California cities and counties can no longer enact so-called “crime free” housing policies after a new law went into effect Jan. 1. The policies have been used to penalize tenants with criminal backgrounds or brushes with police, which lawmakers said could be discriminatory.
Assembly Bill 1814, authored by Assemblywoman Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), revises existing state law which previously allowed for such policies. Under the revised law, such policies against tenants or prospective tenants are outlawed, and landlords can no longer require criminal background checks for tenants.
