Can a landlord quit paying the utility bill if the tenant stops paying rent?

Can landlord turn off electric to remove tenant? The electric and power bill is in the landlord's name and the tenant is not paying rent. Can a landlord quit paying the utility bill if the tenant stops paying rent? Watch as Attorney Tom Olsen answers this question and more! 

Jeanette: Yes. I'm really calling about my cousin because I'm very concerned. She's lost her house and she has 60 more days before she has to get out. So she's getting everything out and she found a little place to rent. But she's got a tenant and she gave them a 30 day notice and they are refusing to leave. She wanted to set the electric to put it on the new place, but she doesn't want to be sued. 

Attorney Tom Olsen: She was living in a house and the same house that she was living in you had a tenant in there. Now jeanette, you are paying the electric on the house. You may NOT shut the electric off. I'm so sorry to tell you that. You would think it would make perfect sense that you are not living there so you don't have to pay electric there anymore. But that's the deal you made with your tenant and there is no self help in getting rid of tenants these days. You cannot lock the doors or turn the electric off.   So Jeannette, you need to work it out with that tenant to get on out of there and then turn the electric off. If that tenant is really not making a move then you need to go through the eviction process to get that tenant out of there.