Shops don't pay rent, can they cut off water and electricity?

You can't. No matter the owner or the intermediary agency or property management office in agent for owner, they have no right to cut off water and electricity for the rented house. It is illegal to force the lessee to pay the house rent by means of water and electricity. It is an extreme behavior for the owner or intermediary or the property management office to change the lock privately. When the owner signs a contract with the lessee, it cannot be forcibly agreed in violation of national laws and regulations. If it is violated, it is an invalid clause. In case of the above incidents, the lessee may complain to the sub-district office for rights protection and terminate the contract through legal channels such as negotiation, mediation and arbitration.

Even if the tenant defaults on the rent, it is not allowed to cut off water and electricity. You can only beg for it, or go to court to sue the tenant for arrears of rent.

Shopping mall merchants can ask them to pay the rent within a reasonable time if they don't pay the rent. If the merchant fails to pay the rent within the time limit, the shopping mall can terminate the contract.

Legal basis:

civil law

Article seven hundred and twenty-one

The lessee shall pay the rent within the agreed time limit. If the time limit for paying the rent is not stipulated or clearly stipulated and cannot be determined according to the provisions of Article 510 of this Law, if the lease period is less than one year, it shall be paid at the expiration of the lease period; If the lease term exceeds one year, it will be paid annually; if the remaining term is less than one year, it will be paid at the expiration of the lease term.

Article 722

If the lessee fails to pay or delays in paying the rent without justifiable reasons, the lessor may require the lessee to pay within a reasonable period of time; If the lessee fails to pay within the time limit, the lessor may terminate the contract.