Can my landlord put me out with no notice?
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Can my landlord put me out with no notice?
My landlord owns the home in a residential area and rents out 2 rooms. I’m behind on the rent and willing to leave. However I need a few days to find another place. He wants to put my belongings out today. It is not a legal apartment.
Asked on August 20, 2011 Massachusetts
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
All states in this country require written notice to the tenant from the landlord to terminate any lease. A landlord cannot use self help to evict a tenant by putting his or her belongings out of one's unit and changing the locks to it. If he or she does, such conduct is illegal and the landlord could be facing serious consequences from a civil standpoint.
If the apartment you are renting is not a legal unit, then most likely the landlord is not allowed to even rent it out for human occupancy. The rationale is that any rent you are paying might be too much for the illegal unit.
If the landlord physically locks you out of the apartment you are renting where your belongings are placed outside your unit without proper notice required by state law, you should consult a lawyer with landlord tenant experience immediately.
Good luck.
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