Can your landlord turn off utilities after he has given you a notice to quit?
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Can your landlord turn off utilities after he has given you a notice to quit?
The landlord has not shut-off the utilities inside my apartment. Right outside my door in an enclosed porch that has a laundry room in it. It is to be shared between renters and landlord. He has shut-off the electric to the whole room. So not only can I not do laundry but I now cannot see to open my door at night because the light won’t come on.
Asked on September 26, 2011 under Real Estate Law, Pennsylvania
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
No, your landlord can not shut off services to your apartment like this. It is a form of harassment with the purpose to get you to leave. You can do two things: you can go to court and start a proceeding against that landlord for their failure to provide you with light, etc., for safety reasons (he may be in violation of some county or city law as to same as well) and/or you can advise him in writing that the services are cut off, that he is endangering your safety and breached the lease (you pay for use of the laundry facility as part of your rent, correct?) and if he does not remedy the situation asap you are going to file a criminal complaint. The judge needs to know. Good luck.
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