Under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 it is illegal to evict a tenant in any way other than via a court. A landlord may face a fine or a 2 year prison sentence if he/she attempts to evict a tenant unlawfully. The only situation in which a landlord may safely re-enter the property and change the locks is if it has been abandoned by the tenant(s) and the landlord is unable to make contact or locate the tenant(s). The exception to this rule is where the tenant(s) does not have the right to rent in the UK, in which case the landlord my evict a tenant after service of a notice from the Home Office.