Can My Roommate Changing the Lock of the Apartment

[Ymeng2]

My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of California
Guys, I need some advice on what to do in this situation. I got a job at an Amazon facility but is two hours away from where I live. I live in the Marina Del Rey area and my workplace is at South Gate. I am supposed to start working on May 22nd. ( yes in two days)My roommate has been negotiating with my parents to see if there is a way for me to not go to work right now since the virus. Although both my parents and I agreed that I need the work and money to support myself my roommate is against it he even went ahead to change the lock of the apartment door (not the lock of the main entrance)
The thing is I want to be independent and make some money to be able to support myself but I also understand that safety is a concern and I don't want to get infected. But my roommate is making it hard for me to go out even to get groceries which really made it inconvenient for myself. I understand that he wants to protect himself but I also want my life and to be able to live at peace without creating any storms. (I don't go out that often about every two weeks tops, except for the last few days since I need to take the bus to go to work I need to figure out the bus route and things)
So the bottom line is between my roommates' safety concerns and me wanting to make a living and support myself especially since now how difficult is for anyone to get a job. Even before the quarantine, I've been trying to get a job, and now when I finally got a job this happened(the quarantine) so I don't know what to do; does my roommate even have the right to do what he did? If you guys have any information on such a thing please let me know!! Thank you all!!

[L-1]

I got a job at an Amazon facility but is two hours away from where I live. I live in the Marina Del Rey area and my workplace is at South Gate.

Dude - South Gate is 2 Hours away from Marina Del Rey ????? Really ?????? Come on, its only 21 miles! MDR Freeway to the 405, 405 to the 105 and the 105 to Long Beach Boulevard, then go north. And the LA County Health Tzarina is so insistent on keeping things closed down due to COVID that I suspect traffic isn't going to return to normal for months. You should be able to make it to work in 30 minutes, tops.

Let's start with the basics - who do you pay your rent to? How long is your rent period for? Are you paying week to week, month to month? Do you have a written rental agreement or is it just verbal? Are you current on your rent?

[llworking]

Dude - South Gate is 2 Hours away from Marina Del Rey ????? Really ?????? Come on, its only 21 miles! MDR Freeway to the 405, 405 to the 105 and the 105 to Long Beach Boulevard, then go north. And the LA County Health Tzarina is so insistent on keeping things closed down due to COVID that I suspect traffic isn't going to return to normal for months. You should be able to make it to work in 30 minutes, tops.

He is taking the bus. It could very well be a two hour trip on the bus.

[cdwjava]

Following up on L-1's questions, does your lease give the tenants (i.e. you guys) the right to change the locks on the apartment? The ones I have seen most often do not unless you provide a key to the landlord and do so with their permission.

Provided yours is a legal occupancy, you might want to point out to your roomie that you can legally break into the apartment if he locks you out. So, he can either give you a key, or he can share in the costs of damage to the door, lock, or a window as you force your way inside.

Maybe you can work out something with your roommate that will ease some of his concerns. Perhaps a shower and change of clothes immediately upon your return home? Something more? I applaud your desire to work, but there must be some middle ground ... unless your roommate is paranoid and/or a hypochondriac. I mean, every day you go out you could bring back a plethora of virulent bugs - COVID isn't the only thing out there.

[pg1067]

In addition to the questions already asked, I'm curious why any of this has anything to do with the OP's parents.

[eerelations]

In addition to the questions already asked, I'm curious why any of this has anything to do with the OP's parents.

OP's parents are probably paying OP's rent and living expenses right now. OP wants a job so that he can become "independent" (his word) of his parents. OP's roommate is trying to get OP's parents to pay more/continue to pay so that OP doesn't have to go out to work and possibly expose himself (and then roommate) to C-19.

[Ymeng2]

It would be 25 min if I had a car but I don't, I had to either take the bus or uber.

And to answer all those questions: the rent period is for at least a year, most of my roommate is in college so I also had to keep that in mind in case they want to move out after they graduate. I pay the rent month to month, every month on time since January 15 (that is when I moved in). We had a verbal agreement so I am not on the lease.

My parents had helped me saved up some money from my last job to pay the rent. I just started this job so I wanna last for at least 6 months that is the time period that I am being hired...