Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.6
California Civil Code
Operative Text
(a) This section shall apply if a person who is restrained from contact with a protected tenant under a court order is a tenant of the same dwelling unit as the protected tenant. (b) A landlord shall, at the landlord’s own expense, change the locks of a protected tenant’s dwelling unit upon written request of the protected tenant not later than 24 hours after the protected tenant gives the landlord a copy of a court order that excludes from the dwelling unit the restrained person referred to in subdivision (a). The landlord shall give the protected tenant a key to the new locks. (c) (1) If a landlord fails to change the locks within 24 hours, the protected tenant may change the locks without the landlord’s permission, notwithstanding any provision in the lease to the contrary. (2) If the protected tenant changes the locks pursuant to this subdivision, both of the following shall apply: (A) No later than 21 days after the protected tenant changes the locks, the landlord shall reimburse the protected tenant for the expenses the protected tenant incurred to change the locks. (B) The protected tenant shall do all of the following: (i) Change the locks in a workmanlike manner with locks of similar or better quality than the original lock. (ii) Notify the landlord within 24 hours that the locks have been changed. (iii) Provide the landlord with a key by any reasonable method agreed upon by the landlord and protected tenant. (3) This subdivision shall apply to leases executed on or after January 1, 2011. (d) Notwithstanding Section 789.3, if the locks are changed pursuant to this section, the landlord is not liable to a person excluded from the dwelling unit pursuant to this section. (e) A person who has been excluded from a dwelling unit under this section remains liable under the lease with all other tenants of the dwelling unit for rent as provided in the lease. (f) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply: (1) “Court order” means a court order lawfully issued within the last 180 days pursuant to Section 527.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, Part 3 (commencing with Section 6240), Part 4 (commencing with Section 6300), or Part 5 (commencing with Section 6400) of Division 10 of the Family Code, Section 136.2 of the Penal Code, or Section 213.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (2) “Locks” means any exterior lock that provides access to the dwelling. (3) “Protected tenant” means a tenant who has obtained a court order. (4) “Tenant” means tenant, subtenant, lessee, or sublessee.
California Civil Code § 1941.6 establishes a lock-change process when a court order excludes a restrained co-tenant from a shared dwelling unit. The landlord must change all exterior locks at their own expense within 24 hours of receiving a qualifying court order from the protected tenant; if the landlord fails to act in time, the protected tenant may change the locks independently and seek reimbursement within 21 days. The excluded person remains on the hook for rent under the lease despite losing access, and the landlord faces no liability under § 789.3 for locking that person out.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.6, a compliant landlord acts promptly upon receiving a written request and a copy of a qualifying court order—changing all exterior locks within 24 hours at the landlord's own expense and delivering a new key to the protected tenant. If the protected tenant instead changes the locks due to the landlord's delay, the landlord generally reimburses those costs within 21 days and obtains a key from the tenant by a mutually agreed method.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Cal. Civ. Code § 1941.6 gives a protected tenant the right to request an immediate lock change by submitting a written request and a copy of a qualifying court order to the landlord. If the landlord does not act within 24 hours, the tenant may change the locks without landlord permission—even if the lease says otherwise—and can seek reimbursement for those costs. Tenant-rights organizations and local rent boards can be useful resources for understanding how to document requests and pursue reimbursement under this provision.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 3, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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