Landlord Changes Locks To keep Scumbag Tenants Out

One of the most active and interesting articles (in my opinion) on this website is the I’m evicting my tenants post. The post is basically about me throwing my toys out of the pram and having a gutless whinge about my tenant, and how I want to evict her stupid ass. For the record, if there’s any justice in the world, she’ll be slowly burning in hell like a skewered lamb kebab right now.

The post is interesting because a lot of people have been actively commenting on the article; majority of the them being Landlords that are also experiencing frustrating situations with shit-for-brains tenants.

I’ve dealt with some real scumbag tenants in my short time of being a Landlord, consequently I know how stressful it can be. If I had it my way (providing that a tenant steps out of line), all landlords would be well within their rights to change the locks and throw their tenants onto the streets.

Having said that, here’s an interesting comment left by a landlord:

hi
ive been a landlord foe 20 odd years and seen and heard it all.

I used to get real angry when this sort of thing happens but in the end it just eats you up.

you have to realise there are loads of fucking arseholes out there that don’t give a fuck how much grief they cause. I had one who was 3 months in arrears then, can you believe this. Sub let it to a load of drug addicts who wrecked the property it cost 12 k to refurbish it.
I was so angry i forced entry when they were out. Paid a man and a lorry to empty the whole lot. Cost me £400.00 Everthing they owned. Took it all to the local tip, flat screen hi fi whole lorry load, Tipped it up good riddance. Changed the locks and waited for the phone calls. took about 2 hours then boy did the phone ring. Wheres all our our stuff they screamed. Down the fucking tip you low life. take me to court if you like.

Still waiting to hear.

risky but sometimes you just have to step up to the plate and take whats coming.

good luck

Paddy

Now, that’s how shitty tenants should be legally treated in my opinion. Although, 3 months in arrears is way too long, they deserve to be locked out after 2 months of arrears, max. I’m not condoning this activity, because I wouldn’t even do it. I’m just saying that’s how it should be. If you’re a Landlord with a pair of dinosaur balls (like Paddy), consequently have no qualms with laughing in the face of the law (in this particular scenario), then all the power to ya’

It is illegal for a Landlord to change the locks?

Just to clarify, it is illegal for a landlord to harass or change the locks to prevent tenants from entering the property. So before you go storming into a property with the intentions of taking the law into your own hands like a crazed wild-west lunatic, think of the consequences.

Acts of illegal evictions include

• changing locks when you are out
• being physically thrown out of all or part of your home
• physically stopping you from entering your home.

Landlords have to follow a legal procedure to evict tenants, by serving the correct sections. More on Evicting tenants, legally. Illegal eviction is a serious civil and criminal offense, and a landlord can be prosecuted if guilty of doing so.

In most cases, the landlord must obtain a possession order from a county court after serving a valid Notice to Quit. The tenant doesn’t have to leave at this point, and a lot usually don’t. Only the court can decide whether the tenant has to leave the property. It will normally take several weeks before the case is decided in court.

Exceptions to the rules

The landlord does not need to obtain a court possession order to evict if:

• you have a resident landlord with whom you share facilities, like the kitchen and bathroom
• you are not paying any rent for your accommodation

In these cases, the landlord is only required to give reasonable notice to the tenant to leave the property. Once the notice has elapsed, the tenant becomes a trespasser and the landlord can legally change the locks at the property.

Are you a landlord that has been forced to change locks? Maybe you’re a tenant that has changed the locks. Tell me your story…

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Talk / 14 Comments left so far

morpheous wrote this on 2008-12-31 22:17:34 I dont blame him for taking drastic measures. I have had to do something similar myself when tenants refused to pay their rent and were using my property to store stolen goods ( dont ask how I knew they were stolen ;)). They weren't even living in the property! In the end they left the property when all their dodgy goods went missing. They rang me to complain that their stuff had gone and I suggested we go and report it to the police they refused and left the property the same day. 1

AngryTenant wrote this on 2009-02-22 22:53:19 Well my landlord has just done this to me after being a tenant for nearly 4 years and I've done absolutely nothing wrong, been paying him my rent etc. I'm seeking advice tomorrow.
I WILL be taking him to court if not resolved... 2

stein wrote this on 2009-10-19 18:22:54 i have two tenats sharing my flat but they fell out now she told me that thay had split up and she was moving out and would collect her stuff, i spoke to the bloke involved nd he said he will not let her in but will bag her stuff up and she can collect it. all was going ok now the father phones me telling me i can't kick her out and that she has a right to go in the flat although she told me she was moving out last week. i have since drawn up a new lease but am i acting illegally despite her leaving voluntarily. 3

ariz wrote this on 2009-11-13 17:29:55 How would you like a bunch of fucking assholes like I had. Never paid on time , had a pet that was not supposed to be in the house pissed all over the house ruined carpeting , tile , yard. Stole all of your lawn equipment, window treatments ( curtains ) , tools , patio swing , fire pit and the list goes on. 4

Twattybollocks wrote this on 2009-11-13 20:57:39 @stein - You cannot do anything. The dispute is between her and her bloke. She can surrender but I take it they are joint and severally liable for the property in your AST?

She has as much righ to be in the flat as her ex bloke.
TB 5

markas32 wrote this on 2009-12-25 20:37:49 How about a tenant who through various sob stories and promises of payment is now in arrears 0f 3 moths, then when she tells me to collect and she isnt in, i ring her contact numbers to find first her mother answereing, funny she told me her mother had died and she was waiting on estate payments, then i ring another to find it is her old works number where she was alledgedly made redundant in sept, and awaitiing wages payments etc, for her to answer and when i tell her i wam waiting at her house as arranged to collect her rent, by her instructions, oh ive lost my card, ive just popped in for a drink, what are the odds of that, especially when 4 hours earlier she hd txt to say she was stuck in hull, and car had broken down.
Then she is on facebook, bragging about her night on the tiles, the same time she send a text saying she has no food, no money blah blah, I want her out now the feeling of being taken for a mug really knalls and it hurts especially when you give the benefit and sympathy and try to be understanding, i should have issued notice sooner i know but i have issued now and i will go for the jugular.
By the way her mother , who answered is now apparently not her mother after all but her dads second wife, she put down this woman as next of kin MOTHERon her application when she isnt. At the time her tenancy her real mum was defo alive, apparently as she lied knowingly she has broke the law, I am concerned her references from her employer may alos be bogus. Anthing i can do or any suggestions this woman is in her 40's and i feel pissed of ive been so gulible 6

twattybollocks wrote this on 2009-12-27 11:21:52 You have been gullible. let the courts sort it out and learn from the experience.

TB 7

vicky wrote this on 2010-01-26 14:27:44 I have a tennent £2,372 in debt! I want to get her stuff out and change locks, she has 3 kids all teenage. What is the worst that can happen? Could i get put away? I was thinking of putting all the stuff on the lawn so its not classed as theft!
All the neighbours are complaining about her also!

Please help! 8

jools wrote this on 2010-01-26 20:22:05 You could be sued for illegal eviction and handed a large fine + compensation to your scumbags! Go the legal route and serve notice asap! Good luck!

Jools 9

Tenant wrote this on 2010-01-26 22:26:16 I can understand that some landlords are taken for a ride by their tenants, but if the tables were turned and you found all your personal belongings slung out and that you couldn't get into your property with your key, you'd be sh*tting yourselves.

When I was living in London and was serving my 1 month notice (my choice, moved to a flat share with friends), my landlord gave two agencies permission to let themselves into my flat for viewings with a copy of my key which he'd given them, whilst I supposedly wasn't in. Of course, I was because the cheeky arseholes didn't even bother knocking the first time!

Now I am up north and my current landlord has threatened me and I had to get the police involved and his wife screamed at me down the phone and they're evicting me - just because I told them my (their) washing machine has broken down and I need it to be repaired - and not due to my negligence either.

I long for the time that I'm able to afford a deposit and subsequent mortgage. I've had it up to here with useless landlords!! 10

aleena wrote this on 2010-02-06 16:30:06 hi my tenant is 2 mnths in arrears with rent...she hasnt been living in it for last three months shes taken her belongings but left her old banger car in driveway no tax on it nothing....but im still receiving half the payment from council..can i go in and change the locks and secure the property as the property has been broken in twice.... 11

Chris Millar wrote this on 2010-02-14 12:00:15 I have a real bitch of a tenant at the moment, she is 18, and from day 1 all i have had is complaints from the neighbours due to all night parties. The police have been called there for drugs and young adults at 14/15 drinking alcohol and taking drugs. She is in arears with her rent. She is serving her notice at the moment. If the tenant carrys on, im changing the locks and kicking her and her chavvy waster friends out. If anyone is thinking of having an 18 year old no matter how nice they seem, DONT!!! 12

Chris Millar wrote this on 2010-02-18 13:33:35 I had to take the tenants keys of her saturday night. Police called me because she had a lot of people in there having a party and creating a nuisance to neighbours. So i was needed to get them out. All was fine at first but me and a few friends stayed in the car for a bit just incase they came back. They did. We waited a little bit longer and thats when one of the drunken girls ran out saying that a boy was beating a girl up and smashing up my flat so we went in and thats when the fight started by them of course. but what we did not realise when we were inside the flat my friends van was being smashed up out side so in the end i kicked my tenant out before her notice. which was the 3/3/10. What is the worst that can happen if she takes me to court? 13

donna wrote this on 2010-07-30 08:02:47 hi i have a tenant and served a notice to quit which ended on 6th july her tenancy agreement ends on 1 st august she is ignoring my calls and i am getting threats of her ex . i found her another house and offered to give the bond and 500 for month in advance even though she has trashed my property if i go into my property on the 2nd august and removed her myself what will happen to me is it prison cos i have two young children under5 and 1 on the way i am currently in a caravan because she wont leave my house the council wont house me and my tenant is refusing to let them help her too please help me x 14

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