Can UK Landlords Change Locks Without Notice for Commercial Property?

Commercial tenancy in the UK is not like residential tenancy. Your rights as a tenant are not quite the same and are set under different contractual standards. One of the biggest differences is eviction. While eviction is protected and laborious to kick a residential tenant from their home, commercial landlords have extensive rights when it comes to late rent and booting delinquent commercial tenants.

If your landlord has been threatening you with eviction - or has taken action - you may be wondering if a . The answer is yes, but only under strict circumstances. If you have been unjustly locked out of your commercial property and/or your landlord is not following the correct procedure of eviction and dispensation of your items that were inside the property, DoNotPay is here to help.

Is It Legal for Commercial Landlords in the UK to Change Locks Without Notice?

Under specific circumstances, . These terms are always defined in your commercial property lease along with terms for things like utility bill calculations and penalty fees. Lock changing is typically one of several steps pre-defined in the lease as a possible solution for unpaid rent.

In short: If you don't pay rent for long enough on a UK commercial property, the landlord can "peaceably re-enter" the building and change the locks on you. They are then responsible for a lawful eviction and dispensation of tenant property from inside the unit. UK landlords must be very careful when using this tactic-however because the conditions must be exactly as defined in the lease itself.

What It’s Called When Your Landlord Changes the Locks

The term "change the locks" is not always used in legalese when discussing a landlord's rights on your commercial property. There are often other terms that are used in abundance to obscure a landlord's real right to take back their property after late or unpaid rent.

"Peaceable Re-Entry"	Peaceable re-entry means that the landlord can break into/unlock your property when you are not present in order to avoid a conflict about reclaiming unpaid-for space.
"Forfeiture"	Financial speak often uses "forfeiture" which means giving over something. This refers to reclaiming the property with a lock change.
"Rent in Arrears"	Non-payment of rent causes rent to go "into arrears". This opens up your landlord's options based on rent non-payment terms.

What Does Your Lease Say About Changing the Locks?

Read your lease to know the legal (and illegal) terms for changing your locks without notice.

Normally, a UK commercial landlord can only use the lock-out method when a specific amount of time has passed after your last rent payment. The amount of time will be defined in your lease and is not defined by law - except that this clause is permitted in commercial leases and is almost always included.

The lease is legally binding once signed, which means your landlord has the rights as described provided they do not violate your rights as a commercial tenant.

How to Dispute Changed Locks Without Notice Using DoNotPay

Landlords level abuse and fear tactics against their tenants all the time. Commercial landlords may threaten your business and your livelihood with antics like an unlawful change of locks without notice. Some even thrive on your panic and frustration upon returning to your business to find that your key no longer works. You don't have to put up with it. If your landlord is mistreating you or you have other tenancy related issues that are hard to resolve, DoNotPay can help.

We have a simple online process that can help you:

Get back all or most of your security deposit.
Learn about state eviction laws.
Resolve repair disputes with your landlord.
Resolve payment and collection methods with your landlord.
Resolve disputes with roommates.
Break your lease early.

Commercial and residential leases, it doesn't matter. Our AI will draft you a demand letter to move mountains and if a demand letter doesn't work, we'll help you file a lawsuit.

How to solve the problem:

Search for and open the Landlord Protection product on DoNotPay.
Select which issue applies to you.
Answer a simple set of questions so our chatbot can collect the necessary information to create your demand letter.
Choose whether you want DoNotPay to send the demand letter to your landlord or roommate on your behalf. If you already tried sending a demand letter and it didn't work, we can help you start the small claims court process.

And that's it! You should hear back from your landlord directly once your demands are sent.

Sue Your UK Commercial Landlord with DoNotPay

If your landlord will not respond to demand letters, you can always take them to court. DoNotPay can help you sue your UK commercial landlord for breaking the terms of the lease by changing locks without notice within a reasonable rent payment period.

UK Tenants Rights Information Center

DoNotPay can help you with all sorts of landlord-tenant problems:

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

DoNotPay can help you defend your rights in big ways and save money in small ways every day. Whether you need to fight a legal battle or make travel plans, we've got you covered. Explore our many online tools and services to find more ways we can help.

Join DoNotPay today to learn everything you need to know about tenant rights in the UK and fight back now!