Harassment and Illegal Eviction

What is Harassment?

Harassment is where a landlord, or someone else, deliberately makes life difficult for you to try to make you leave or stop you from using your legal rights. Some examples are:

• Cutting off your water, gas or electricity;

• Using threatening behaviour to make you leave;

• Trying to make you sign an agreement that takes away your legal rights;

• Interfering with your possessions;

• Moving into part of your home.

What is Illegal Eviction?

This is when someone forces you to leave your home illegally. This could be done by;

• Physically throwing you out of your home;

• Changing the locks;

• Stopping you from getting into part of your home.

Lawful Eviction

A landlord CAN evict an occupier lawfully depending on what sort of tenancy you have and what your rights are to stay in your home.

What Can You Do?

Get advice from our Private Sector Housing Team or the Homelessness and Advice Team as soon as possible. Bring in any documents or correspondence relating to your tenancy that you may have. Keep a careful diary of everything that happens so that you can give the advisor all the details. This includes:

• Any threats made against you or any other incidents, including the date and time;

• The names and addresses of any people involved, especially witnesses, including the police;

• If you need medical treatment, write down the names of the doctors who examined you.

You should ALWAYS tell the police if you have been harassed or illegally evicted. Make a note of the name and number of any police officers you speak to. If you are illegally evicted at night or over the weekend you should tell the police you will make a formal report about the incident to us on the next working day. If you are homeless and in a "priority need" group (i.e. have children, are pregnant, elderly, under 18, disabled or suffer from a serious medical condition) then either the police or yourself can contact the Council's Careline Service (01255 222022) to see if they can arrange alternative accommodation.

If you would like any further information or help please contact the private sector housing or the homelessness and advice teams.

Private Sector Housing Team:

• Online Contact Form

• E-mail: PSHousing@tendringdc.gov.uk

• Address: Private sector housing, 90 Pier Avenue, Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO15 1NJ

• Telephone: 01255 686617