Discrimination
Housing discrimination: FEHA and the FHA.
It is against the law for a landlord to treat you worse, refuse to rent to you, or set different rules because of who you are. Two laws protect tenants here. The federal Fair Housing Act and California’s own Fair Employment and Housing Act, called FEHA.
California’s law goes further than the federal one and protects more people.
This page explains the law in plain English to help you get oriented. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not make us your lawyers. Laws and yearly figures change. For what applies to your situation, give us a call.
Who is protected
The federal Fair Housing Act protects against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and family status, which includes having children.
California’s FEHA adds more, including marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, ancestry, immigration status, and source of income. It covers most rentals in the state.
Source of income, including Section 8
In California a landlord cannot refuse you just because you would pay part of the rent with a housing voucher such as Section 8. Treating a voucher holder differently, or saying a voucher is not welcome, can be illegal.
This is one of the most common forms of housing discrimination, and one of the most often missed.
Rules that target families or disability
Rules that single out children, like banning them from common areas or requiring an adult to be present, can be discrimination based on family status. Refusing a reasonable accommodation for a disability, like a service animal or an accessible parking spot, can also break the law.
When a court finds discrimination it can order money damages and order the rule to be changed or dropped.
The laws themselves
Where to file a complaint
- California Civil Rights Department (CRD)
State housing discrimination complaints (FEHA)
- U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)
Federal fair housing complaints
Keep reading
If you are not sure how any of this applies to you, that is exactly what a free call is for. We will tell you where you stand.
Give us a call(310) 265-5000