Q: Can my landlord send a locksmith to change my lock if I stay past my end-of-lease agreement?
My lease ended Sept 30 but I’m a single parent with no help and I’ve been having to wait until I had the money to get a storage unit to put my things in which I will finally have Wednesday of this coming week. The landlord is threatening to send a locksmith tomorrow to change the locks so all my things will be considered “abandoned”. I didn’t think they could do that without a legal eviction notice. But my lease is also over so I’m not sure.
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A:
In general, landlords are often required to follow specific eviction processes before changing the locks or taking any other action to remove a tenant. This typically includes providing notices and potentially going through court processes.
In Michigan, you may be protected by state laws regarding eviction. In many cases, even after a lease ends, if you remain on the property without a new lease in place, you might be considered a "holdover" tenant or a tenant-at-will. This often means that the landlord still needs to provide proper notice to terminate the tenancy before pursuing eviction.
Lockouts, where the landlord changes the locks without following the proper eviction process, are usually considered illegal self-help evictions in many jurisdictions. If a landlord locks you out without going through the proper eviction process, you may have legal recourse.
Timothy Denison agrees with this answer
A: That most likely violates some law or ordinance in your jurisdiction. Check with a competent landlord-tenant attorney in your area.
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