Can My Landlord Remove My Personal Property Without an Eviction Notice?

When you enter into a rental agreement with your landlord, you are given legal possession of the rental unit for the lease term. The landlord can still enter the rental for specific reasons, but they are limited due to your right to privacy and quiet enjoyment of the home. If you are in a dispute with your landlord, they might try to harass you into leaving the apartment without going through the eviction process by removing personal property from your home or property. A day notice, or written notice, should be given before the removal of personal property in most cases, especially if the location is rental property, in order to properly vacate the area before a full eviction. If a landlord does move your personal property without notice, legal action, like a court order, can be made for proper action.

Legal advice should be taken with a case-by-case basis in the tenant rights and tenancy experience. Landlords may try to enter after a nonpayment of rent, but with an eviction, a security deposit may not be returned to the tenant. If the space is abandoned property, the renters may lose some rights to what is left in the occupancy after a specific time frame. State laws may vary in these contexts, so be sure to ask for legal advice in these situations if the tenant's belongings, or tenant's personal property, are taken or misplaced by the landlord, property owner, or property manager.

Specifics on these rights should be listed in the written lease, and if the personal belongings are taken or moved with rent due, there could be other consequences. A notice to vacate should be given for proper eviction proceedings in the lease agreement, so look for signs in the month-to-month happenings with your landlord, as well as signs of lockout or other tenant moves with issues. If legal services are needed in these situations, be sure to remember escrow, court costs, back rent, attorney fees, unpaid rent and other district court needs.

The tenant has legal possession of the property under the rental agreement, while the landlord has limited rights of entry. The only reasons that a landlord may enter the tenant's property pertain to certain circumstances such as repairs and inspections. The landlord has no legal right to property in the tenant's home without the express permission of the tenant.

The landlord may be attempting an act called a self-help eviction. A self-help eviction occurs when the landlord tries to force a tenant out of the home without going through an eviction lawsuit. Without a judgment from the eviction case the landlord has no legal grounds to possession of your residence or property, unless the property is left on common grounds.

The landlord may have thought the rental unit was abandoned if the tenant did not inform him that he was leaving for a long period of time. Miscommunication may be cleared up with a simple conversation, as most states' landlord and tenant laws require the landlord to store tenant property for a certain amount of time before declaring it abandoned. If the landlord maliciously removed tenant property, the tenant can sue to receive the property back or for damages.

Other than suing for the property or monetary damages equal to the value of the property, a tenant can contact the local housing authority or police department to report the landlord's actions. If the landlord is constantly harassing the tenant, removing property or entering the rental unit without proper notice, the tenant may sue for constructive eviction. Constructive eviction occurs when the landlord or his agents make it impossible for the tenant to peacefully enjoy his home. Constructive eviction cases generally recover costs related to the tenant finding another home.

A landlord does not have full legal access to the home while a tenant lives there. The landlord is prohibited from taking possession of any personal property until after the tenant has been evicted from the home. The tenant has a set time period to collect stored property after eviction before the landlord can regain lost rent by selling the items.