Berkeley bans landlord refusal to consider Section 8 vouchers and other lawful income sources, layered on California SB 329 protections and enforced by the Rent Board and civil courts.
BMC 13.31 and California Government Code 12955, as amended by SB 329 in 2020, treat housing choice vouchers, VASH vouchers, GA, SSI, and other lawful income as protected sources. Landlords must include voucher amounts when calculating tenant income against rent-to-income ratios. Refusing to rent, charging higher deposits, or steering applicants away from voucher acceptance violates state and local law. Berkeley's Civil Rights Ordinance allows complaints to the Police Review Commission and parallel civil suits, with penalties up to 25,000 dollars per repeat violation under state law.
Refusing vouchers, applying disparate criteria, or advertising no Section 8 exposes landlords to Rent Board fines, state DFEH actions, and civil damages including attorney fees and statutory penalties.
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