Santa Monica Wrongful Eviction Lawyer

If you were forced out of your Santa Monica home through an illegal lockout, utility shutoff, harassment, or neglect, Baghikian Law fights back and holds landlords accountable. We represent tenants in Santa Monica and across Los Angeles County in wrongful and constructive eviction claims.

Illegal Self-Help Evictions Are Prohibited

Civil Code section 789.3 bars a Santa Monica landlord from changing locks, removing doors or windows, cutting off utilities, or removing a tenant's belongings to force them out. These self-help tactics are illegal no matter what the landlord believes about the tenancy, and violations can carry civil penalties of up to 100 dollars per day with a 250 dollar minimum, plus actual damages and attorney fees.

Constructive Eviction Through Neglect

A landlord who allows conditions to become so unlivable that a tenant is forced to leave may be liable for constructive eviction. When habitability failures, harassment, or intentional interference push a Santa Monica tenant out of areas like Downtown Santa Monica, Pico Neighborhood, Mid-City Santa Monica, Ocean Park, and Wilshire Montana, we pursue the full damages the law allows.

Retaliation and Your Right to Stay

Only the sheriff, acting under a court-issued writ of possession, may physically remove a tenant in Santa Monica. California also prohibits retaliatory evictions filed in response to a tenant's protected activity, such as requesting repairs. If you faced a lockout, harassment, or a retaliatory push-out, we can evaluate your claim and pursue recovery.

Read our full wrongful and constructive eviction overview