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Oxnard · Renting & eviction

Harassment and lockouts in Oxnard

City law bans conduct meant to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate a tenant, such as cutting services or abusing the right of entry.

Key points

  • Harassment: City law bans conduct meant to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate a tenant, such as cutting services or abusing the right of entry.

Each rule below links to the section of the Oxnard Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Oxnard's code says

Oxnard code What Oxnard's code adds
Prohibited acts
  • Reducing or eliminating housing services; reducing maintenance or failing to timely complete necessary repairs or maintenance
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect
    § 27-42 · code text
    (1) A reduction or elimination of housing services as the term "housing service" is defined in this article. (2) A reduction of maintenance or failure to perform and timely complete necessary repairs or maintenance as set forth by contract or by State, county or local housing, health or safety laws.
  • Abusing the right of access into a rental housing unit, including pretextual inspections, excessive entries or notices, improper targeting, privacy-interfering entries, entries outside normal business hours, or entries beyond the scope of a lawful entry
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect; entries outside normal hours have emergency, abandonment/surrender or contemporaneous tenant-consent exceptions
    § 27-42 · code text
    (3) Abusing the right of access into a rental housing unit as established and limited by Cal. Civil Code, Section 1954. This includes: (a) Entries for pretextual inspections that are not related to necessary repairs or services; (b) Entries or notices to enter that are excessive in number in violation of Cal. Civil Code, Section 1954; (c) Entries that improperly target certain tenants or are used to collect evidence against the tenant for the purpose of finding a reason to terminate the tenant's tenancy; (d) Entries that interfere with a tenant's right to privacy, including, but not limited to, entering or photographing portions of a rental housing unit that are beyond the scope of a lawful entry or inspection; or (e) Entries outside of normal business hours, which are defined as 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, Saturdays 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., except in cases of emergency or when the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the premises, entry may not be made during other than normal business hours unless the tenant consents to an entry during other than normal business hours at the time of entry; (f) Entries beyond the scope of an otherwise lawful entry.
  • Engaging in abusive conduct through offensive words inherently likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect
    § 27-42 · code text
    (4) Engaging in abusive conduct toward a tenant through the use of words which are offensive and inherently likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction.
  • Enticing a tenant to vacate through intentional misrepresentation or concealment of a material fact
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect
    § 27-42 · code text
    (5) Enticing a tenant to vacate a rental housing unit through an intentional misrepresentation(s) or the concealment of a material fact.
  • Threatening a tenant with physical harm by word or gesture
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect
    § 27-42 · code text
    (6) Threatening a tenant, by word or gesture, with physical harm.
  • Misrepresenting that a tenant is required to vacate a rental housing unit
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect
    § 27-42 · code text
    (7) Misrepresenting to a tenant that the tenant is required to vacate a rental housing unit.
  • Failing to exercise due diligence in performing and completing repairs after obtaining possession for repairs
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect
    § 27-42 · code text
    (8) Failing to exercise due diligence in performing and completing repairs to a rental housing unit after obtaining possession of the unit for the purpose of performing the repairs.
  • Engaging in activity prohibited by federal, state, or local housing-discrimination law
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect; Including discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, color, sex, ancestry, ethnic origin, national origin, religion, age, marital status, familial status, parenthood, pregnancy, disability, medical condition, occupancy by a minor child, or citizenship
    § 27-42 · code text
    (9) Engaging in an activity prohibited by federal, state or local law which prohibits housing discrimination on any basis including but not limited to sexual orientation, race, color, sex, ancestry, ethnic origin, national origin, religion, age, marital status, familial status, parenthood, pregnancy, disability, medical condition, occupancy by a minor child, or citizenship.
  • Threatening to terminate a tenancy, recover possession, or evict without a proper factual and legal basis
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect; Does not apply to communications and conduct made in connection with actual pending litigation or litigation preparation, including conduct subject to Cal. Civil Code, Section 47, in conjunction with stated good-faith requirements
    § 27-42 · code text
    (10) Threatening to terminate a tenancy, recover possession of a rental unit, or evict a tenant from a rental unit without a proper factual and legal basis. This subsection shall not apply to communications and conduct that are made in connection with actual pending litigation or litigation preparation, including any communications and conduct subject to Cal. Civil Code, Section 47 in conjunction with the "good faith" requirements stated in Action Apartment Assn., Inc. v. City of Santa Monica (2007) 41 Cal. 4th 1232.
  • Engaging in an act or omission interfering with the tenant's right to use and enjoy the rental unit
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect
    § 27-42 · code text
    (11) Engaging in any act or omission which interferes with the tenant's right to use and enjoy the rental unit.
  • Refusing to acknowledge or accept lawful rent payments
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect; As set forth in the lease agreement or established by the usual practice of the parties
    § 27-42 · code text
    (12) Refusing to acknowledge or accept receipt of lawful rent payments as set forth in the lease agreement or as established by the usual practice of the parties.
  • Disturbing a tenant's possession so the premises are unfit for occupancy or the tenant is deprived of beneficial enjoyment
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect
    § 27-42 · code text
    (13) Engaging in any act or omission constituting a disturbance of a tenant's possession of rental premises, whereby the premises are rendered unfit for occupancy, or the tenant is deprived of the beneficial enjoyment of the premises.
  • Engaging in construction or renovations that create conditions designed to encourage a tenant to vacate
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect
    § 27-42 · code text
    (14) Engaging in construction or renovations at a property that creates conditions designed to encourage any tenant to vacate their rental unit.
  • Prohibiting a tenant from entering the tenant's unit absent a judicial order permitting repossession
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect
    § 27-42 · code text
    (15) Prohibiting entry by the tenant into a tenant's unit absent a judicial order permitting repossession by the landlord.
  • Inquiring about, requiring statements concerning, or disclosing or threatening to disclose immigration or citizenship status
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect; Tenant, prospective additional tenant, occupant, or prospective additional occupant of a rental unit
    § 27-42 · code text
    (16) Inquiring as to the immigration or citizenship status of a tenant, prospective additional tenant, occupant, or prospective additional occupant of a rental unit, or requiring any of these people to make any statement, representation, or certification concerning their immigration or citizenship status, or disclosing or threatening to disclose to any person or entity information regarding the immigration or citizenship status of any of the foregoing individuals.
  • Interfering with a tenant's privacy, including using cameras to view the interior of the unit or requesting residency, citizenship, or Social Security information
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect; Except as authorized by law
    § 27-42 · code text
    (17) Interfering with a tenant's right to privacy, including, but not limited to, using cameras to view the interior of a tenant's rental unit, requesting information regarding residency or citizenship status, or requesting a social security number, except as authorized by law.
  • Retaliating, threatening, or interfering with tenant organizing or other political activities
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect; Including forming or participating in tenant associations or unions
    § 27-42 · code text
    (18) Retaliating, threatening, or interfering with tenant organizing activities, including forming or participating in tenant associations or unions, or for engaging in other political activities.
  • Retaliating against or threatening a tenant for contacting or seeking assistance from a government or social services agency
    Applies: Conduct intended to vex, annoy, injure or intimidate tenant; excludes public ideas/beliefs with only incidental effect
    § 27-42 · code text
    (19) Retaliating against or threatening a tenant for inquiring with, or seeking assistance from, a government or social services agency.

The California rule underneath

Where Oxnard's rule above does not cover a situation, state law still applies. For the statewide rule on its own, see Tenant harassment and lockouts in California.

CA state law The statewide rule underneath
Lockouts and self-help eviction banned
A landlord may not change locks, remove doors or windows, or remove the tenant's belongings to force a tenant out
Utility shutoffs banned
A landlord may not cut off water, heat, electricity, gas or other utilities to force a tenant out
Lockout / shutoff penalty
Actual damages plus up to $100 per day of violation, at least $250 per cause of action, and attorney's fees

Who this affects

TenantsLandlordsProperty managers

General information, not legal advice.

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