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 Oklahoma, landlords are prohibited from intentionally interrupting utility services to a residential tenant as a means of eviction or to force a tenant to vacate the premises. 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 the case of an emergency. If a tenant is late in paying rent or utilities, the landlord still may not legally interrupt these services as a form of retaliation or punishment. These regulations are designed to protect tenants from unlawful evictions and to ensure that their access to essential services is not unjustly removed. Oklahoma's statutes regarding landlord and tenant laws outline the specific legal obligations and rights of both parties in these circumstances.