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 who allows a tenant to have a pet on the premises to have a pet policy in writing and to provide access to the property's pet policy 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 to provide a written copy or summary of the property's established pet policy or its 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 to substantially comply with the bill's provisions and would specify that nonmaterial errors or omissions by a landlord that are corrected upon notice would not constitute a violation of the bill's provisions. The bill would not affect obligations or rights under state or federal law relating to service and support animals. The bill would require any landlord who charges an application fee but fails to disclose their established pet policy or pet addendum before charging the fee, and due to the landlord'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, as specified. The bill would make the bill's provisions operative on April 1, 2027.