Except under certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions, a landlord generally may not interrupt utilities provided to a residential tenant—such as electricity, gas, water, sewer, internet, telephone, cable television, security systems, and in some areas, trash collection—unless the interruption results from bona fide repairs, construction, or an emergency.

A landlord generally may not shut off utilities to a residential tenant because the tenant is late in paying for the utilities. Laws vary from state to state, and laws related to a landlord’s interruption of a residential tenant’s utility services are usually located in a state’s statutes.

In Illinois, landlords are prohibited from intentionally interrupting a tenant's utilities as a form of eviction or to force a tenant to leave the rental property. This includes utilities such as electricity, gas, water, sewer, internet, telephone, cable television, and security systems. The only exceptions to this rule are when the interruption is necessary for bona fide repairs, construction, or in response to an emergency situation. If a tenant is late in paying for utilities, the landlord still does not have the right to shut off these services. These regulations are designed to protect tenants from unlawful evictions and to ensure that their access to essential services is not used as leverage by landlords. The relevant laws can be found in the Illinois Compiled Statutes, specifically within the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act or similar housing regulations.