Long Beach, CA Rental Property Rules: Tenant Anti-Harassment (2026)
Key Facts
- Code
- Cal. Civ. Code 1940.2
- Entry rule
- 24-hour notice
- Penalty
- Up to $2,000 per act
- Local intake
- Tenant Helpline
Summary
Long Beach landlords are barred from harassing tenants to force them out, including utility shut-offs, lockouts, threats, and bad-faith entry, under California Civil Code section 1940.2 and Long Beach Tenant Helpline guidance.
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. ... (5) Threaten to disclose information regarding or relating to the immigration or citizenship status of a tenant, occupant, or other person known to the landlord to be associated with a tenant or occupant.
Full Breakdown
California Civil Code section 1940.2 prohibits landlord conduct intended to influence a tenant to vacate, including threats of force, immigration-status threats, lockouts, and termination of utilities. Civil Code section 1954 governs lawful entry, requiring twenty-four-hour written notice except emergencies. Long Beach reinforces these protections through the city's Tenant Helpline, which intakes harassment complaints and refers to legal aid. Tenants may seek civil penalties up to two thousand dollars per violation under section 1940.2, plus injunctive relief stopping ongoing harassment, and may use harassment as a defense in retaliation eviction cases.
Violations & Fines
Lockouts, utility shut-offs, threats, repeated unannounced entry, or immigration-status intimidation can trigger civil penalties up to two thousand dollars per violation, injunctions, and tenant retaliation defenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a landlord shut off utilities for nonpayment?
How much notice before entry?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California rental property rules overview
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