It is one of the most common questions in renting, asked by tenants and landlords alike: can the tenant change the locks? The short answer is “usually yes, but with conditions” — and the longer answer matters, because getting it wrong creates disputes, repair bills and, on the landlord’s side, the risk of a criminal offence. This guide sets out where each side stands under the law as it now applies in England.
Tenancy and eviction law is detailed and your circumstances matter. For your specific situation, check GOV.UK, Shelter or the NRLA, and take proper advice before acting on a dispute.
Generally, a tenant has a right to feel secure in their home, and changing the locks can be part of that — but it is not unconditional. The starting point is the tenancy agreement: many agreements say the tenant must not alter the locks without the landlord’s permission, or must provide a copy of any new key. So the safe and correct approach for a tenant is almost always the same:
There are situations where a tenant has a strong, legitimate reason to change the locks — and may need to act quickly:
Even then, the good-practice steps above still apply where it is safe to follow them — tell the landlord, keep the old lock, and provide a key if required.
This is where the law is at its sharpest, and where landlords get into serious trouble. While a tenant is still living in the property, the landlord must not change the locks to keep them out — not over arrears, not over a dispute, not after notice has expired, not at all. Doing so is an illegal eviction under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, a criminal offence that can carry an unlimited fine and, in the Crown Court, up to two years’ imprisonment, alongside a damages claim and a court order putting the tenant back in.
It makes no difference whether rent is owed or whether notice has been served. And instructing a locksmith to do it does not move the liability — it stays with the landlord.
Changing the locks, removing belongings or cutting off utilities to force a tenant out are all unlawful. The only lawful route to regain a property is the formal possession process — and only once the property is genuinely empty should the locks be changed.
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026 and significantly reshaped private renting in England. The headline points for this question:
What did not change is the core rule above: none of this lets a landlord change the locks on a sitting tenant. The lawful sequence is the same as it always was — correct notice, court order if needed, enforcement, and only then, with the property empty, new locks.
Lawfully, the locks come into play at two points: between tenancies, when the property is empty and the landlord is securing it for the next tenant, and after possession has been lawfully recovered through the proper process. At those points changing or re-keying the locks is not just allowed, it is good practice — a former tenant, or someone they gave a key to, should never be able to walk back in.
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Whichever side of this you are on, the locks themselves are straightforward — it is the timing and the law that matter. We change and re-key locks at the lawful point: for landlords, between tenancies and after possession; for tenants, a professional change that protects the door and the deposit. Our landlord locksmith services cover the landlord side in full, and you can find your local locksmith whenever you need one.
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