have tenant at will that took door know off and installed lock have given her 30 day notice to quit can I remove the lock.

[babswillow]

What is the name of your state? Massachusetts

 

[babswillow]

tenants at will gave notice to 30 day notice - removed door know and put lock on door and said will not leave for 2 months - can I remove the lock

 

[STEPHAN]

No. You have to follow your states eviction laws.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

I don't think the OP is asking to remove the tenant but rather the lock???

Sounds like they removed the door KNOB and put a lock on the door and the OP is asking if they can remove the lock.

Typically if a tenant changes the lock they need to provide the landlord with a key (if for nothing else access in the case of an emergency).

If it were me, I'd be hiring a locksmith to remove this thing and charging the tenant for the cost of such...but my lease has a clause that prohibits a tenant making such changes on their own.

Gail

 

[FarmerJ]

Lock smiths carry locks that by design cannot be removed with out special tools and this would prevent the tenant from changing the locks again , in the time being keep all communications with this one in writing keeping copies for your records and I don't mean emails but on real paper sent via confirmed mail delivery. OH and your tenant can pay for this lock change too! BTW did your tenant give you a written notice on real paper ? if the tenant did you are free to choose filing for a eviction at the end of that notice because the tenant refused to move out after giving notice to move ! WHY would you go that route ? who is to say this tenant will even leave after 60 days, there really are tenants out there who will aggressively work a LL like a W on broadway and don't really care one way or another and milk something as long as they can.

 

[HRZ]

I would argue you are entitled to remove an unauthorized lock, charge tenant for same , but you need to replace it with one identical that was there earlier ....frankly I think it's unwise to focus on the lock just now ...rather focus on the precise steps to evict the tenant ...get them all right!

My leases require me as LL to have a key and immediate access for emergencies ...but what's in your lease ?

WIth one technical exception...IF your co occupant did NOT have a dwelling area for her own exclusive use then in some legal definitions ( I did NOT check Ma) then she might not be a tenant as defined and I would remove the unauthorized lock post haste lest you are deemed to have acquiesced to same .

 

[Just Blue]

tenants at will gave notice to 30 day notice - removed door know and put lock on door and said will not leave for 2 months - can I remove the lock

Mass has very strict and tenant friendly LL/tenant laws. I suggest you google it up (make sure it's a mass.gov site) and learn them. It boggles my mind how many LL don't bother to learn how to do their job when tenants will learn how to bleed every dime for LL ignorance.

 

[FlyingRon]

Lock smiths carry locks that by design cannot be removed with out special tools and this would prevent the tenant from changing the locks again

Unless they call another locksmith...

 

[HRZ]

What the tenant tells you about leaving has all the legal strength of wet toilet paper....OP, follow the eviction steps in law to a T

 

[Mass_Shyster]

tenants at will gave notice to 30 day notice - removed door know and put lock on door and said will not leave for 2 months - can I remove the lock

You need to talk to an attorney who handles landlord issues. It's pretty simple for a tenant to get nine months rent plus attorney fees from a landlord based on the way the law is written. (treble damages on three frequent violations)

There are a lot of unidentified issues in your case, and there is nobody on this forum qualified to advise you on how to proceed. You NEED a landlord attorney familiar with the housing court in your jurisdiction.