(a) This section shall apply if a person who is restrained from contact with the protected tenant under a court order or is named in a police report is not a tenant of the same dwelling unit as the protected tenant.
(b) A landlord shall change the locks of a protected tenant’s dwelling unit upon written request of the protected tenant not later than 24 hours after the protected tenant gives the landlord a copy of a court order or police report, and shall give the protected tenant a key to the new locks.
(c) (1) If a landlord fails to change the locks within 24 hours, the protected tenant may change the locks without the landlord’s permission, notwithstanding any provision in the lease to the contrary.
(2) If the protected tenant changes the locks pursuant to this subdivision, the protected tenant shall do all of the following:
(A) Change the locks in a workmanlike manner with locks of similar or better quality than the original lock.
(B) Notify the landlord within 24 hours that the locks have been changed.
(C) Provide the landlord with a key by any reasonable method agreed upon by the landlord and protected tenant.
(3) This subdivision shall apply to leases executed on or after the date the act that added this section takes effect.
(d) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) “Court order” means a court order lawfully issued within the last 180 days pursuant to Section 527.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, Part 3 (commencing with Section 6240), Part 4 (commencing with Section 6300), or Part 5 (commencing with Section 6400) of Division 10 of the Family Code, Section 136.2 of the Penal Code, or Section 213.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(2) “Locks” means any exterior lock that provides access to the dwelling.
(3) “Police report” means a written report, written within the last 180 days, by a peace officer employed by a state or local law enforcement agency acting in his or her official capacity, stating that the protected tenant or a household member has filed a report alleging that the protected tenant or the household member is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
(4) “Protected tenant” means a tenant who has obtained a court order or has a copy of a police report.
(5) “Tenant” means tenant, subtenant, lessee, or sublessee.
(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 626, Sec. 2. (SB 782) Effective January 1, 2011.)
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