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.
Santa Clara County, CA
Santa Clara County has not adopted a countywide tenant anti-harassment ordinance for unincorporated areas. Tenants rely on California Civil Code §1940.2 agai...
Santa Clara County, CA
The Santa Clara County Housing Authority (SCCHA) administers federal Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers across the county. Landlords accepting vouchers must p...
Santa Clara County, CA
Santa Clara County landlords must follow California AB 1482 just cause eviction rules, requiring specified reasons and relocation assistance for no-fault ter...
See how Santa Clara County's source-of-income discrimination rules stack up against other locations.
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