Is it legal to keep peoples stuff hostage?

ok so lik my friend got kicked out of her house rite an her friend let her and her bf live with their family fir free and never askd 4 money and teh hole family waz ok with it but then suddenly tey told her she dont live there no more an left her stuff at her work and den said they wont give her or her bf their laptops back until she give dem $400 is that legal can she get her laptops bak?