California Government Code §12955 bans housing discrimination based on a tenant's lawful source of income, including Section 8 vouchers and other rental subsidies. LA County Title 8.42 mirrors and extends the protection in unincorporated areas via DCBA.
California's Fair Employment and Housing Act, at Government Code §12955, makes it unlawful for a landlord to refuse to rent based on lawful source of income, including federal, state, and local rental assistance such as Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. SB-329 (2019) confirmed vouchers are a protected source. LA County Title 8.42 mirrors and supplements these protections for tenants in unincorporated areas, with DCBA serving as enforcer. Landlords may screen applicants on credit, references, and rental history but cannot reject solely because rent will be partially paid by a voucher. They must consider only the tenant's portion of rent when applying income-to-rent ratio standards.
Discriminatory ads or rental refusals expose landlords to FEHA fines of up to $25,000 per violation, plus tenant suits for actual damages, attorney fees, and punitive damages.
Los Angeles County, CA
LA County Ordinance 2021-0040, codified at Title 8.59, prohibits landlords in unincorporated areas from harassing tenants through threats, coercion, intimida...
Los Angeles County, CA
The Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (HACoLA) administers federal Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers across LA County. Landlords accepting vouch...
Los Angeles County, CA
Unincorporated LA County has its own just cause eviction protections under the Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance (effective April 1, 2020)....
See how Los Angeles County's source-of-income discrimination rules stack up against other locations.
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