Those who wish to rent property in California have many rights. For instance, a landlord cannot reject an application for an apartment because of a person’s race, gender or religion. Landlords also cannot reject applications from people based on their national origin, because they have children or because of a physical or mental disability. On a state or local level, there may be laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation or marital status.
Landlords are not allowed to advertise or otherwise imply any preference or restrictions on those who may be in a protected class. Tenants may not be harassed by their landlords or be put in different facilities because they are of a protected class. Policies related to late or missed rent payments must be handled in a consistent manner without regard to a person being part of a protected class.
Service animals are generally permitted inside of an apartment building even if there is a no pet policy. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, tenants have the right to know about any negative credit information that may have led to an application being denied. Furthermore, an individual has the right to be told why an application has been rejected no matter what that reason may be.
Those who believe that they have been discriminated against by a landlord may wish to talk with an attorney. Legal counsel may be able to provide assistance in any action taken against a landlord in a dispute over rent or other issues related to a lease. Legal counsel may be effective in helping those who have had an application denied find out why it happened, and it may be possible to take a landlord to court for violating anti-discrimination laws.