Except under certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions, a landlord generally may not interrupt utilities provided to a residential tenant—such as electricity, gas, water, sewer, internet, telephone, cable television, security systems, and in some areas, trash collection—unless the interruption results from bona fide repairs, construction, or an emergency.
A landlord generally may not shut off utilities to a residential tenant because the tenant is late in paying for the utilities. Laws vary from state to state, and laws related to a landlord’s interruption of a residential tenant’s utility services are usually located in a state’s statutes.
In Texas, landlords are prohibited from intentionally interrupting a tenant's utilities as a form of eviction or to force a tenant to leave the rental property. This includes utilities such as electricity, water, gas, and others. The Texas Property Code specifically outlines that landlords may not disrupt a tenant's utilities for nonpayment of rent or other disputes. Utilities can only be interrupted for legitimate reasons such as repairs, construction, or emergencies, and even then, landlords are typically required to provide notice to tenants. If a landlord unlawfully interrupts a tenant's utilities, the tenant may have legal remedies available, including the ability to recover possession of the property, actual damages, one month's rent plus $1,000, reasonable attorney's fees, and court costs, as per the Texas Property Code Section 92.0081.
