SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — California lawmakers are fighting for renters who want to find a place to live without giving up their beloved furry friends. Rep. Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) said the majority of Californians who rent are pet owners. On the other hand, many rental properties do not allow pets.
“12 million people across the state are denied access to their housing because they have a companion pet,” Haney said. “The vast majority of our state's renters, pet owners, Most are being denied access to rental units. It makes no sense at all and is dramatically exacerbating the housing crisis.”
Haney's new bill, AB 2216, passed the state House Judiciary Committee this week, moving it one step closer to becoming law. Now heading to the assembly floor.
AB 2216 requires landlords to have a reasonable excuse not to allow pets in rental units and allows landlords to inquire about animal ownership only after a tenant's application has been approved.
According to his biography, Haney lives in San Francisco's Tenderloin district with two orange tabby cats. He is one of only three renters in the state Legislature.
California has the second highest number of tenants in the nation, with 17 million families and individuals renting. Seventy percent of these renters, nearly 12 million of them, are pet owners.
Under current law, only 30% of rental properties in any city allow pets. In San Francisco, only 21% of rental properties on the market allow pets, he said.
Due to unbalanced circumstances, a pet is kept in secret. When faced with the choice between getting a home licensed or getting a cat or dog, a huge number of pet owners choose to keep their animals visible to current or future owners. “Due to a lack of pet-friendly housing, more than 829,000 tenants keep pets in their rooms without their landlord's knowledge,” Haney's office wrote.
Some leaseholders surrender their animals to shelters. A survey of 240 animal shelters in California found that of the approximately 68,000 surrendered pets, a lack of access to pet-friendly housing was the primary cause.
The Humane Society of the United States sponsored AB 2216.
HSUS California State Director Jenny Berg said: Housing is a fundamental right that should not be restricted, as tenants are forced to choose between having a pet or a roof over their heads. ”
“Whether we like it or not, humans have pets. They've always done it and always will,” said Haney, who chairs the California Legislative Renters Caucus.
