Can a Landlord Shut Off Utilities or Change the Locks?

Self-help eviction rules: utility shutoffs and lock changes in California, Florida, New York and Texas, the one narrow Texas exception, and the penalties.

By Seayora Editorial Team · Published October 23, 2026 · Facts checked October 23, 2026 · 5 min read

Key takeaways

• California: no willful utility shutoff or lockout to end a tenancy; up to $100 a day, at least $250, plus attorney fees (Civ. Code § 789.3).
• Florida: no utility shutoff or lockout; actual and consequential damages or 3 months’ rent, whichever is greater (Fla. Stat. § 83.67).
• New York: an unlawful eviction is a class A misdemeanor and a $1,000–$10,000 civil penalty per violation (RPAPL § 768).
• Texas: no utility interruption except repairs, construction or an emergency; one month’s rent plus $1,000 for a violation (Prop. Code § 92.008).
• Texas lock changes for unpaid rent require a lease clause, advance notice, and a new key on request at any hour (§ 92.0081).

Is it legal to lock out a tenant or cut off utilities?

Generally no. Getting a tenant out, or pressuring one to leave, without a court order is called self-help eviction, and states treat it seriously because it puts people out of their homes before a judge has heard the case. The rules below cover the four largest rental states; the answer for every state is in our state-by-state lockout comparison.

What do California and Florida prohibit?

California bars a landlord, “with intent to terminate the occupancy,” from willfully interrupting “any utility service furnished the tenant, including, but not limited to, water, heat, light, electricity, gas, telephone, elevator, or refrigeration, whether or not the utility service is under the control of the landlord,” and from changing the locks, removing outside doors or windows, or removing the tenant’s property. The tenant recovers actual damages and up to $100 for each day of violation, never less than $250 per cause of action, and the court awards attorney fees to the prevailing party (Cal. Civ. Code § 789.3).

Florida’s rule does not depend on intent: a landlord “shall not cause, directly or indirectly, the termination or interruption of any utility service furnished the tenant” or “prevent the tenant from gaining reasonable access to the dwelling unit by any means, including, but not limited to, changing the locks.” The landlord owes “actual and consequential damages or 3 months’ rent, whichever is greater, and costs, including attorney’s fees,” and a violation is irreparable harm for an injunction (Fla. Stat. § 83.67).

What does New York prohibit?

It is unlawful to evict or try to evict an occupant who has lived in a unit for 30 consecutive days or has a lease, except under a court warrant or order, by force, by “the interruption or discontinuance of essential services,” or by removing the occupant’s possessions or the entrance door, disabling the lock, or changing it “without supplying the occupant with a key.” The owner must also restore the occupant on request. An intentional violation is a class A misdemeanor and carries a civil penalty of $1,000 to $10,000 per violation, plus up to $100 a day, for up to six months, for failing to restore (N.Y. RPAPL § 768). Separately, willfully failing to furnish heat, water and other services the lease requires is a violation under Real Prop. Law § 235.

What does Texas allow?

A Texas landlord may not interrupt utilities the tenant pays the utility for, or utilities the landlord furnishes, “unless the interruption results from bona fide repairs, construction, or an emergency” (with a separate, detailed procedure for submetered electricity); a violation lets the tenant recover possession or end the lease and recover actual damages, one month’s rent plus $1,000, attorney fees and costs (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.008).

Texas is unusual in allowing a lock change for delinquent rent, under strict conditions. The lease must give that right, the tenant must be behind on rent, and the landlord must mail notice at least five days ahead or hand-deliver or post it inside the door at least three days ahead, stating the earliest date, the amount due, where to pay, and, in bold or underlined print, the tenant’s right to a new key at any hour “regardless of whether the tenant pays the delinquent rent.” The landlord may not change the locks while anyone is inside, more than once per rental period, or when nobody is available to take payment, and must post a notice with a 24-hour key location or phone number. A violation costs one month’s rent plus $1,000, actual damages and fees, and refusing the key costs another month’s rent (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.0081).

What should a landlord do when rent is unpaid?

1. Send the written notice your state requires for unpaid rent, and keep proof of delivery.
2. If the rent is still unpaid, file in the eviction court; only a court officer can remove a tenant.
3. Keep every utility you are responsible for running throughout, and make repairs as usual.
4. Consider whether a written payment plan would settle the balance without a case.

Frequently asked questions

Can my landlord turn off my water or electricity?

Not to push you out. California, Florida, New York and Texas all prohibit it, with penalties, except for genuine repairs or emergencies where the statute allows.

Can a landlord change the locks if I don’t pay rent?

Not in California, Florida or New York. Texas allows it only with a lease clause and advance notice, and the landlord must give you a new key at any hour whether or not you pay.

What can I recover after an illegal lockout in Florida?

Your actual and consequential damages or three months’ rent, whichever is greater, plus court costs and attorney fees.

State-by-state rules

• Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out? — compared across 21 states and the District of Columbia

Sources

1. California Civil Code § 789.3, California Legislative Information
2. Florida Statutes § 83.67, Prohibited practices, The Florida Legislature
3. N.Y. Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law § 768, Unlawful eviction, New York State Senate
4. N.Y. Real Property Law § 235, Wilful violations, New York State Senate
5. Texas Property Code Chapter 92 (§§ 92.008, 92.0081), Texas Legislature

How Seayora helps

AutoPay and rent reminders: AutoPay and reminders before the due date reduce late rent; for rent that is still unpaid, the lawful route is a written notice and the court.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Landlord-tenant law varies by state and city and changes often, so check the current rule for your property and talk to an attorney before acting on a dispute.

How we write and check these guides: editorial standards.

Related on Seayora

• Illegal lockouts — why a landlord can never change the locks, in any state — Documentation. Changing the locks, removing belongings, shutting off a utility or taking off a door is an illegal “self-help” eviction in every state, and the penalties are usually far larger than the rent being chased. What the law actually requires instead, and what Seayora refuses to help with.
• Landlord Retaliation Laws: Protected Tenant Acts and Time Limits — Guide. When an eviction, rent increase or cut in services is presumed retaliatory: 180 days in California, six months in Texas, a year in New York.
• Can a Tenant Sublet? Subletting Rules in New York, California and Texas — Guide. When a tenant may sublet: New York’s statutory right in buildings of four or more units, California’s reasonableness rule, and Texas’s consent requirement.
• Ending a Lease Early Because of Domestic Violence: State Rules — Guide. How tenants who are victims of domestic violence can end a lease early in California, New York, Texas and Washington, and what a landlord must do.
• Good Cause Eviction in New York City — coverage, the local rent standard and the notice — Documentation. Which of your NYC units the Good Cause Eviction law covers, the exemptions and how each is decided, the highest presumptively reasonable rent increase, and the § 231-c notice every lease and renewal must carry.
• Broadcast Messaging & Notices — Feature. Broadcast SMS and email notices to an entire building or portfolio at once — water shutoffs, policy changes, and seasonal reminders, without a mail merge.

Explore Seayora

• All guides and resources
• Everything Seayora does
• Pricing