How do you keep an unwanted person off your rental property with a no-trespass notice?
If the person is not a tenant, you can usually tell them in writing to stay off your property, and entering after that warning is trespass. A tenant and the tenant's invited guest are different, because the tenant has a right to the home, so a landlord who bars a tenant's guest can run into the lease and state law. Deliver the notice in a way you can prove, and call the police instead of confronting anyone.
What trespass means for a landlord
Cornell's legal encyclopedia describes trespass to land as physically entering another person's land, or causing something or someone to enter it, without permission. The person must intend to enter or remain on the land, but does not need to know who owns it or intend to break the law. The owner does not have to show actual damage to bring a claim.
Permission is the heart of it. A former tenant whose lease ended, a person a tenant evicted from their home, or a stranger who keeps returning to your lot may all be on the property without your consent. A written notice makes that clear and removes any argument that they did not know.
Who you can bar, and who is harder
| Person | Usually | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A stranger loitering or dealing | Yes, bar in writing | No permission to be on private property |
| A former tenant after the lease ended | Yes, after possession is back to you | The right to occupy ended; use the process in your state |
| A former partner of a tenant | Usually yes, but check the tenant's wishes | The tenant may want protection too |
| A tenant's invited guest | Careful | A tenant can generally invite guests; the lease and state law may limit it |
| A current tenant | No | Use a lease violation notice or eviction, never a trespass notice |
If a guest is a real problem (violence, drug sales, harassment of neighbors), talk to the tenant first and use the lease's guest rules, then a lease violation notice if needed. See landlord liability when a tenant harasses another tenant.
Steps for a notice that holds up
- Write the person's full name if you know it, and describe them if you do not.
- State the address and that they are no longer allowed on the property, effective on the date of the notice.
- Say what happens if they return: you will contact the police, and they may be charged under your state's law.
- Deliver it in a way you can prove: hand delivery with a witness, certified mail or a photo of posting where the law allows.
- Give a copy to the police non-emergency desk. Many departments want a copy on file before they will act.
- Tell your tenants and any on-site helper who the person is, and ask them to call you or the police if the person returns.
Never use force to remove someone. Cornell notes that a landowner may use reasonable force to stop a trespasser but is liable for seriously injuring one who posed no threat. Call the police and let them handle it.
Records and limits
- Keep the notice, proof of delivery and every report number in the property's file.
- Treat everyone the same way. A notice must be about conduct, not about who someone is. See unauthorized occupants.
- A trespass notice is not an eviction. If someone claims to live there, see squatter or tenant: first steps.
- Never change locks on a tenant or remove belongings to force someone out.
Example a made-up landlord finds a man sleeping in a back stairwell of a six-unit building three nights in a row. The landlord hands him a written notice with a witness, photographs the stairwell and files the notice with the police desk. When he returns a week later, the landlord calls the police and gives them the notice number rather than confronting him.
This is general information, not legal advice. Laws differ by state and city, so check your state's statute or ask a local attorney before you act.
How DoorKeeping handles it
You can ask Claude or ChatGPT to draft a plain notice from your facts, keep it with the property's documents and email a short heads-up to the building's tenants. A legal step waits for your one-tap approval before it goes out. DoorKeeping does not give legal advice or contact the police for you.
Sources
- Trespass (Cornell Legal Information Institute), read Oct 31, 2026
Questions
- Can a landlord ban someone from the property?
- Usually yes for a stranger or former tenant, with a clear written notice. A tenant's invited guest is different because the tenant has a right to the home. Check your state's law.
- Is a no-trespass notice the same as an eviction?
- No. A trespass notice keeps a non-tenant off the property. Removing a tenant takes the lawful eviction process in your state.
- Can I remove a trespasser myself?
- Do not use force. Reasonable force may be allowed to stop a trespasser, but you risk liability if someone is hurt. Call the police.