Your Rights Under California State Law
All states are required to comply with the federal Fair Housing Act. In addition, the State of California has extended housing discrimination laws to cover other protected groups. The Fair Employment and Housing Act (Gov’t. Code §§12900–12996) and Unruh Civil Rights Act (Civ. Code §51) are California’s primary fair housing laws, although there are other laws that directly impact the fair housing rights of California residents.
California fair housing laws prohibit discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability—just like federal law.
In addition, California outlaws discrimination in housing because of a person’s:
- Source of Income
- Sexual Orientation
- Marital Status
- Age
- Arbitrary Characteristics
- Ancestry
- Gender Identity & Gender Expression
- Citizenship, immigration status, or primary language
- Military or Veteran’s Status
The State of California Civil Rights Department accepts and investigates complaints of illegal housing discrimination in California.