If your landlord has shut off your water, electricity or gas, in order for you leave of your rental unit, he or she is breaking the law. The only way a landlord can evict you is if a special court officer with a legal order called a warrant for removal does the eviction. If this happens to you, there are several things you can do.
- Call the police
The police must tell the landlord to to let you back into your apartment. If the landlord refuses, the police must give the landlord a summons to go to court, or arrest him or her, if the landlord refuses to let you back in.
See The Nuts and Bolts of Fighting Evictions for more information.
- First, you should contact the housing inspector or the board of health in your town or municipality. The inspector can file a complaint against the landlord in the municipal court on your behalf.
View information on departments of New Jersey Municipalities and local governments.
- Call the utility company and explain the situation.
View additional information about utilities.
- You may also want to consider filing a Complaint and Order to Show Cause in the Special Civil Part of the Superior Court for the right to get the electricity or water turned back on and for money damages to compensate for the loss of the use of your housing or property, and for your attorneys fees.
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