Renters with pets face challenges finding landlords who will rent to them at all, let alone at no additional cost, but a new state bill aims to change that.
Assembly Bill 2216, introduced Tuesday by Rep. Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), would prohibit landlords from having blanket policies prohibiting rentals to pet owners.
Landlords will also be prohibited from asking about renters' pets until the application is approved. But the bill would allow landlords to ban pets for “reasonable reasons.”
Haney's office says only about 30% of rental properties in the state allow pets. In San Francisco, only about 21% of rental properties allow pets.
Haney said in a statement that the state's goal of building more housing to alleviate the housing crisis will be in vain if millions of people are restricted from moving in because of pets.
“Whether we like it or not, humans have pets. We always have and always will have pets,” Haney said. “No-pet policies mean landlords are losing out on good tenants and are being turned away before they even get a chance to apply for a place to live. The current system is bad for everyone.”
The bill is sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States. Pet owners still have the right to housing, Jenny Berg, California state director for the Humane Society of the United States, said in a statement.
“Along with millions of pet owners across California, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) strongly believes that household pets are an integral part of our families. Renters should choose between Housing is a fundamental right that should not be restricted because people are forced to do things like keep a pet or have a roof over their heads,” Berg said.
But the bill raised some concerns with the California Apartment Association, a nonprofit advocacy group for rental property owners.
Debra Carleton, CAA's executive vice president for state government affairs, said the bill, while well-intentioned, could create problems for landlords, their tenants and pets alike. Carleton said the bill doesn't take into account issues such as homes without backyards or co-residents with allergies or space limitations.
He also said landlords shouldn't bear all the risk of incurring costs from pets.
“This bill does not allow for security deposit increases, which could limit a landlord's ability to cover pet-related damages,” Carlton said.
He said the problem will become more acute in light of the passage of AB 12, which Gov. Gavin Newsom will sign into law in 2023, limiting security deposits to one month's rent instead of two months' rent. Stated.
Carleton said the bill will be considered in March after it is assigned to a committee.
