CA Bill Would Require Landlords To Allow Pets
Sacramento, CA — A new proposal at the state capitol, backed by the US Humane Society, would require landlords to allow common pets like dogs and cats at rental units.
The author of Assembly Bill 2216, Democrat Matt Haney, says that only about 30 percent of available residential rentals across the state are “pet friendly.”
Haney says, “The majority of renters in our state, pet owners, are denied access to the majority of rental units. That makes no sense at all and it’s dramatically exacerbating the housing crisis.”
In turn, he says many renters are hiding pets in their rentals, which creates issues for both the renters and property owners.
Haney concludes, “Blanket no companion pet policies are also causing landlords to miss out on good tenants who get rejected without even getting a chance to apply for a place to live. The current system is bad for everyone.”
The bill would bar landlords from asking about pets on applications unless there is something like a specific health or safety reason for doing so.
The Humane Society is backing the bill as many times tenants are forced to surrender their pets to overrun animal shelters that don’t have adequate resources to take care of animals.
