Dakota State University: Can a landlord use a lockout or utility cutoff instead of the eviction process?
DIRECT ANSWER
Retained SD Attorney General educational guidance,not a new statutory verification. Its stale two-week deposit-return statement is excluded; current retained §43-32-24 controls that timing. Covered private residential rental only; actual agreement and law govern.
The AG guide says a landlord may neither lock out a tenant nor interrupt essential services. It describes a court order as the lawful eviction route,and says unlawful measures can support restoring possession or ending the rental plus applicable damages. A notice or unpaid rent does not itself authorize self-help removal.
Source scope and conditions
Retained SD Attorney General educational guidance,not a new statutory verification. Its stale two-week deposit-return statement is excluded; current retained §43-32-24 controls that timing. Covered private residential rental only; actual agreement and law govern.
Sources & verification
What else would you like to know?
Ask a question to get the answer first. CH2 opens a tool or broader page directly only when you ask to use or view it.