Real property: rentals: pet policy.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms for pet policy acknowledgment.

Pet Policies for Rentals

This law requires landlords to clearly state their pet policies in advertisements and rental forms, including details like breed and weight restrictions.

What This Bill Does

• Requires landlords who allow pets to include their pet policy in ads, application forms, and lease agreements.
• Specifies that the pet policy must have information about breed and weight limits, fees, and other rules.
• Needs tenants to acknowledge receiving the pet policy before applying for a rental unit.
• Excludes service animals from being treated as pets under this law.
• Requires landlords who charge an application fee but do not disclose their pet policy beforehand to refund the fee if the applicant is no longer eligible due to the pet policy.

Who It Names or Affects

• Landlords who allow or prohibit pets in rental properties
• Tenants looking for rental units with pet policies

Terms To Know

Pet Policy

A written rule set by landlords about what types of animals are allowed and the conditions under which they can live on the property.

Service Animals

Animals that provide assistance to people with disabilities, not considered pets for this law.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if a landlord fails to comply after being notified of an error.
• It is unclear how landlords will enforce the pet policy acknowledgment from tenants.

Official Summary Text

SB 1296, as amended, Durazo.
Real property: rentals: pet policy.
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 an animal on the premises to include their pet policy in specified locations, including advertisements and rental application forms, as provided. The bill would require prescribed information be included in the pet policy, including any breed and weight restrictions, as provided. The bill would require a prospective tenant to acknowledge receipt of the pet policy, as specified.
does not allow a tenant to keep pets on a residential rental property premises to clearly disclose the no pet policy in any advertisement, rental application, or lease agreement for the property. The bill would require a landlord that 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 for a residential rental search engine. 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 breed and weight restrictions and required fees. The bill would authorize 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 exclude service animals and support animals, as specified, from the definition of “pet” for purposes of the bill’s provisions.
The bill would require any landlord who charges an application fee but fails to disclose their pet policy before charging the
fee
fee, if the applicant is no longer eligible to rent the unit or declines to proceed with the application because of the pet policy,
to refund the application fee to the applicant, as specified.
The bill would make the bill’s provisions operative on April 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF