Stockton, CA Rental Property Rules: Tenant Anti-Harassment (2026)
Key Facts
- Statute
- Civil Code 1940.2
- Civil penalty
- Up to $2,000 per act
- Banned tactics
- Lockouts and shutoffs
- Tenancy type
- All written or oral
Summary
Stockton tenants are protected from landlord harassment under California Civil Code section 1940.2, which bars threats, lockouts, utility shutoffs, and intimidation aimed at forcing a tenant to leave outside formal eviction processes.
1940.2. (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. Nothing in this paragraph requires a tenant to be actually or constructively evicted in order to obtain relief. (4) Commit a significant and intentional violation of Section 1954. (5) Threaten to dis
Full Breakdown
California Civil Code section 1940.2 makes it unlawful for a landlord to use threats, force, menacing conduct, or fraud to influence a tenant to vacate a Stockton dwelling. Prohibited tactics include unilateral lockouts, utility shutoffs intended to coerce a move-out, removal of doors or windows, and significant interference with quiet enjoyment of the unit. Tenants may sue for civil penalties of up to two thousand dollars per violation, plus actual damages and attorney fees in some situations. Local code enforcement can also intervene when conduct overlaps with habitability or building-code issues. The protections apply regardless of whether the tenancy is month-to-month or under a written lease.
Violations & Fines
Locking out a tenant, cutting off utilities, or using threats to push out a Stockton renter can lead to civil penalties, restoration of possession, damages, attorney fees, and possible criminal exposure under separate statutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is shutting off utilities a form of illegal eviction?
What should a tenant do after a lockout?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stockton
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