Harassment and unlawful eviction
Harassment
Harassment is any action taken by a landlord, or someone acting on their behalf, to make a tenant leave their home.
Examples include:
- interfering with gas, water and electricity supplies
- making threats and instructing a tenant to leave
- entering the property without consent
- refusing to carry out repairs
- making frequent unannounced visits, especially late at night
- increasing the rent within 12 months of granting a tenancy or within the 12 months following the date of the last rent increase
- increasing the rent without giving three months’ notice (you can find more information about this on Department of Communities website (link opens in new window)).
If this is happening, you should get as much evidence as possible by recording the details of any harassment. Tenants and registered private landlords can contact Housing Rights' Housing Mediation Service (link opens in new window) to help resolve disputes.
Unlawful eviction
It is an unlawful eviction when a landlord, or any person acting for them, forces or tries to force a tenant from their home without following the proper legal procedures.
Examples of unlawful eviction include:
- changing the locks to a property when a tenant is not at home
- physically throwing a tenant out
- stopping a tenant from getting into part or all of their home.
If a landlord wants you to leave, they must give you a 'notice to quit', even if there is no tenancy agreement.
