I am a landlord and trying to evict the tenants for non rent.

Question

They've changed the locks to the gate and I can't get onto the property. What can I do? We're going thru the courts but I need to Get onto my land to fix some things and maintain the lawn. Any ideas? Can I call the police?

Answer 1

It's your property and you have the right to have the key to the locks.  You can get a locksmith to change the locks and/or give you keys--it's your right to do so without any court action.  

READ your lease carefully.  See what these tenants have done that breaches your lease.  List everything, with times and dates.   Amend your court docs to include additional items they have done, adding in the cost of the locksmith.

Answer 2

I would definitely call the local authorities to see if they can do something about you gaining access to YOUR property.

Answer 3

Your tenants violated the lease agreement when they changed the locks.  You are entitled to have those locks changed to your needs and to enter the property with appropriate statutory notice (check your state statutes).  These tenants CANNOT prevent your entrance to your property with proper notice of entry.

These tenants are playing games, in hopes of living there as long as they can without paying the rents due.  If you incur expenses in changing or drilling the locks to gain entrance, you are entitled to recover these costs, as well as other costs relative to their unpaid rents and damages to the property.

These folks are nuisances.  Evict them as quickly as you can. (And I can assure you that their excuses will be endless, so document your costs and actions as well as you can.)  I'm guessing that you may end up in court over this, and you want everything possible to support your contentions.

Best of luck. !

Answer 4

I don't think they are authorized to change the locks.........you should be able to get something done just based on that. Plus they sound like real losers; I would do a public search, pray they have an active warrant or one of them is on probation and then call the proper authorities.

I worked in the courts and have found that people like that many times either have an active warrant or have open probation.

Answer 5

"Trying"? Issue the Three-Day Notice and institute court proceedings as rapidly as local law allows.

Issue a 24 hour notice to enter and in that notice demand copies of all keys. Let them know if you need to bring a locksmith to gain entry the cost will be added to their legal fees. Let the know you will be using this opportunity to inspect the property and taking photos

When you get the eviction be sure to ask for ALL the money possible so even if you can't get it immediately.

You don't need to get in the house to cut the lawn so you ca do that simply by letting them know you will be by weekly at such-and-such time to do it. Stick to the schedule you give them.

If you are hesitent you might ask an off-duty cop to accompany you for show-value, but they don't enforce leases. Don't have the locksmith change the locks, merely have him make copies for you (charge the tenant). Don't turn off any utilities or re-key any locks.

Answer 6

Call the police and make arrangements for them to be there when the locksmith arrives.   You have to change the locks again, add the expense to your eviction.

Answer 7

Be careful since you started eviction process. Any self-help method can cos' you to start the whole process again. Your tenants might set up this to make you change the lock again and then complain that you tried to lock them out of the apartment.

I think the best way is send them a breach of contract letter saying they're not suppose to change the lock on the gate and request them to correct this otherwise will charge them for any locksmith expenses plus the cost of replacing the lawn. Send the letter in certified mail and one post on his door cos' the certified one might come back unclaimed.

Answer 8

YES! Call the police. changing the locks without permission is illegal.  They cannot keep you off your property!

Answer 9

Has it occurred to you that maybe you should be consulting an attorney, lest you end up dealing with a lawsuit from your tenants,  or worse face criminal charges for home invasion on your own property?

Answer 10

Technically it's NOT your property.  Even owners of apartment complexes have to get a Writ of Possession before they are even allowed to "legally" enter the apartment during an eviction or it's considered trespassing.  Even though it's your home, it's still trespassing, you are preventing your tenants from "quiet enjoyment" even though the deadbeats have stopped paying you rent.  Do not enter the premises to repair anything or maintain the lawn.  Send them a letter via regular and certified mail telling them that they have prevented access to your property in order to do repairs, give them 24 hours notice that you are coming in to do repairs and they better allow you access.  If they don't you have written proof that you gave them notice to try to repair and maintain your property to no avail if they moan in court that you never maintained the property in order to win the sympathy vote and make you look bad, you have proof that they prevented you from doing it.  Then get them out of there as soon as possible.  You can change the locks back when you kick them out, add it to your eviction costs.