Circumstances Under Which Landlord May Change the Locks

Laws vary from state to state to state but a landlord generally must follow the notice and eviction processes provided in the state’s statutes before locking a tenant out of leased residential premises by changing the locks. In some states a residential lease may give the landlord the right to lock out a tenant who is delinquent on rent, for example—but the landlord still must give the delinquent tenant a key and access upon request.

If a residential tenant fails to pay the rent or continues to use the leased premises for a purpose other than as permitted by the lease agreement—and after the landlord gives proper notice of the rent delinquency or improper use—the landlord may have the right to terminate the lease and get a court order for a writ of possession or writ of eviction to remove the tenant from the leased premises.

Only after the landlord gets such a court order—and after the tenant’s time to appeal the court order has passed (usually 5-10 days)—may the landlord change the locks.

Circumstances Under Which Tenant May Change the Locks

A residential lease agreement may prohibit a tenant from changing the locks unless the tenant immediately informs the landlord and provides the landlord with an updated key. Or a residential lease agreement may prohibit a tenant from changing the locks and require the tenant to ask the landlord to change the locks.

In some states a landlord is required to change the locks upon a tenant’s request but the tenant must pay the cost of rekeying or changing the locks. And in some states—such as California and New Jersey—a tenant may have the right to change the locks without giving the landlord an updated key—unless the written lease agreement prohibits the tenant from changing the locks without giving the landlord an updated key.

Laws regarding the circumstances under which the landlord or the tenant in a residential lease may change the locks vary from state to state and are usually included in the state’s statutes—often in the landlord-tenant code or property code.

In New York, landlords are not permitted to change the locks as a means of evicting a tenant without going through the proper legal process. This is known as a 'self-help eviction' and is illegal. A landlord must provide the tenant with proper notice of rent delinquency or improper use of the property and then proceed to court to obtain a writ of possession or eviction if the tenant fails to remedy the situation. Only after a court order is obtained and the time for the tenant to appeal has expired, may the landlord change the locks legally. As for tenants, they may be restricted from changing the locks based on their lease agreement. If the lease allows for lock changes, the tenant may be required to inform the landlord and provide a new key. In cases where the lease prohibits lock changes, the tenant must request the landlord to make such changes. The cost of rekeying or changing locks at the tenant's request may be the tenant's responsibility. It's important to review the specific lease agreement and state statutes for detailed regulations.