Does an Employer Have to Use Eviction Procedures for Employee Housing?

When you work for an employer thatoffers employee housing, it can provide you with a way to save a substantial amount of money on living expenses. The problem with this arrangement is that if you lose your job, you also lose your place to live. In this situation, you still have some rights as a tenant.

When you live in employer housing, you may get a subsidy for your housing or you may not have to pay anything for rent. Although your employer is providing you with a break when it comes to housing expenses, you are still a tenant. Because of this, your employer still has to treat you with respect and use the same procedures for eviction that a normal tenant would be entitled to. Just because you worked for the employer, this does not change the landlord-tenant relationship.

In this situation, the landlord cannot use any self-help eviction measures. For example, the landlord does not have the right to change the locks on your door or shut off the utilities to get you to leave. If the employer does not go through the proper channels, he cannot simply evict you from your home. If your employer uses these self-help methods to evict you, he is in violation of the law and should be reported to the local authorities.

Before your employer can evict you from your place of residence, he must provide you with notice. The amount of notice that you have to receive varies from one state to the next. For example, in some states you are required to get three days notice while other states will afford you more time. This can come in the form of an eviction notice on the door. Once you receive this notice, you need to start making plans to move out of the property.

If you still do not move out of the property after receiving an eviction notice, the employer has to go through the local court system to get you to move out. The employer can then file an eviction action with the local court system. At that point, you will receive papers from the court telling you about the eviction. If you do not move out by the appropriate date, the local sheriff will come and physically make you move out.