Fresno, CA Rental Property Rules: Tenant Anti-Harassment (2026)
Key Facts
- Statute
- Civil Code Section 1940.2
- Civil penalty
- Up to $2,000 per violation
- Local ordinance
- None; state law governs
- Criminal exposure
- Misdemeanor for some conduct
Summary
California law protects Fresno tenants from landlord harassment intended to force them out, including utility shut-offs, lockouts, and threats based on immigration status. Violations expose landlords to civil damages and criminal liability.
(a) It is unlawful for a landlord to do any of the following for the purpose of influencing a tenant to vacate a dwelling: (1) Engage in conduct that violates subdivision (a) of Section 484 of the Penal Code. (2) Engage in conduct that violates Section 518 of the Penal Code. (3) Use, or threaten to use, force, willful threats, or menacing conduct constituting a course of conduct that interferes with the tenant's quiet enjoyment of the premises in violation of Section 1927 that would create an apprehension of harm in a reasonable person... (b) A tenant who prevails in a civil action... is entitled to a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000) for each violation.
Full Breakdown
California Civil Code Section 1940.2 prohibits landlords from using force, threats, or fraud to influence a tenant to vacate, including engaging in conduct that interferes substantially with the tenant's quiet enjoyment of the dwelling. Specific prohibitions include unlawful entry, repeated unwanted contact, removing or threatening to disclose immigration status, terminating utilities, removing personal property, and changing locks. Fresno does not maintain a dedicated local anti-harassment ordinance, so state law governs. Violations are enforceable through civil suits with damages of up to two thousand dollars per violation plus actual damages, and certain conduct constitutes misdemeanor criminal harassment.
Violations & Fines
Lockouts, utility shut-offs, immigration threats, or other coercive conduct intended to push out a Fresno tenant subjects landlords to civil penalties up to two thousand per violation, damages, and possible criminal charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as landlord harassment in Fresno?
Where do I report Fresno landlord harassment?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fresno
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