Changed Locks & Bootlocks
Changing the deadbolt, adding a padlock or bootlock, or otherwise making your key stop working so you can’t get in.
In California, a landlord cannot change your locks, remove your doors or belongings, or shut off your utilities to force you out — no matter how much rent is owed. These “self-help” evictions are illegal, they can even be a crime, and a landlord may owe you a penalty for every day you are kept out. If this is happening to you, act fast.
Get Help NowAn illegal lockout — also called a “self-help eviction” — is any attempt by a landlord to force you out of your home without going through the courts. It covers far more than just changing the locks: it includes padlocks and bootlocks, removing your doors or windows, moving your belongings out, and shutting off your water, gas, or electricity.
The rule in California is absolute: only the sheriff, acting on a court order, can remove a tenant — never the landlord, and never on their own. This is true even if you owe rent or have broken the lease. A landlord who takes matters into their own hands is breaking the law.
If you have been locked out or shut off, you have powerful rights — including the right to get back in quickly and to recover money from the landlord.
California law (Civil Code §789.3) bans the full range of these “self-help” tactics — whether the landlord does them all at once or one at a time.
Changing the deadbolt, adding a padlock or bootlock, or otherwise making your key stop working so you can’t get in.
Taking exterior doors or windows off their hinges to make the unit unlivable, exposed, or unsecured.
Moving your furniture, clothing, or personal property out — onto the street or into storage — without your written consent.
Shutting off or ordering termination of your water, gas, electricity, or heat to pressure you out — illegal even if the account is in your name.
Using threats, menacing behavior, or threatening to report your immigration status to coerce you into leaving (Civil Code §1940.2).
Severing phone, internet, or cable — especially to stop you from calling for help — can rise to a criminal offense (Penal Code §591.5).
You have the right to get back into your home. Move quickly and document everything — these steps protect both your safety and your case.
Start My Free Case Review →Take time-stamped photos and video of the changed locks, padlock, removed door, or dark unit. Save every text, email, and voicemail from your landlord about the lockout.
An illegal lockout can be a crime under Penal Code §418. Report it, ask for a written incident report, and request a “civil standby” to keep the peace.
If your water, gas, or power was cut, tell the provider it was an unlawful landlord shutoff and ask for emergency restoration of service.
You generally keep the legal right to access your own home, but avoid a confrontation. A licensed locksmith plus a police standby is far safer than going it alone.
An attorney can ask a court for an emergency order forcing the landlord to return your keys and restore utilities — often within a day or two, given the urgency.
California law comes down hard on landlords who lock tenants out. Depending on the facts, a claim may include:
An attorney can seek an emergency court order (a TRO) that forces your landlord to restore your keys and utilities right away.
Under Civil Code §789.3, a landlord can owe up to $100 for each day you’re locked out — with a minimum set by law — on top of your other losses.
Hotels, eating out, replacing spoiled food, moving and storage, lost wages, and any belongings the landlord threw away.
Being made suddenly homeless is traumatic — and that harm can be compensable, especially for families, seniors, and the medically vulnerable.
In many California cities, a tenant’s damages for bad-faith conduct like this can be increased — in some cases up to three times (treble).
Civil Code §789.3 makes the landlord pay your attorney’s fees when you win — which is why we can take these cases at no upfront cost to you.
No. California Civil Code §789.3 prohibits lockouts and utility shutoffs meant to force a tenant out — regardless of how much rent is owed. The landlord’s only legal path is a court eviction, carried out by the sheriff. A landlord who locks you out or cuts your utilities may owe you penalties, your actual costs, and your attorney’s fees.
Document everything, then call the police and report a possible violation of Penal Code §418, asking for an incident report and a “civil standby.” If utilities were cut, call your provider for emergency restoration. Then contact a tenant attorney right away — we can seek an emergency court order to get you back in.
You generally keep the legal right to possession of your home until a court rules otherwise, so getting back in — for example, with a licensed locksmith — is generally lawful. But do it safely: these situations can turn into confrontations, so a police civil standby is strongly advised, and it’s best to talk to an attorney first.
They should. Officers sometimes call lockouts a “civil matter,” but California law treats them as potential crimes under Penal Code §418, and the California Department of Justice has instructed officers to intervene. Bring proof you live there (ID with the address, your lease, a recent utility bill) and ask for a written report.
Often very fast. Because a lockout is an emergency, an attorney can ask a judge for an emergency order (a temporary restraining order) requiring the landlord to restore your keys and utilities — courts frequently act within a day or two. If the landlord defies the order, they can face contempt and arrest.
A claim can include your actual out-of-pocket costs, a per-day penalty under §789.3 (with a minimum set by law), emotional-distress damages, and — in many cities — multiplied damages. Because §789.3 makes the landlord pay your attorney’s fees when you win, we can usually take these cases with no upfront cost, and the case review is always free.
A lockout is one form of illegal eviction — see the full picture of your rights.
Learn MoreThreats, intimidation, and immigration-status coercion are illegal in California.
Learn MoreLockouts often follow a repair request or complaint — which can be unlawful retaliation.
Learn More