Can the police enter your home and change the locks if you are late on your rent?

Answer 1

Actually, in Texas the Constables can most certainly oversee such a task. It is at the landlords behest that this action is taken and when eviction is filed with the court and the rent is not paid up they can and will come in and change the locks. Let me clarify that: No-one can legally enter your appartment except as follows: * Your landlord can enter in an emergency (broken water line) and then only to fix it and leave * Your landlord can request an inspection. You can hold that off so it's mutually convenient -- you have about 48 hours max. * The police can enter your home if they have a warrant (in this case they don't). * They can enter your house in pursuit of a fleeing criminal * They can enter your house if they feel they have probably cause a crime is being committed, or someone is endangered. * There are some new laws on National Security. * If you've been successfully evicted, a warrant will be issued, the constables can enter and remove you (and your stuff) and lock the appartment. But if you're late on the rent? No -- they cannot and neither can your landlord. In order for the police (or more likely the constable or sherriff) to enter your house and lock you out, you have to have been legally evicted first. This procedure requires your landlord to appear in court (and you should be there too!). It takes about 33 days, if your landlord does everything right, and more if he doesn't. If you explain that you are a renter, and can prove it (receipts, rental agreement, lease, cancelled checks, whatever), the police will turn right around and not get invovled, which BTW is good policing. Removing your things from your house against your will and in absense of a legal, completed eviction, or entering your house against your will -- or locking you out -- is called a "creative eviction". If you handle yourself properly and with dignity and manners, you can actually sue the landlord, and receive a settlement (which is this instance is often free rent for a while, and a limit on his right to evict or raise rent for quite a while). The gentleman who responded above is correct, but you'll notice he states that this happens in the event of an eviction -- and not without.