Local Laws That Punish Tenants and Landlords for Calls to the Police or Criminal Activity Occurring at the Property

Towns and cities across the country are increasingly enacting local laws that penalize landlords and tenants when crimes occur on a property or when there are repeat police visits. If you have been impacted by the kinds of local laws described here, please tell us your story in the form below.

Nuisance ordinances – also called disorderly house ordinances or crime free ordinances – designate a property as a nuisance when it is the site of a certain number of calls for police services or certain types of conduct (this can include assault, harassment, stalking, disorderly conduct, and many other kinds of behavior). These laws typically apply regardless of whether the tenant was the victim of the “nuisance conduct” or called the police out of legitimate fear or need. Upon citation, property owners generally must take action or face steep penalties. In response, many landlords evict the tenant, refuse to renew their lease, or instruct their tenants not to call 911.

A nuisance ordinance may be at the root of your housing situation if any of the below fact patterns apply to you.

You were told by police, a landlord, or anyone else that calling 911 or another police response to your home would result in your eviction.
An eviction or other negative housing action was prompted by a domestic violence perpetrator’s conduct, such as assault, property damage, noise, or by police response to such activities.

Nuisance ordinances can also pressure landlords to evict good tenants that they otherwise would want to keep. As a landlord, you may be subject to an unlawful ordinance if the following applies:

You are instructed or encouraged to evict tenants on the basis of crime perpetrated against them, their calls to the police, or their receipt of police services.
You receive a warning that you will face penalties, such as fines, revocation of required permits, or condemnation of your property, if nuisance activity continues on your property, even when the tenants are the victims of crime or are legitimately seeking police or emergency assistance.

We will keep your name, address, telephone number and email confidential and will only use that information if we decide to follow-up with you about your situation, unless you give us permission to use it or unless we are ordered to turn it over by a court (although we will attempt to prevent any disclosure).

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First Name *

Last Name *

City *

State *

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Are you a landlord who has been penalized or pressured by your city or town to take action against a tenant based on crime perpetrated against them, their calls to the police, or their receipt of police services?

If yes, please explain, and describe any communications with the city/town about this issue.

Are you a tenant who received a warning, eviction notice, or citation because of repeat police visits or criminal activity at the property, even if you were the victim?

If yes, please describe what happened, including what led to the warning or eviction notice. Please include dates and names of anyone involved if you can.

Did an incident of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking lead to the warning or citation under the local law? If yes, please explain.

This Survey does not give legal advice, and you should not rely on it as legal advice. You should not rely on the information you get from this site and should speak with a lawyer to get advice on your specific situation. We also cannot promise that the information on this site is complete, accurate, or up-to-date.

This Survey is not a solicitation or an offer by the American Civil Liberties Union and its affiliates to represent you. We cannot promise you that the information you provide will lead to any specific action on the American Civil Liberties Union or its affiliates part. Once you complete the survey, the American Civil Liberties Union may not do anything—including contact you—about your situation.

If you fill out this Survey, you agree that the American Civil Liberties Union, the national ACLU or its affiliates, if identified as part of the Survey, or one of its coalition partners may use the information you give us, as long as we don’t include your name, address, email or phone number, for one or more of the following purposes: (1) legislative testimony, (2) litigation; (3) contacting a city, state or federal agency; or (4) telling your story to the public, including the media. If the American Civil Liberties Union, the national ACLU or its affiliates, or one of its coalition partners wants to identify you, we will contact you prior to doing so.

We will keep your name, address, telephone number and email confidential unless you give us permission to use it or unless we are ordered to turn it over by a court (although we will attempt to prevent any disclosure).

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