4 weeks ago
By TERRY CHEA and JANIE HAR
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California pet owners struggling to find a rental that accepts their furry, four-legged family members could person an easier clip leasing caller lodging nether projected authorities government that would prohibition broad no-pets policies and prohibit landlords from charging further fees for communal companions for illustration cats and dogs.
Backers of nan bill, which precocious cleared a cardinal committee, opportunity nan deficiency of pet-friendly units is pushing renters to forgo lodging aliases relinquish beloved pets to overcrowded shelters. They opportunity nan authorities besides would let much tenants pinch unapproved pets to travel retired of nan shadows.
Sacramento renter Andrea Amavisca said she and her fellow searched for much than a period for a spot that would judge their 2-year-old cattle canine mix. Options were fewer and prospective landlords would not return her calls aft learning nan mates had a dog.
They yet recovered a two-bedroom flat aft gathering pinch nan landlord and putting down an other $500 for nan information deposit.
“It’s really atrocious that location are these restrictions you person to return into information erstwhile making a individual life choice,” she said.
But landlords are pushing back, saying they’re worried complete nan costs of repairs, liability complete imaginable canine bites and nuisance issues that mightiness thrust distant different tenants. They besides want authorities lawmakers to let higher information deposits — which legislators constricted to 1 month’s rent past twelvemonth — to scrub retired imaginable urine and feces stains successful carpets aliases repair harm to wood floors.
“There are bad group and location are bad dogs, and our occupation is to surface that and make judge that we’re providing a safe situation for everyone,” said Russell Lowery, executive head of nan California Rental Housing Association.
The connection authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney, a San Francisco Democrat and chair of nan renters’ caucus, would not require each landlords to judge communal family pets, specified arsenic cats and dogs.
But landlords would person to supply reasonable justifications, specified arsenic nationalist health, for denying a pet. A landlord could not inquire of pets until aft approving an applicant, and applicants would person to notify nan landlord that they person a pet aliases scheme to get 1 astatine slightest 3 days anterior to signing a lease. Should nan landlord contradict nan pet, nan applicant would past determine whether to activity lodging elsewhere.
The landlord besides could not require further rent aliases information deposit for a pet. The bill, if approved, would use to caller leases starting connected aliases aft Jan. 1.
Ivan Blackshear already rents to tenants pinch cats astatine his triplex successful Chico, a mini metropolis northbound of Sacramento. But he says nan mobility of pets and deposits should beryllium near to nan spot proprietor and immoderate statement they scope pinch their tenants. It should not, he said, beryllium mandated by politicians trying to curry favour pinch voters.
“Chasing mom and popular landlords for illustration myself — mini investors for illustration myself — retired of California is not going to lick nan precocious value of rent; it really is going to make it worse,” said Blackshear, who erstwhile had to switch nan wood flooring successful a rental owed to a tenant pinch a cat.
Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, a Democrat who represents parts of Los Angeles, said he and his fiancée, an attorney, were unopen retired of renting respective places conscionable because of Darius, their well-behaved Great Dane.
“Darius is nan sweetest dog,” said Bryan, who is vice chair of nan legislative renters’ caucus. “And truthful it was shocking, and it showed that this elemental obstruction of having a companion animal could lead straight to lodging insecurity and homelessness, if not addressed.”
Animal use groups are among those supporting nan bill.
Ann Dunn, head of Oakland Animal Services, says nan number of group giving up their pets has soared since nan metropolis of Oakland’s eviction moratorium ended past summer. In 2022, nan shelter averaged astir 240 dogs relinquished each month; now it is 350 a month.
“We’re seeing a immense spike successful group who are saying they are recently homeless,” she said. “Or they’re choosing betwixt being housed aliases being capable to support their pets.”
The measure is headed to nan Assembly for a level vote. If it passes, it would past spell to nan Senate for consideration.
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Har reported from San Francisco.
