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Forcing Entry To The Apartment

If your landlord:

a.  Enters your apartment unlawfully (the landlord must give 2 days notice to you before entering your apartment, unless there is an emergency)

b.  Enters your apartment in an unreasonable manner

c.  Makes repeated demands to enter your apartment lawfully, and ends up unreasonably harassing you as a result

Then you may:

a.  Send your landlord a notice to inform her/him that s/he is violating the law. There is a Model Notice for this in Appendices.

b.  Obtain the ability to keep the landlord out. You are allowed to change the locks, get a restraining order, etc. Normally a landlord must have access to his property. So, normally you cannot change the locks on your apartment without giving the landlord a key.

c.  Terminate the lease early (see Want To End Your Lease Early?)

In either case, you may take the landlord to court if you receive damages and sue him/her to get paid back (including attorney’s fees).