Cal. Civ. Code § 32-31-9-10
Change of lock requirements if a court issues a protection or restraining order
Operative Text
Sec. 10. (a) This section applies if the perpetrator who is restrained from contact with the tenant referred to in subsection (b) under an order referred to in section 7(2)(A) or 7(2)(B) of this chapter is a tenant of the same dwelling unit as the tenant referred to in subsection (b). (b) A landlord shall change the locks of a tenant's dwelling unit, upon the written request of the tenant, not later than twenty-four (24) hours after the tenant provides the landlord with a copy of a court order referred to in section 7(2) of this chapter restraining the perpetrator referred to in subsection (a) from contact with the tenant, and shall give a key to the new locks to the tenant. (c) Unless the court order provided to the landlord under subsection (b) allows the perpetrator to return to the dwelling unit to retrieve the perpetrator's personal property, a landlord to whom subsection (b) applies may not by any act provide the perpetrator access to the dwelling unit. (d) A landlord to whom subsection (b) applies is immune from civil liability for: (1) excluding the perpetrator from the dwelling unit under a court order; or (2) loss of use of or damage to personal property while the personal property is present in the dwelling unit. (e) A perpetrator 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 or damages to the dwelling unit as provided in the lease.
Indiana Code § 32-31-9-10 governs lock-change requirements when a tenant shares a dwelling unit with someone who has been restrained from contact with them by a court order. Under this provision, a landlord must change the locks within 24 hours of receiving a written request and a copy of the qualifying court order, and must provide the protected tenant with a key to the new locks. Unless the court order specifically permits it, the landlord is prohibited from giving the restrained person any access to the unit, and the landlord is shielded from civil liability for following these requirements. The restrained person remains financially responsible under the lease for rent and damages even after being excluded.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Ind. Code § 32-31-9-10, compliant operators act promptly when a tenant presents a written lock-change request alongside a qualifying court protection or restraining order — the 24-hour deadline for completing the lock change and delivering a new key to the protected tenant is firm. Once the locks are changed, landlords covered by this section generally do not provide the restrained individual with access to the unit unless the court order explicitly authorizes a return to retrieve personal property. The statute provides civil liability immunity to landlords who exclude the restrained person in accordance with a court order or who face claims related to personal property left in the unit, which reflects the legislature's intent to encourage prompt compliance.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Ind. Code § 32-31-9-10 gives tenants who share a unit with a restrained perpetrator the right to request a lock change in writing, and the landlord must complete that change within 24 hours of receiving both the request and a copy of the qualifying court order. If a landlord fails to meet this 24-hour deadline or improperly provides the restrained person with access to the unit, a tenant may have grounds to raise that failure as a legal violation — tenant-rights organizations in Indiana can help explain what options are generally available in such situations. It is also worth knowing that the restrained person's removal from the unit does not automatically end their lease obligations, which may be relevant to understanding the ongoing rental arrangement under 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 October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation