Cal. Civ. Code § 32-31-1-22
Requests for law enforcement or emergency assistance; political subdivisions prohibited from imposing penalties for requests believed necessary to prevent abuse, crime, or emergency; exceptions
Operative Text
Sec. 22. (a) The definitions in IC 32-31-3 apply throughout this section. (b) As used in this section, "penalty" refers to any of the following: (1) The assessment of a penalty, fine, or fee. (2) Actual or threatened eviction from a rental unit, or the causing of an actual or threatened eviction from a rental unit. (c) As used in this section, "political subdivision" has the meaning set forth in IC 36-1-2-13. (d) Except as provided in subsection (e), a political subdivision may not adopt or enforce any ordinance, rule, or regulation that imposes a penalty, or allows for the imposition of a penalty, against a tenant, an owner, or a landlord for a contact made to request law enforcement assistance or other emergency assistance for one (1) or more rental units if: (1) the contact is made by or on behalf of: (A) a victim or potential victim of abuse; (B) a victim or potential victim of a crime; or (C) an individual in an emergency; and (2) either of the following applies: (A) At the time the contact is made, the person making the contact reasonably believes that law enforcement assistance or other emergency assistance is necessary to prevent the perpetration or escalation of abuse, a crime, or an emergency. (B) If abuse, a crime, or an emergency occurs, the law enforcement assistance or other emergency assistance was needed. (e) Subject to subsections (f) and (g), this section does not prohibit a political subdivision from adopting or enforcing an ordinance, a rule, or a regulation that imposes a penalty for a contact that: (1) is made to request law enforcement assistance or other emergency assistance; and (2) is not made by or on behalf of: (A) a victim or potential victim of abuse; (B) a victim or potential victim of a crime; or (C) an individual in an emergency. (f) If: (1) a political subdivision imposes a penalty under an ordinance, a rule, or a regulation authorized by subsection (e); and (2) the prohibited contact to request law enforcement assistance or other emergency assistance is made by a tenant in a rental unit; the penalty imposed must be assessed against the tenant of the rental unit and not against the landlord or owner of the rental unit. (g) Any penalty that is assessed under an ordinance, a rule, or a regulation authorized by subsection (e) may not exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250). (h) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a housing authority established under IC 36-7-18 from enforcing rights or remedies established by contract or federal law against a landlord or owner of a rental unit. (i) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent an attorney representing a city, county, or town from bringing a nuisance action described under IC 32-30-6-7(b) against a landlord or owner of a rental unit.
Indiana Code § 32-31-1-22 restricts local governments (cities, counties, towns, and other political subdivisions) from penalizing tenants, landlords, or property owners simply because someone called for law enforcement or emergency help at a rental property, when that call was made on behalf of a victim or potential victim of abuse or crime, or someone in an emergency. The protection applies when the caller reasonably believed assistance was necessary to prevent or stop abuse, a crime, or an emergency. Local governments may still penalize contacts that fall outside those protected circumstances, but any such penalty is capped at $250 and must be directed at the tenant who made the call, not the landlord or owner.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Ind. Code § 32-31-1-22, landlords and property owners are shielded from local ordinances that would penalize them for emergency or law enforcement calls made at their rental units when those calls are connected to abuse, crime, or emergency situations. Compliant operators generally familiarize themselves with any local nuisance or crime-free housing ordinances in their jurisdiction to understand where the line falls between protected and unprotected contacts. It is also worth noting that this statute preserves the ability of housing authorities and municipal attorneys to pursue separate contract-based or nuisance-related remedies, so awareness of those distinct legal channels is part of staying informed.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Ind. Code § 32-31-1-22 provides tenants with a meaningful protection: local governments generally cannot fine, evict, or otherwise penalize a tenant for calling police or emergency services when the call is made on behalf of a victim of abuse, a crime victim, or someone in an emergency. If a tenant believes a local ordinance or a landlord's threatened eviction is being used to punish them for making a protected emergency call, they may have grounds to raise that ordinance's conflict with this statute as a defense or to file a complaint with a relevant local or state authority. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices can help individuals understand how § 32-31-1-22 applies to their circumstances and what general enforcement paths may be available.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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