Are Landlords in Los Angeles County Required to Accept Section 8 Housing Vouchers?

Yes — under California's statewide source-of-income protections, landlords in Los Angeles County cannot reject an otherwise qualified applicant simply because they pay rent with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, and the City of Los Angeles has its own local ordinance reinforcing the same rule. Landlords can still screen every applicant using neutral criteria like credit history, rental history, and references, but they can't advertise "no Section 8," apply different standards to voucher holders, or calculate income requirements based on the full contract rent instead of the tenant's actual portion. Here's what the law actually requires, what landlords can and can't do, and what happens if someone violates it.

Do California Landlords Have to Accept Section 8 Vouchers?

Since January 1, 2020, California's Senate Bill 329 amended the Fair Employment and Housing Act to classify Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and other federal, state, and local housing subsidies as a protected "source of income." That means a landlord cannot refuse to rent, refuse to negotiate, or treat an applicant differently simply because part or all of their rent will be paid through a voucher. This is a statewide rule that applies to landlords throughout Los Angeles County, not just within city limits.

What Additional Rules Apply Inside the City of Los Angeles?

The City of Los Angeles has its own source-of-income ordinance that reinforces the statewide law, and as of January 1, 2020, Los Angeles landlords are required to accept Section 8 housing vouchers rather than simply being barred from discriminating against applicants who have them. Some LA County cities also run compliance testing programs, where trained testers pose as rental applicants to document whether landlords or their agents are illegally screening out voucher holders.

What Can a Landlord Still Screen For With a Section 8 Applicant?

Landlords can apply the same neutral screening criteria to every applicant, voucher holder or not — credit checks, rental history, references, and income verification are all still allowed. The key legal requirement is that income calculations must be based on the tenant's actual rent contribution, not the full contract rent. For example, if a unit rents for $1,500 and the voucher covers $900 of it, a landlord using a 3:1 income-to-rent ratio can only require income sufficient to cover the tenant's $600 portion — not the full $1,500.

What Happens If a Landlord Refuses a Section 8 Applicant Illegally?

A tenant who believes they were discriminated against can file a complaint with California's Civil Rights Department or pursue a lawsuit under the Fair Employment and Housing Act. Potential remedies include actual damages, emotional distress damages, civil penalties, and attorney's fees, and the state has pursued enforcement actions against landlords in Southern California for pushing out tenants who switched to Section 8 or refusing to engage with voucher holders at all.

What Should Landlords Do to Stay Compliant?

Review your advertising and rental applications to remove any language that excludes or discourages voucher holders, train anyone who handles applications or showings on source-of-income rules, apply identical screening criteria to every applicant regardless of how they plan to pay rent, and calculate income requirements based only on the tenant's actual rent share when a voucher is involved. Consulting a landlord-tenant attorney before updating your screening policy is worth the cost compared to the potential liability of a discrimination complaint.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a landlord reject a Section 8 applicant for having bad credit or a prior eviction?
Yes, as long as the same credit and rental-history standards are applied equally to every applicant, voucher holder or not. The law prohibits discrimination based on voucher status itself, not legitimate, uniformly applied screening criteria.

Does this rule apply to single-family homes and small rental properties?
The statewide source-of-income protection in SB 329 applies broadly across rental housing in California; landlords should assume the rule applies to their property and consult an attorney about their specific situation rather than assuming an exemption.

Can a landlord advertise that they don't accept Section 8?
No. Advertising "no Section 8," "no vouchers," or similar language is itself a violation of California's source-of-income discrimination law, independent of whether any specific applicant was actually turned away.

What should a tenant do if they believe they were discriminated against?
Document the interaction, including any advertising or communications referencing Section 8, and file a complaint with California's Civil Rights Department, which can investigate and pursue remedies on the tenant's behalf.

Updated October 2026.