Bill > AB878

This bill establishes new protections for tenants who are victims of abuse or violence by requiring landlords to provide reasonable accommodations. The bill defines reasonable accommodations as exceptions or adjustments to rules and policies that help victims feel safer in their housing, which might include unit transfers, permission to install security cameras, additional time to pay rent or move out, and assistance in documenting violent incidents. Landlords must respond to accommodation requests within 5 calendar days and engage in a good faith interactive process if they cannot immediately grant the request. The bill covers various types of violence, including domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, and other serious crimes. If a landlord violates these provisions, they can be liable for actual damages and statutory damages between $100 and $5,000. Importantly, the landlord must maintain confidentiality of any documentation provided by the tenant and cannot retaliate against a tenant for requesting an accommodation. The bill does not require landlords to take actions that would cause them undue hardship, and it explicitly states that these new protections do not supersede existing legal protections for tenants under other state and federal laws.

Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB878