Existing law establishes the California Interagency Council on Homelessness and requires the council to take various actions to prevent and end homelessness in California. Existing law establishes various programs to prevent homelessness or assist persons experiencing homelessness, including the No Place Like Home Program and the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program. This bill would require the council, by July 1, 2028, to develop a statewide homelessness prevention strategy in the council's publicly available Action Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. The bill would require the strategy to include specified elements, including a homelessness prevention action plan for certain state agencies and evidence-based model homeless prevention practices, as specified. The bill would require the council to review and update the strategy in the Action Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. The bill would define various terms for these purposes. The bill would limit each state agency's participation to its existing statutory authority, activities, data, and subject-matter responsibilities.
Existing law, in modified conformity with federal income tax laws, establishes a low-income housing tax credit program through which the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee allocates low-income housing tax credits aimed at providing affordable low-income housing within and throughout the state. Existing federal law sets limitations and guidelines regarding what projects are eligible for credits, including a requirement that an extended low-income housing commitment is in effect, and a prohibition against eviction except for good cause. This bill would specify, for housing projects where the low-income housing commitment requires 100% of the units, not including any manager's units, to be restricted to lower income households, as defined, that good cause for nonrenewal of a lease includes cases where the nonrenewal relates to a household whose income exceeds 140% of the area median income for at least 2 consecutive years and 30% of the household's monthly income exceeds the fair market rent, determined as specified. The bill would require an owner to provide notice of the potential of good cause for nonrenewal described above if the household's income exceeds 140% of the area median income during any income certification, as specified. The bill would also require an owner electing to not renew a lease as described above to issue a notice of nonrenewal describing the basis of good cause for nonrenewal at least 90 days prior to the expiration of the lease, as specified.
Existing law regulates the terms and conditions of residential tenancies, including imposing specified requirements on a security for a rental agreement for residential property. Existing law defines security as any payment, fee, deposit, or charge that is imposed to reimburse the landlord for costs associated with processing a new tenant or that is imposed as an advance payment of rent, used for any purpose, as provided. Existing law authorizes a landlord, or the landlord's agent, who receives a request to rent a residential property from an applicant to charge that applicant an application screening fee to cover the costs of obtaining information about the applicant, as provided. Existing law authorizes a landlord to accept a reusable tenant screening report, as provided, and prohibits the landlord from charging the applicant specified fees, including an application screening fee, if the landlord accepts the reusable tenant screening report. Existing law defines a reusable tenant screening report as a consumer report that, among other things, was prepared within the previous 30 days by a consumer reporting agency at the request and expense of the applicant and is available to the landlord at no cost to access or use. Existing law defines "unfair competition" to include any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business act or practice and unfair, deceptive, untrue, or misleading advertising and subjects a person who engages, has engaged, or proposes to engage in unfair competition to various remedies and penalties. This bill would repeal the provisions authorizing a landlord to accept reusable tenant screening reports and would, instead, require a landlord to accept from a prospective tenant a portable screening report prepared by a tenant screening company approved by the Department of Housing and Community Development, as provided. The bill would define various terms for these purposes, including defining a "portable screening report" as a consumer report prepared by a tenant screening company that, among other things, is dated within 45 days before submission to the landlord and costs the prospective tenant no more than $45. The bill would prohibit a landlord from, among other things, charging the prospective tenant specified fees associated with processing the rental application, including an application fee, or requiring the prospective tenant to undergo or pay for an additional background check, credit check, or tenant screening, if the prospective tenant provides a portable screening report under these provisions. The bill would require a landlord to advise a prospective tenant in an advertisement for a dwelling unit and before accepting any application materials for a dwelling unit on certain obligations of the landlord regarding portable screening reports. If the landlord rejects an application after reviewing the portable screening report provided by the tenant under these provisions, the bill would require a landlord to provide the prospective tenant with the specific reasons for rejection in writing, as provided. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to post on its internet website information for prospective tenants about these provisions. This bill would also require a landlord to provide in writing a complete and itemized disclosure of all application requirements to the prospective tenant before accepting any application materials. The bill would require that the disclosure, among other things, be provided in a clear, plain-language, and standardized format, as prescribed by the Department of Housing and Community Development. The bill would prohibit a landlord from adding, modifying, or requesting additional application requirements from a prospective tenant, except as provided, and prohibit a landlord from denying an application based a prospective tenant's failure to provide an application requirement that was not disclosed. The bill would specify that a violation of these provisions is an act of unfair competition, as described above. This bill would make a landlord who violates either of the above-described provisions liable to a prospective tenant in a civil action, as provided. The bill would require a prospective tenant to provide a landlord with an opportunity to cure the violation before bringing a civil action, as provided. The bill would additionally authorize the Attorney General to bring a civil action to seek specified remedies based on violations of its provisions. The bill would provide that these remedies are in addition to any other remedies. This bill would declare that its provisions are severable.
Existing law governs the obligations of tenants and landlords. Existing law prohibits a landlord who allows an animal on the premises from advertising or establishing rental policies in a manner that requires a tenant or a potential tenant with an animal to have that animal declawed or devocalized as a condition of occupancy, as provided. This bill would require a landlord or their agent to have a pet policy or pet addendum in writing and to provide access to the property's pet policy or addendum on the property's internet website, in digital advertisements, and in information provided to a residential rental search engine, as prescribed. The bill would require a landlord or their agent to provide a written copy of the property's established pet policy or pet addendum with any rental application form. The bill would require a pet policy or pet addendum to include specified information, including a description of the rights, responsibilities, and requirements for tenant pet owners at the property. The bill would establish conditions for a landlord or their agent to substantially comply with these provisions and would specify that a nonmaterial error or omission that is corrected upon notice does not constitute a violation of these provisions. The bill would specify that it does not affect obligations or rights under state or federal law relating to service and support animals. The bill would require any landlord or their agent who charges an application fee but fails to disclose the established pet policy or pet addendum before charging the fee, and due to the landlord's or their agent's failure to disclose that information, the applicant is no longer eligible to rent the unit or declines to proceed with the application, to refund the application fee to the applicant upon request, as specified. The bill would make its provisions operative on April 1, 2027.
(1) Existing law declares that it is the established policy of the state that all dwelling units shall be able to attain and maintain a safe maximum indoor temperature. Existing law regulates the terms and conditions of residential tenancies. Existing law requires that any building with a dwelling unit maintain certain characteristics in order to be tenantable, including the maintenance in good working order of heating facilities that conformed with applicable law at the time of installation. This bill would add a safe method in which the dwelling unit can be maintained at the maximum indoor temperature of not more than 82 degrees Fahrenheit by a nonmechanical cooling method to the list of characteristics required for the dwelling unit to be tenantable, as provided. The bill would authorize the landlord and tenant to mutually agree to provide the safe method by a mechanical and nonmechanical method, by January 1, 2030. The bill would prohibit the landlord from passing through to the tenant the cost of providing the safe method. The bill would require the landlord to properly dispose unused refrigerants pursuant to regulations promulgated by the State Air Resources Board, if an air conditioning unit required by these provisions is replaced. This bill would require a landlord to permit a tenant to install or use, at the tenant's own cost, a portable cooling device, as defined, or other nonmechanical cooling method to maintain the indoor temperature of a dwelling unit below 82 degrees Fahrenheit, as provided. The bill would require the tenant to provide the landlord 5 calendar days advanced notice, prior to installing or using a portable cooling device or other nonmechanical cooling method, as provided. The bill would apply these provisions only to leases entered into, amended, or extended on or after January 1, 2028. (2) Existing law authorizes the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide technical assistance for specified purposes. This bill would require the department to create a dedicated website offering free technical assistance and resources for landlords and tenants to comply with the above-described provisions.
Existing law regulates the terms and conditions of residential tenancies. Existing law provides that a tenant is guilty of unlawful detainer if the tenant continues to possess the property without permission of the landlord after the tenant defaults on rent, among other reasons. This bill would prohibit a landlord from evicting for nonpayment of rent or nonrent fees, as defined, or charging or collecting late fees to, a tenant who is employed by the federal government or a federal contractor and whose income is materially affected by a government shutdown for the duration of, and 30 days following, a government shutdown. The bill would additionally require a court to stay any pending eviction action against the tenant during that time, as provided. The bill would require the tenant to provide specified documentation to a landlord or court, as applicable. The bill would require the deferred rent to be due and payable within 30 days of the date the tenant receives their first full paycheck containing retroactive backpay, as provided. This bill would impose civil penalties not to exceed $2,000 for any person who knowingly violates its provisions and would permit the tenant to raise a violation of its provisions as an affirmative defense in any action for unlawful detainer. The bill would specify that this affirmative defense does not apply to any unlawful detainer action other than an action based on the nonpayment of rent or nonrent fees. The bill would require the Judicial Council to adopt or modify forms as needed to implement these provisions. The bill would make related findings and declarations.
Existing law prescribes the general responsibilities and roles of the Department of Housing and Community Development and the California Housing Finance Agency in carrying out state housing policies and programs. Existing law establishes various programs to promote development of affordable housing for tenants and homeowners, including the Multifamily Housing Program, low-income housing tax credits, and the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program. This bill would, by January 1, 2028, require the department and the agency to develop and implement strategies, as specified, to promote the movement of tenants of deed-restricted affordable housing into home ownership through existing home ownership programs implemented by the department or the agency.
The Housing Authorities Law establishes a housing authority within each county and city and authorizes the authority to, among other things, prepare, carry out, acquire, lease, and operate housing projects and housing developments for persons of low income, as provided. This bill would, unless required by federal law, and except as specified, prohibit a housing authority or other covered housing provider, as defined, from establishing or implementing any rules, policies, or procedures that impose term limits or work requirements, as defined, as a condition of eligibility for any covered housing or that impact the amount of the rent subsidy or assistance provided to covered housing tenants. The bill would, however, permit a covered housing provider to establish or implement a voluntary employment or job training program if specified conditions apply. The bill would provide that its provisions do not limit or alter the operation of specified federal housing programs and requirements.
Existing law provides that a tenant is guilty of unlawful detainer if the tenant continues to possess the property without permission of the landlord after the tenant defaults on rent or fails to perform a condition or covenant of the lease under which the property is held, among other reasons. Existing law requires a tenant to be served a 3 days' notice in writing to cure a default or perform a condition of the lease, or return possession of the property to the landlord, as specified. This bill, the Tenant Protections for Immigrant Families Act of 2026 (Act) , would, until January 1, 2030, prohibit an owner of residential real property, as defined, from initiating or continuing an unlawful detainer action to evict a tenant whose income, ability to obtain income, or financial support is impacted by immigration enforcement activities until no sooner than 90 days after the tenant or household member's detention-related hardship ends, as specified. The bill would require a court to stay the proceeding of a pending unlawful detainer action against a covered tenant if certain conditions are satisfied, including that the tenant provides the court with specified documentation, such as a signed declaration of detention-related hardship that includes a specified statement, that the tenant or household member suffered a detention-related hardship that prevented them from paying the unpaid rent alleged in the unlawful detainer action. Any person who knowingly provides false information in the declaration of detention-related hardship would be subject to a civil fine of up to $1,500. Under the bill, if a tenant has raised detention-related hardship as an affirmative defense, an owner of residential real property may request an evidentiary hearing regarding the tenant's detention-related hardship stay of the unlawful detainer action, at which the tenant must prove by a preponderance of the evidence their detention-related hardship. The bill would prohibit the owner from charging or collecting any late fees, interest, or other penalties related to the nonpayment of rent by a tenant subject to these provisions. Within 90 days after the end of the detention-related hardship, the bill would require the tenant to either pay all past due rent or enter into a mutually agreed upon payment plan with the owner of the residential real property. For purposes of the Act, this bill would define "immigration enforcement activities" to include any efforts to investigate, enforce, or assist in the investigation or enforcement of any federal immigration law, including any federal criminal immigration law that penalizes a person's presence in, entry or reentry to, or employment in, the United States. The bill would define "detention-related hardship" to mean, among other things, loss of income or financial support by the tenant or household member due to detention, arrest, or ordered removal of a tenant or household member by any federal law enforcement agency. This bill would prohibit a landlord from charging a tenant subject to these provisions fees assessed for the late payment of that rental debt. The bill would prohibit a person from selling or assigning any unpaid debt as a result of detention-related hardship. The bill would prohibit a housing provider or tenant screening company from using an alleged debt as a result of detention-related hardship as a negative factor for the purpose of evaluating a prospective housing application or as the basis for refusing to rent a dwelling unit to an otherwise qualified prospective tenant. The bill would delete similar provisions related to debts as a result of COVID-19 rental debt. The bill would require the Judicial Council to review its existing forms and develop new forms to effectuate these provisions. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2030.
This measure would urge the Governor, relevant state agencies, and all local governments to adopt an urgent and coordinated approach to end and prevent unsheltered homelessness statewide, as specified.
