Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Illinois

Is it legal to mess with the power in the apartment? As the girlfriend who has established residency and originally had permission form the landlord to be here, is it legal to mess with the power? As established residency I require 30 days notice (and have not even gotten an eviction notice yet). The person who invited me is my boyfriend, but the person "kicking" me is the roommate. However the landlord is the roommate's parents. They said "next thing if you don't leave we will turn off the refrigerator". The landlord also locked the circuit breaker so I can't access it, possibly implying they will turn off electricity in my bedroom. Since the boyfriend (who is not involved) and the roommate share the electricity bill, and I'm not paying electricity bill, is it legal to turn off power to the refrigerator and/or my bedroom as a way to try to make me leave? If it's not legal, what can I do about it? I also cannot leave the house at some times because I never had keys boyfriend shared his with me when necessary. The threat was they will remove everything of theirs, put it in the parents/landlord's fridge, then turn off fridge power. I have heard of subtracting costs from rent (but I don't pay rent) and of going to court taking days or a month to get it back on (but my food will spoil and I can't leave the house sometimes). The landlord and roommate both seem to be 100% ignorant of the law, since they have threatened to "arrest me for tresspaasing". I have lived here 5 months and police already verified my residency.

Asked on 5/12/14, 4:16 am

Stephen Messutta

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0 attorneys agreed

Turning off services is a forcible action that is not supposed to occur.

Answered on 5/13/14, 6:43 pm

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