\/li>\n                            <li data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-item\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-check medium fl-editors-summary-content-item-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    Complex real estate issues (such as construction defects or illegal landlord actions) may need the support of an attorney\n\n                <\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n                    <div class=\"fl-editors-summary-content-description\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-description\">\n                <p>Buying or selling a home, facing foreclosure, or mortgage loan issues can benefit from legal expertise. 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   <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Using self-help methods to evict a tenant is illegal in most states. Learn more about illegal evictions and the legal eviction process in this FindLaw article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41135,"featured_media":0,"parent":369187,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"app\/Http\/Controllers\/Templates\/ArticleWithBreadcrumbsController.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":true,"_modified_date":"","_autodraft_ids":[],"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"_sb_is_suggestion_mode":false,"_sb_show_suggestion_boards":false,"_sb_show_comment_boards":false,"_sb_suggestion_history":"","_sb_update_block_changes":"","_is_real_time_mode":false,"_realtime_collaborators":"","footnotes":"","cf_checklist_status":[]},"categories":[2741],"tags":[],"state_laws_tags":[],"flmsa":[],"class_list":["post-369221","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-realestate"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/369221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=369221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/369221\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/369187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=369221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=369221"},{"taxonomy":"state_laws_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/state_laws_tags?post=369221"},{"taxonomy":"flmsa","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/flmsa?post=369221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}