New California Law Says Landlords Must Pay to Change Locks for Abused Tenants

Landlords are also barred from rejecting prospective tenants who have previously had locks changed or summoned police to deal with abuse.

A "For Rent" sign on an apartment building in San Francisco on June 2, 2021. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Starting next year, California landlords must pay to change door locks for domestic abuse survivors who request it, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law July 2.

“Survivors of domestic violence need to feel protected in their own homes, and the changing of the locks is an important piece that California still needs to address,” said bill author Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman, a Democrat from Stockton, in the bill’s analysis.