Cal. Civ. Code § 1.4
Prohibition on termination of utility service by landlord. No landlord shall cause or request utility service to tenants to be interrupted, discontinued, or terminated in an occupied building (i) by nonpayment of utility bills for which the landlord has assumed responsibility by agreement or by implication (such as where the utilities are master metered) or (ii) by tampering with equipment or lines. This Section does not prohibit temporary utility shutoffs in cases of emergencies such as gas leaks or fire or, upon 7 days written notice to each affected tenant, temporary shutoffs required for building repairs or rehabilitation
Operative Text
Prohibition on termination of utility service by landlord. No landlord shall cause or request utility service to tenants to be interrupted, discontinued, or terminated in an occupied building (i) by nonpayment of utility bills for which the landlord has assumed responsibility by agreement or by implication (such as where the utilities are master metered) or (ii) by tampering with equipment or lines. This Section does not prohibit temporary utility shutoffs in cases of emergencies such as gas leaks or fire or, upon 7 days written notice to each affected tenant, temporary shutoffs required for building repairs or rehabilitation.
Under 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 735 § 1.4, landlords in Illinois are prohibited from cutting off utility service to occupied buildings, whether by failing to pay utility bills they are responsible for or by physically interfering with utility equipment or lines. The rule covers situations where the landlord has taken on utility payment obligations either through an explicit agreement or by implication, such as when utilities run through a master meter. Two narrow exceptions exist: emergency shutoffs (like those caused by gas leaks or fires) and temporary shutoffs for building repairs or rehabilitation, provided tenants receive at least 7 days' written notice in advance.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers subject to 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 735 § 1.4 generally ensure that utility bills they have agreed to pay—or that are billed through a master meter—are kept current so that service to tenants is never interrupted due to nonpayment. Compliant operators also refrain from tampering with utility lines or equipment as a means of pressuring or removing tenants. When a temporary shutoff is genuinely required for building repairs or rehabilitation, operators typically provide each affected tenant with written notice at least 7 days in advance; emergency shutoffs for situations like gas leaks or fires are permitted without prior notice under this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 765 Ill. Comp. Stat. 735 § 1.4 gives tenants in Illinois a clear protection against landlords who cut off utilities by not paying bills they are responsible for or by interfering with utility equipment. If a tenant experiences an unexplained or retaliatory utility shutoff, this provision may be relevant as a basis for raising a violation, filing a complaint with a local housing authority, or seeking assistance from a tenant-rights organization. Tenants who receive less than 7 days' written notice before a non-emergency shutoff for repairs may also have grounds to assert that the landlord has not complied with the notice requirements of this section.
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 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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