Can a landlord change the locks? Statute by country
Only Ontario says it in so many words: a landlord may not change the locks without handing over keys, may not recover possession without a Board order, and commits an offence that carries a fine. The other four statutes state a duty rather than a lock rule. Germany and Austria oblige the landlord to let the tenant use the home throughout the term and Austria reserves notice to the court; the Netherlands keeps the lease alive until a court has ruled; Spain gives the tenant a right to end the lease if the landlord disturbs the use. None of these four names locks, and the table leaves that column empty for them.
Scope of this guide
Canada: the Canada Labour Code (federal sector) and the Ontario statutes that LawAsked has loaded. Other provinces are not compared.
| Country | Express lock or self-help ban | Landlord's duty to leave the tenant in possession | Tenant's remedy or penalty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Landlord must not disturb the tenant in the agreed use; the landlord can give notice only through the court | ||
| Canada | Yes: no change of locks without giving the tenant replacement keys | No recovery of possession unless the tenant left or a Board order authorises it | Offence under s. 233; fine up to $100,000 (individual) or $500,000 (corporation) |
| Germany | Landlord must let the tenant use the home throughout the lease term | If use is withheld or taken away, the tenant may terminate without notice for good cause | |
| Spain | Tenant may terminate the contract if the landlord disturbs the use of the home in fact or in law | ||
| Netherlands | Landlord must make the property available and leave it with the tenant as far as needed for the agreed use; a lease that has been given notice continues until the court finally decides |
Country by country
Austria
- Rule
- ABGB § 1096; Mietrechtsgesetz § 33
- The ingested text does not mention locks or self-help eviction.
- The first quote is the general ABGB rule on letting; the second is the Mietrechtsgesetz rule for tenancies within it.
die Bestandinhaber in dem bedungenen Gebrauche oder Genusse nicht zu stören vom Vermieter jedoch nur gerichtlich gekündigt werden Canada
- Rule
- Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (Ontario) ss. 23, 24, 39, 233, 238
- Section 23 separately bars a landlord from harassing, obstructing, coercing, threatening or interfering with a tenant.
- The ingested text of s. 233 breaks off after the lock-change offence, so the sentence is quoted only as far as it appears.
- A tenant may not change the locks without the landlord's consent either (s. 35).
- Ontario statute only. The Canada Labour Code does not deal with tenancies.
A landlord shall not harass, obstruct, coerce, threaten or interfere with a tenant. A landlord shall not alter the locking system on a door giving entry to a rental unit or residential complex or cause the locking system to be altered during the tenant’s occupancy of the rental unit without giving the tenant replacement keys. A landlord shall not recover possession of a rental unit subject to a tenancy unless, alters or causes to be altered the locking system on any door giving entry to a is liable on conviction to a fine of not more than $100,000.is liable on conviction to a fine of not more than $500,000. Germany
- Rule
- BGB §§ 535, 543
- The ingested tenancy sections do not mention locks or self-help eviction.
- Section 543(2) no. 1 covers use that is not granted in time or is withdrawn, in whole or in part.
- Further steps, such as a possession claim, come from law outside the ingested sections.
dem Mieter den Gebrauch der Mietsache während der Mietzeit zu gewähren Jede Vertragspartei kann das Mietverhältnis aus wichtigem Grund außerordentlich fristlos kündigen.dem Mieter der vertragsgemäße Gebrauch der Mietsache ganz oder zum Teil nicht rechtzeitig gewährt oder wieder entzogen wird Spain
- Rule
- Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos, art. 27(3)
- The ingested text does not mention locks or self-help eviction.
- Art. 27(3)(b) is a termination right for the tenant; it does not say what other remedies exist.
el arrendatario podrá resolver el contrato por las siguientes causasLa perturbación de hecho o de derecho que realice el arrendador en la utilización de la vivienda. Netherlands
- Rule
- Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 7, arts. 203, 272
- The ingested text does not mention locks or self-help eviction.
- Art. 272 applies where the tenant has not ended the lease or agreed in writing to its end after the landlord's notice.
De verhuurder is verplicht de zaak ter beschikking van de huurder te stellen en te laten voor zover dat voor het overeengekomen gebruik noodzakelijk is. van rechtswege van kracht, tot de rechter onherroepelijk heeft beslist Countries not in this table yet
Norway, Sweden and Japan (searches of Husleieloven, Jordabalk 12 kap. and the Shakuchi Shakuya Act found no lock or self-help rule), the United Kingdom (the ingested Housing Act 2004 has no unlawful-eviction offence for ordinary tenancies), and the United States, Australia and France (no tenancy statute ingested).
How this table was built
Every row is taken from the official, consolidated text of the statute, which LawAsked loads from each government’s legislation service.
Each figure is tied to a passage quoted word for word from that text. When the page is served, it checks that every quoted passage is still in the current text of a law that is in force; if a law is amended and its wording changes, that row is hidden until a person reviews it again.
The table shows the statutory minimum only. Collective agreements, awards and individual contracts often give more than the statute, and some countries let a collective agreement set different terms.
Use this data
The table and the CSV are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit LawAsked and link to this page. Quoted statute text stays under the terms of its official source.
How to cite this page
LawAsked, “Can a landlord change the locks? Statute by country”, https://lawasked.com/guides/illegal-lockout (reviewed October 25, 2026).
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