Except under certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions, a landlord generally may not interrupt utilities provided to a residential tenant—such as electricity, gas, water, sewer, internet, telephone, cable television, security systems, and in some areas, trash collection—unless the interruption results from bona fide repairs, construction, or an emergency.

A landlord generally may not shut off utilities to a residential tenant because the tenant is late in paying for the utilities. Laws vary from state to state, and laws related to a landlord’s interruption of a residential tenant’s utility services are usually located in a state’s statutes.

In Alabama, landlords are prohibited from interrupting or terminating utility services provided to a residential tenant as a means of forcing the tenant to vacate the premises or to punish them for late or non-payment of rent or utilities. This includes essential services such as electricity, gas, water, sewer, and others mentioned. The only exceptions to this rule are when the interruption is necessary for bona fide repairs, construction, or in the case of an emergency. These regulations are designed to protect tenants from unlawful evictions and to ensure that their access to necessary services is not unjustly interrupted. If a landlord unlawfully interrupts a tenant's utilities, the tenant may have legal recourse, which could include restoring the service, seeking damages, and in some cases, attorneys' fees. These protections are typically found in the state's landlord-tenant statutes.