Plain English Breakdown
The bill text mentions 'except as specified' regarding response times and confidentiality but does not list those exceptions in this summary.
AB-878: Reasonable Accommodations for Victims of Abuse
This law requires landlords to make their best efforts to provide special housing adjustments for tenants who are victims of abuse or violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault.
What This Bill Does
- Requires landlords to try their hardest to give reasonable accommodations to tenants who are victims of specified acts like domestic violence or sexual assault.
- Mandates that landlords respond to accommodation requests within five calendar days after receiving them.
- If a landlord cannot grant the first request, they must work with the tenant in good faith to find another solution.
- Allows landlords to ask for proof of victim status but requires them to keep all documents confidential.
- Requires landlords to give written notice if an accommodation request is approved or denied.
- Prohibits landlords from retaliating against tenants who make these requests.
Who It Names or Affects
- Landlords and their agents
- Tenants who are victims of abuse, domestic violence, or sexual assault
- Family members or household members living with a victim
Terms To Know
- Reasonable accommodation
- A change to rules or physical features that helps a tenant who is a victim of violence stay safe.
- Undue hardship
- An action that causes too much difficulty, cost, or trouble for the landlord to perform.
Limits and Unknowns
- Landlords do not have to provide accommodations if doing so creates an undue hardship.
- The text does not list specific examples of what counts as a reasonable accommodation beyond general definitions.
- Civil penalties for violations include actual damages and statutory damages between $100 and $5,000.