California Civil Code 1940.2 prohibits Orange County landlords from using force, threats, fraud, utility cutoffs, or repeated false-eviction filings to coerce tenants into vacating. OC has not adopted a separate county-level tenant-anti-harassment ordinance like LA's TAHO.
Civil Code 1940.2 provides a statewide cause of action against landlords who threaten force, commit fraud, abuse access rights, or attempt to influence tenants to vacate through harassment. Tenants may seek civil penalties up to $2,000 per violation plus attorney's fees. Unlike Los Angeles which adopted TAHO (Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance) layering additional protections and stiffer penalties, Orange County relies on the statewide standard. Tenants may also use Civil Code 1942.5 against retaliation for code complaints. Public Counsel and Legal Aid Society of OC handle harassment claims for low-income tenants countywide.
Cutting utilities, changing locks, removing personal property, repeatedly entering without notice, fraudulent eviction filings, or threats of force can trigger civil penalties up to two thousand dollars per violation.
See how other cities in Orange County handle tenant anti-harassment.
See how Irvine's tenant anti-harassment rules stack up against other locations.
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