Being forced to leave your home
‘Forced’ means you do not want to leave but you have to because of things like
- serious health and safety problems caused by repairs that are needed or
- being locked out by your landlord or
- water, gas or electricity is cut off for no good reasons
Your rights on illegal eviction
You have the right to stay in your home if your landlord tries to evict you without using the right legal steps.
It is a criminal offence for your landlord to evict you without using the right legal steps. The right legal steps are different depending on whether you are:
- a private tenant or
- a council tenant or
- a housing association tenant
Get specialist advice if your landlord tries to evict you without using the right legal steps. If you and your adviser act quickly a court can order a landlord to let you back in.
You have a right to get all your stuff back if you are evicted. It does not matter what sort of tenant you are. It is a criminal offence for your landlord to keep, destroy or sell any of your stuff.
What counts as illegal eviction?
It nearly always counts as illegal eviction if your landlord:
- does not give you reasonable notice that they want you to leave or
- forces you to leave before the notice period has run out or
- does not use the right legal process for eviction
Landlords force people to leave in different ways like:
- threatening, being violent to you or harassing you or the people you live with or
- physically throwing you out or
- stopping you getting to parts of your home by changing locks inside your home or
- changing the front door lock while you are out or
- changing any locks before the notice period runs out
Shelter – what is illegal eviction?
NHAS – illegal eviction fact sheet
The Government – harassment and illegal eviction
Shelter – harassment and illegal eviction
What to do if you are evicted illegally
You can take action to sort out problems with illegal eviction.
Threats, violence or harassment
Call the police on 999 if you are facing violence or if you are in immediate danger. Choose I feel unsafe at home for more help with this.
Getting back into your home
Call Brent Council on 020 8937 1234. Tell them that you have been illegally evicted from your home.
In an emergency you can ask the court to act quickly – even on the same day – to get back into your home. But get specialist advice before you take action to get back into your home. Choose Find a local adviser below.
Shelter – what to do after illegal eviction
Shelter – getting back into your home
Getting help if you are homeless
If you have nowhere to stay tonight you can get help. Choose Homeless in Brent below.