Illegal utility shutoffs and your rights
No. In California it is illegal for a landlord to shut off your electricity — or any essential utility — to force you out of your home. This is true even if you owe rent or the landlord wants you gone.
California Civil Code Section 789.3 bans landlords from cutting off or deliberately interfering with utilities like electricity, gas, and water to pressure a tenant into leaving. It also bars them from removing doors, changing locks, or taking your belongings for that purpose.
If a landlord breaks this law, they can be held responsible for your actual losses plus additional penalties the statute allows for each day the utility is shut off. These "self-help" eviction tactics are not legal shortcuts around the formal court process landlords must use.
If your landlord has shut off your power or threatened to, write down what happened and when. This is a serious violation, and a free, confidential review can explain how to hold your landlord accountable.
This is general information about California tenant rights, not legal advice. Every situation is different.