New York Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation
New York rules on lockouts, utility shutoffs & retaliation for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: Self-help eviction is unlawful. Except under a warrant of eviction, other court order, or government vacate order, no one may evict or try to evict a lawful occupant of 30 days or more (or a leaseholder) by force or threat, by removing their belongings or the entrance door, by disabling… N.Y. RPAPL § 768
The rules in New York
| Lockouts and illegal eviction | Self-help eviction is unlawful. Except under a warrant of eviction, other court order, or government vacate order, no one may evict or try to evict a lawful occupant of 30 days or more (or a leaseholder) by force or threat, by removing their belongings or the entrance door, by disabling or changing the lock without giving a key, or by other acts meant to force them out. Intentional violation is a class A misdemeanor, each violation carries a civil penalty of $1,000 to $10,000, and the owner must take reasonable steps to restore the occupant or face up to $100 a day more (up to six months). On request, the owner must also provide a suitable unit in the same dwelling when restoration is required. Source: N.Y. RPAPL § 768 |
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| Landlord shutting off utilities | No. It is unlawful to evict or try to evict an occupant who has lawfully occupied a dwelling unit for 30 consecutive days or more (or has a lease) by a course of conduct that interferes with the occupant's comfort, peace, or quiet, including interrupting or discontinuing essential services. Intentional violation is a class A misdemeanor, and each violation also carries a civil penalty of $1,000 to $10,000. Separately, a landlord or building staff who willfully fails to provide water, heat, light, power, elevator, telephone, or other service required by the lease commits a violation. An owner must take all reasonable steps to restore an occupant who was forced out; failing to restore adds a civil penalty of up to $100 a day from the request, for up to six months (RPAPL § 768(1)(b), (2)(b)). |
| Landlord retaliation | Landlord may not serve a notice to quit, sue for possession, or substantially alter the tenancy (including refusing to renew or an unreasonable rent increase) because the tenant made a good-faith complaint to the landlord or a government agency about health/safety, habitability, or housing law violations, took good-faith action to enforce lease or legal rights, or joined a tenants' organization. Retaliation is presumed if the action occurs within one year after the protected act. Presumption is rebuttable (landlord must show non-retaliatory motive by preponderance). Remedies: damages, attorney's fees, injunctive relief; retaliation is a defense in an eviction case. Does not apply to owner-occupied buildings with fewer than 4 units. Source: N.Y. RPL § 223-b |
Related questions
New York vs. neighboring states
| State | Lockouts and illegal eviction | Landlord shutting off utilities | Landlord retaliation |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Self-help eviction is unlawful. Except under a warrant of eviction, other court order, or government vacate order, no one may evict or try to evict a lawful occupant of 30 days or more (or a leaseholder) by force or threat, by removing their belongings or the entrance door, by disabling or changing the lock without giving a key, or by other acts meant to force them out. Intentional violation is a class A misdemeanor, each violation carries a civil penalty of $1,000 to $10,000, and the owner must take reasonable steps to restore the occupant or face up to $100 a day more (up to six months). N.Y. RPAPL § 768 | No. It is unlawful to evict or try to evict an occupant who has lawfully occupied a dwelling unit for 30 consecutive days or more (or has a lease) by a course of conduct that interferes with the occupant's comfort, peace, or quiet, including interrupting or discontinuing essential services. Intentional violation is a class A misdemeanor, and each violation also carries a civil penalty of $1,000 to $10,000. Separately, a landlord or building staff who willfully fails to provide water, heat, light, power, elevator, telephone, or other service required by the lease commits a violation. N.Y. RPAPL § 768; N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235 | Landlord may not serve a notice to quit, sue for possession, or substantially alter the tenancy (including refusing to renew or an unreasonable rent increase) because the tenant made a good-faith complaint to the landlord or a government agency about health/safety, habitability, or housing law violations, took good-faith action to enforce lease or legal rights, or joined a tenants' organization. Retaliation is presumed if the action occurs within one year after the protected act. N.Y. RPL § 223-b |
| Connecticut | A landlord or owner (or agent) who, without a court order, deprives a tenant of access to the unit or the tenant's belongings commits criminal lockout, a class C misdemeanor. A tenant who is put or held out of possession, or whose belongings are removed or held, may file an entry-and-detainer complaint with a Superior Court judge, and if the court finds the landlord entered or held the unit by force or otherwise caused that injury, the tenant may recover double damages and costs in a civil action. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53a-214, 47a-43, 47a-46 | If a landlord who must supply heat, running water, hot water, electricity, gas or another essential service fails to do so (for reasons within the landlord's control), the tenant, after notice, may buy the service and deduct the reasonable cost from rent, or get reasonable substitute housing if service is not restored within 48 hours (immediately if the same failure recurs within six months), with rent abating for that period. If the failure is willful, the tenant may end the lease and recover the greater of two months' rent or double actual damages, and get back the deposit, prepaid rent and interest. The tenant may recover reasonable attorney's fees. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-13 | Landlord may not sue for possession, raise rent, or reduce services within 6 months after the tenant in good faith: tries to remedy a code violation (including contacting officials or filing a fair rent commission complaint); triggers a municipal notice or order; requests repairs; files a § 47a-14h action; or organizes or joins a tenants' union. Exceptions include nonpayment, lease violations, and good-faith owner occupancy. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-20, 47a-20a |
| Massachusetts | If a landlord or agent removes a tenant from the home or shuts the tenant out without a valid court order, the tenant may get back possession or end the lease and, either way, recover three months' rent or three times the damages suffered, plus court costs and reasonable attorney's fees (G.L. c. 186, §15F). A landlord who tries to regain possession by force without court process, or interferes with quiet enjoyment, also faces a fine or jail and liability for actual and consequential damages or three months' rent, whichever is greater (c. 186, §14). Lease clauses excusing the landlord are void. G.L. c. 186, §15F; G.L. c. 186, §14 | A landlord who must supply water, hot water, heat, light, power, gas, elevator, telephone, janitor or refrigeration service and willfully fails to do so, interferes with another's supply of those services, or shifts utility payments to the tenant without the tenant's knowledge or consent, commits a crime (fine of $25 to $300 or up to 6 months in jail) and is liable for actual and consequential damages or three months' rent, whichever is greater, plus costs and reasonable attorney's fees. Courts may order the landlord to stop. Lease clauses waiving these rights are void, except for interruptions needed for repairs, natural causes beyond the landlord's control, or government restrictions. G.L. c. 186, §14 | Prohibited. Protected acts include: pursuing a court or agency action to enforce housing laws; reporting suspected health, building, or housing code violations to the board of health or a similar agency, or complaining in writing to the landlord; organizing or joining a tenants' union; and certain c. 164 § 124D and c. 183A rent-payment rights. A termination notice (other than for nonpayment), a rent increase, or a substantial change in lease terms within 6 months after protected activity is presumed retaliatory. The landlord can rebut the presumption only by clear and convincing evidence. Damages: at least 1 and up to 3 months' rent, or actual damages if greater, plus costs and reasonable attorney's fees. G.L. c. 186, § 18 |
| New Jersey | Self-help eviction is banned. No one may enter or hold a home occupied solely as a residence without the occupant's consent except through court eviction process; a person who does so is a disorderly person. Padlocking or changing locks, putting a tenant's belongings outside, or turning the tenant out by force or threats is a 'forcible entry and detainer,' a disorderly persons offense if continued after a warning from police or another official. A tenant who wins an unlawful entry and detainer case gets possession plus all damages caused, court costs, and reasonable attorney's fees; if returning possession is inappropriate, the court awards treble damages instead. N.J.S.A. 2A:39-1, 2A:39-2, 2A:39-8; N.J.S.A. 2C:33-11.1 | No. Shutting off, or causing to be shut off, vital services such as heat, electricity, or water in an effort to regain possession is a 'forcible entry and detainer.' A person who does so after being warned by police or another public official that it is illegal, or who refuses to restore the occupant immediately, commits a disorderly persons offense; a second conviction within five years is a fourth-degree crime. Displaced lawful occupants may re-enter with a police officer present. N.J.S.A. 2C:33-11.1 | A landlord may not serve a notice to quit, sue for possession, or substantially change the tenancy (including refusing to renew without cause) as a reprisal for the tenant: trying to secure or enforce rights under the lease or law; making a good-faith complaint to a government authority about a health or safety violation (after first notifying the landlord and allowing reasonable time to fix it); or organizing, joining, or taking part in a lawful organization. The tenant wins the possession case if reprisal is shown, and may sue for damages and injunctive relief. N.J.S.A. 2A:42-10.10 to -10.13 |
| Pennsylvania | The Pennsylvania Attorney General's tenant guide states that landlord self-help eviction is prohibited: a landlord may not change the locks to remove a tenant and must instead give the required notice to quit and go through the court eviction process. Belongings left after a tenant moves out may be disposed of only under the Act's abandoned-property procedure, which requires written notice and a 10-day retrieval period (with up to 30 days of storage on request). PA Attorney General, Consumer Guide to Tenant and Landlord Rights; Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 §§ 501, 505.1 | The Pennsylvania Attorney General's tenant guide states that landlord self-help eviction is prohibited: a landlord may not shut off utility service to start an eviction and must use the court process. When a utility plans to cut service because the landlord did not pay the bill, the Utility Service Tenants Rights Act requires the utility to give tenants at least 30 days' notice, and tenants may pay the utility to keep or restore service and deduct those payments from rent. PA Attorney General, Consumer Guide to Tenant and Landlord Rights; 68 P.S. §§ 399.6, 399.7, 399.9 (as described in the guide) | No general statewide anti-retaliation statute. Limited protections: a lease may not be terminated or non-renewed because of participation in a tenants' association (§ 205); retaliation for exercising rights under the Utility Service Tenants Rights Act is prohibited (68 P.S. § 399.11). 68 P.S. § 250.205; 68 P.S. § 399.11 (per AG guide) |
| Vermont | A landlord may not, directly or indirectly, deny a tenant access to and possession of the rental or the tenant's belongings except through proper court process. A tenant harmed by an illegal eviction may sue for an injunction (for example, to get back in), damages, costs and reasonable attorney's fees. A court may award the landlord attorney's fees if the tenant's suit was not in good faith and was frivolous or meant only to harass. 9 V.S.A. §§ 4463(b)-(c), 4464 | No. A landlord may not willfully cause, directly or indirectly, the interruption or termination of any utility service being supplied to the tenant, except temporary interruptions for emergency repairs. Vermont treats this as an illegal eviction. A tenant harmed by it may sue for an injunction, damages, costs and reasonable attorney's fees. 9 V.S.A. §§ 4463(a), 4464 | Landlord may not retaliate (by setting or changing lease terms, or by bringing or threatening an action) because a tenant complained to a government agency about a health/safety violation, complained to the landlord about a chapter 137 violation, or organized/joined a tenants' union. A termination notice (other than for nonpayment) served within 90 days after a state or municipal finding of a health or safety noncompliance is presumed retaliatory (rebuttable). 9 V.S.A. 4465 |
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New York Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation FAQ
Can a landlord change the locks without a court order in New York?
Self-help eviction is unlawful. Except under a warrant of eviction, other court order, or government vacate order, no one may evict or try to evict a lawful occupant of 30 days or more (or a leaseholder) by force or threat, by removing their belongings or the entrance door, by disabling or changing the lock without giving a key, or by other acts meant to force them out. Intentional violation is a class A misdemeanor, each violation carries a civil penalty of $1,000 to $10,000, and the owner must take reasonable steps to restore the occupant or face up to $100 a day more (up to six months). (N.Y. RPAPL § 768)
Can a landlord shut off utilities in New York?
No. It is unlawful to evict or try to evict an occupant who has lawfully occupied a dwelling unit for 30 consecutive days or more (or has a lease) by a course of conduct that interferes with the occupant's comfort, peace, or quiet, including interrupting or discontinuing essential services. Intentional violation is a class A misdemeanor, and each violation also carries a civil penalty of $1,000 to $10,000. Separately, a landlord or building staff who willfully fails to provide water, heat, light, power, elevator, telephone, or other service required by the lease commits a violation. (N.Y. RPAPL § 768; N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235)
Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in New York?
Landlord may not serve a notice to quit, sue for possession, or substantially alter the tenancy (including refusing to renew or an unreasonable rent increase) because the tenant made a good-faith complaint to the landlord or a government agency about health/safety, habitability, or housing law violations, took good-faith action to enforce lease or legal rights, or joined a tenants' organization. Retaliation is presumed if the action occurs within one year after the protected act. (N.Y. RPL § 223-b)
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.