Page 12 - NBIZ October 2023

The Ins

and Outs

of Locking Out a

Commercial Tenant

By Angeline Kell

emember the last time you went to a mall or other retail
establishment and you discovered that the door was locked and
a sign posted on a previously opened store. Perhaps it was your
favorite restaurant or your regular hair salon. Some of those
signs stated that they were “Lock Out” notices or used other
Rsimilar language. You may have wondered how did that occur
or can a landlord do that? A landlord may utilize the self-help remedy of
locking out a commercial tenant who is delinquent on rent guided by Texas
Property Code and the terms of the lease. A commercial landlord may lock
out a commercial tenant under certain circumstances, including delinquent
rent. Alternatively, a commercial landlord may choose to use the courts and
seek an eviction under similar circumstances.

12 NBIZ ■ October 2023