Can a landlord put locks on outbuildings they own if the tenant’s personal items are in there?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can a landlord put locks on outbuildings they own if the tenant’s personal items are in there?
The property is owned by a daughter, but the mother has a lifetime agreement to live in the house. The mother has personal items and tools and everything left after her husband died. The daughter has put locks on all the outbuildings, and has said no one is to cut them off or go in without them present. The mother has 2 more daughters and a son who has Power Of Attorney for her; she has to have help daily. But this doesn’t seem to be right. She has access to all the outbuildings and come and goes as she wants in them.
Asked on July 11, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Kentucky
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
The key to answering your question is what does the written lease/rental agreement say about what is being rented by the tenant? For example, if there is a written agreement solely for the lease of the home, but not the outbuildings, then the tenant is not renting the outbuildings and cannot claim access to these secondary building that admittedly are not being leased/rented out.
If the above is the factual situation regarding the lease, then the landlord has the right to lock up buildings which are not being rented to the tenant.
If the outbuildings are in fact being rented to the tenant under the lease, then the landlord seemingly would not have the right to put locks on outbuildings that are being rented out to a tenant.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.