Lockouts and Utility Shutoffs
IC 32-31-5-6 — no changed locks or cut utilities without a court order
Unless a court orders it, a landlord may not deny or interfere with a tenant's access to or possession of the unit by any act, including these.
Who handles this in Indiana: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Indiana directory.
- Changing the locks, or adding a device, to keep the tenant out.
- Removing doors, windows, fixtures or appliances.
- Interrupting, reducing or shutting off electricity, gas, water or other essential services.
A landlord may interrupt service for an emergency, good faith repairs or necessary construction, and need not pay for services it never agreed to provide.
A tenant, for that matter, may not cut off electricity, gas, water or other essential services where doing so will seriously damage the unit.
None of this applies to an abandoned unit: one where the tenants have not paid or offered rent and a reasonable person would conclude they have surrendered possession. A lease may not define abandonment any other way.
Sources for this section (1)
- IC 32-31-5-6 — Landlord prohibited from interfering with access, possession, or essential services; unit entry by landlord
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Indiana attorney.