A district court has sentenced a real estate agent to six months in jail for breaking into an apartment while the tenant was away so he could show it to a client, Songjiang District People's Court said Tuesday.
The defendant, surnamed Yang, made an appointment with a client to show the apartment last June, but the tenant, who was at work, refused to return to open the door, according to a court press release. To solve the problem, Yang called in a locksmith to open the door without the tenant's permission, effectively breaking into the home.
Several days later, Yang arranged for another client to see the apartment. Once again, the tenant could not return to open the door, so Yang forced his way into the apartment by breaking the lock.
Yang was charged with criminal trespassing.
The court ruled that Yang's actions violated the law by threatening another person's property and safety.