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Legal Information: California

Housing Laws

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Laws current as of November 7, 2024

Can a landlord punish me or evict me for calling the police?

A landlord cannot punish, or threaten to punish, you or another resident for exercising your right to request law enforcement or emergency assistance on behalf of a:

  • victim of abuse;
  • victim of crime; or
  • person in an emergency.1

Your landlord also cannot put any penalties in place if a person who is not a resident or tenant calls law enforcement or emergency assistance to your residence.

To be protected under this law, the person who calls the police must believe that law enforcement or emergency assistance is needed to prevent or deal with an act of abuse, or the heightening or worsening of an act of abuse, a crime, or an emergency.1

1 Cal.Civ.Code § 1946.8(c)

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