No. You may rent to anyone you wish, provided you don’t not discriminate as prohibited by California law1. It’s wise to screen all prospective tenants for credit worthiness and suitability, and HACA recommends that you do so for all prospective Section 8 tenants. (HACA is not permitted to screen prospective Section 8 tenants for credit worthiness or suitability. HACA only determines the family’s income and program-eligibility.)
1 Under California law, it is unlawful to discriminate against a person or harass a person because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or medical conditions related to them, as well as gender and perception of gender), sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, or disability. California law also prohibits discrimination based on any of the following:
- A person’s medical condition or mental or physical disability; or
- Personal characteristics, such as a person’s physical appearance or sexual orientation that are not related to the responsibilities of a tenant; or
- A perception of a person’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income, disability or medical conditions, or a perception that a person is associated with another person who may have any of these characteristics.
