Tenancy: common household pets.

(1) Existing law regulates the terms and conditions of residential tenancies. Existing law prohibits a landlord from, among other things, preventing a tenant from posting or displaying political signs, subject to specified exceptions. This bill would prohibit a landlord, before the landlord has accepted a prospective tenant's application for a dwelling unit, from asking the prospective tenant or otherwise inquiring into whether the prospective tenant plans to own or otherwise maintain a common household pet in the tenant's dwelling unit. The bill would require a prospective tenant, no later than 72 hours before entering into a rental agreement, to inform the landlord if the prospective tenant plans to own or otherwise maintain a common household pet. The bill would prohibit a landlord from preventing a tenant from owning or otherwise maintaining a common household pet without reasonable justification. The bill would provide that this provision does not limit or otherwise affect a landlord's ability to impose reasonable conditions on household pets, and does not apply to a rental agreement that prohibits the ownership or otherwise maintenance of a common household pet that was entered into before January 1, 2025. The bill would prohibit a landlord from imposing payment of a separate or additional rent by a tenant for the ownership or otherwise maintenance of a common household pet, and would provide that this provision does not apply to a rental agreement that authorizes a landlord to charge a separate or additional rent for the ownership or otherwise maintenance of a common household pet that was entered into before January 1, 2025. The bill would define various terms for these purposes. (2) Existing law authorizes a landlord to hold security for any tenant who is a party to the lease or agreement, subject to specified requirements. Existing law defines security as any payment, fee, deposit, or charge that is imposed, as specified, to reimburse the landlord for costs associated with processing a new tenant or that is imposed as an advance payment of rent, used for any purpose, including the repair of damages to the premises, as specified. This bill would specify that the purposes described above also include to repair damages caused by, or for other costs associated with, a common household pet, as defined, that is owned or otherwise maintained by a tenant in the premises.