You need legal advice, not real estate advice.

Norman,

You may be able to get some free advice from the Austin Tenant's Council http://(www.housing-rights.org). One of their services is telephone counseling for Travis County residents. Out-of-town callers will be assisted if resources are available.

You should be able to rekey your locks if you give the landlord new keys (check your lease). My favorite locksmith is The Lock Doc (512-444-4333).

By the way, most leases allow guests to stay for only a few days a month. Allowing a guest to stay longer than allowed by the lease could put you in jeopardy of eviction.

None of the above should be considered legal advice.


Sincerely,

Thomas Griffin
Keller Williams Realty
512-751-3858
realestate@thomas-griffin.com

You may want to contact the Justice of the Peace's office of your designated precinct. You may need to file for eviction. Contact an attorney, as well. You can rekey your property if it is your house. You can also try to reason with the person and arrange to give them their items or set outside your door in a box for them.
Be careful who you allow to stay in your house....you're giving up your rights if you don't have a written agreement. Even if you have a written agreement, eviction is unpleasant and you still have to go through the process.....I know I'm a landlord for my own properties. Good luck.

J R is correct! Real estate agents cannot give legal advice. Here are two links that may be helpful to you:

http://www.tenant.net/Other_Areas/Texas/txlihs/tenant.html

http://www.housing-rights.org/

Best of luck to you!

Sara

You need to consult an attorney.