Key Facts Full Breakdown Violations FAQ Sources

Riverside County, CA Rental Property Rules: Source-of-Income Discrimination (2026)

Heavy Restrictions

Verified 1 week ago|Source: California Legislative Information →

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Key Facts

Statute: Govt Code 12955
Effective: January 2020
Income test: Tenant share only
Enforcer: California CRD

City-specific rules exist: Riverside has its own source-of-income discrimination rules that differ from Riverside County's county-level regulations. If you live in Riverside, check the city-specific page instead.

Summary

California SB 329 amended FEHA to prohibit Riverside County landlords from refusing to rent to applicants who use Section 8 housing choice vouchers or other government rental assistance. Source-of-income discrimination became unlawful statewide in January 2020.

Full Breakdown

Government Code section 12955 now treats verifiable rental assistance such as Section 8, VASH, and CalWORKs Homeless Assistance as protected income. A Riverside County landlord may not advertise no-Section-8, refuse applications based on voucher status, or charge higher security deposits to voucher holders. Landlords may still apply uniform credit-score, income-multiplier, and rental-history standards, but must count the tenant share rather than full rent when evaluating income ratios. The Department of Fair Employment and Housing investigates complaints, and tenants may also file private suits with statutory damages and attorney's fees.

Violations & Fines

Refusing voucher tenants violates FEHA and can result in damages, civil penalties up to 25,000 dollars, and injunctive relief from the CRD.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still require a credit check from voucher applicants?

Yes. Landlords may apply consistent credit and rental-history standards, but cannot use the existence of a voucher itself as a basis to deny the application.

Does the rule apply to single-family rentals?

Yes. SB 329 applies to virtually all residential rentals in California, including single-family homes and ADUs, regardless of Costa-Hawkins exemptions.

How does Riverside County compare?

See how Riverside County's source-of-income discrimination rules stack up against other locations.

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Riverside County, CA Rental Property Rules: Source-of-Income Discrimination (2026)

Key Facts

Summary

Full Breakdown

Violations & Fines

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & Official References

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