California Government Code §12955, expanded by SB-329 in 2020, prohibits housing discrimination based on lawful source of income, including Section 8 vouchers. Santa Clara County enforces statewide rules through state CRD; no separate county code exists.
California's Fair Employment and Housing Act, at Government Code §12955, makes it unlawful for a landlord anywhere in the state to refuse rental, advertise discriminatory preferences, or apply different terms based on a tenant's lawful source of income. SB-329 (2019, effective 2020) confirmed federal Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other rental assistance qualify as protected income. SB-222 (2020) extended the same protection to veterans' housing benefits. Santa Clara County does not run its own fair-housing investigative agency; tenants in unincorporated areas file with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) or pursue private suit. Landlords may apply credit, reference, and rental-history standards but only against the tenant's portion of rent.
Discriminatory ads or rental refusals expose landlords to CRD penalties of up to $25,000 for a first offense and tenant suits for actual damages, statutory damages, attorney fees, and punitive damages.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto Airport (PAO) enforces a voluntary curfew and noise abatement procedures, with FAA preemption limiting local authority over flight operations.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto prohibits amplified music audible beyond the property line during quiet hours and requires a special event permit for outdoor amplification in publ...
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto enforces strict decibel limits by zone under PAMC 9.10.040: 60 dBA day / 50 dBA night in residential, scaling up to 70 dBA in manufacturing zones.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto permits construction Monday-Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 6pm, with no work allowed on Sundays or holidays under PAMC 9.10.060.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto requires encroachment permits for new driveways, regulates curb cut dimensions, and prohibits blocking sidewalks or adjacent driveways under traffi...
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto restricts RV, trailer, and boat storage on public streets and requires screening for large recreational vehicles on residential property under zoni...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how Palo Alto's source-of-income discrimination rules stack up against other locations.
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