I am facing harassment and/or illegal eviction by my landlord
Pages in I am facing harassment and/or illegal eviction by my landlord
- 1. Harassment
- 2. Evictions
- 3. Illegal evictions
- 4. You are here: What you can do
4. What you can do
If you are facing threatening behaviour of violence or harassment from your landlord or in a case of an emergency, dial 999.
Calling the police
- If you are being illegally evicted, you can ask the police for help.
- The police cannot assist or enable an eviction to take place but they can come to the property to stop any breach of peace and/or violence.
- Ensure you inform the police that the ‘Protection from Eviction Act 1977’ makes it a criminal offence for a landlord to evict a tenant without following the correct legal procedure.
- If you are at risk and/or in an emergency, dial 999.
Contacting the Council
- If your landlord illegally evicts you, the Council has the power to prosecute him or her.
- If a landlord is found guilty, they can be faced with a fine or a prison sentence. Often the threat of prosecution itself is enough for the landlord to stop the harassment/allow the tenant back into the property.
- The Council has a tenancy sustainment officer who can assess your situation and offer you advice and assistance regarding your housing rights and how you can obtain an injunction to return to your accommodation.
- Where applicable, the Council can negotiate with the landlord on your behalf requesting the landlord to allow you back into the property/stop the harassment.
Your options
- You should seek legal advice if you are faced with this situation to see what your legal options are. You can also visit your local Citizens Advice Bureau for further help.
- Looking for alternative accommodation could be another option where you will feel safer and happier.
- If you have been illegally evicted it may be possible for you to regain access to the property by forcing re-entry, however you should only do this if you feel it is safe to do so. It is possible for you to request the presence of the police during the forced re-entry to provide you with support if any confrontation occurs with the landlord. However, be aware that you may be at risk of committing the offence of criminal damage and will have to pay for any damage caused during the forced re-entry.
- Visit our ‘Guide to finding accommodation in the borough of Reigate and Banstead’ webpage.