California Prohibits Landlords From Inquiring Whether Prospective Tenants are Illegal Aliens

Just when you thought being a landlord couldn't possibly get any tougher:

Assembly Bill 976 (law effective January 1st 2008)

SECTION 1. Section 1940.3 is added to the Civil Code, to read: 1940.3. (a) No city, county, or city and county shall, by statute, ordinance, or regulation, or by administrative action implementing any statute, ordinance, or regulation, compel a landlord or any agent of the landlord to make any inquiry, compile, disclose, report, or provide any information, prohibit offering or continuing to offer, accommodations in the property for rent or lease, or otherwise take any action regarding or based on the immigration or citizenship status of a tenant, prospective tenant, occupant, or prospective occupant of residential rental property. (b) No landlord or any agent of the landlord shall do any of the following: (1) Make any inquiry regarding or based on the immigration or citizenship status of a tenant, prospective tenant, occupant, or prospective occupant of residential rental property. (2) Require that any tenant, prospective tenant, occupant, or prospective occupant of the rental property make any statement, representation, or certification concerning his or her immigration or citizenship status. (c) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a landlord from either:

(1) Complying with any legal obligation under federal law.
(2) Requesting information or documentation necessary to determine or verify the financial qualifications of a prospective tenant, or to determine or verify the identity of a prospective tenant or
prospective occupant.

Don't you think citizenship and immigration status might somehow effect a prospective tenant's ability to pay future rents? How are they going to pay rent if they cannot legally work in this country?

Contrast this with the brain damaged rules for what happens if a landlord discovers or suspects drug activity, or if law enforcement discovers such activity on the property.

If you're thinking, "have them furnish a large deposit," the law prohibits deposits above the amount of two months rent.

(sarcasm on)
TIP for Drug Lords: make certain your underlings are all illegal aliens, and keep all your "inventory" and "production materials" in their domiciles.
(sarcasm off)

What are the law abiding citizens (of whatever ancestry) who love this country supposed to do?

Roll Call of Shame in the Assembly:

Arambula Bass Beall Berg Brownley Caballero Charles Calderon Carter Coto Davis De La Torre De Leon DeSaulnier Dymally Eng Evans Feuer Hancock Hayashi Hernandez Huffman Jones Karnette Krekorian Laird Leno Levine LieberLieu Ma Mendoza Mullin Nava Parra Portantino Price Richardson Ruskin Salas Saldana Solorio Swanson Torrico Wolk

Those who actually value their country:

Adams Anderson Benoit Blakeslee Cook DeVore Duvall FullerGaines Garrick Houston Huff Jeffries Keene La Malfa MazeNakanishi Niello Plescia Sharon RunnerSmyth Spitzer Strickland Villines Walters

Roll of Shame in the State Senate

Alquist Calderon Cedillo Corbett Correa Ducheny Florez Kehoe Kuehl Lowenthal Machado Migden Negrete McLeod Oropeza Padilla Ridley-Thomas Romero Scott Simitian Steinberg Wiggins Yee

Those who actually value their country:

Aanestad Ackerman Ashburn Battin Cogdill Cox Dutton Harman Maldonado Margett McClintock Runner Wyland

I see both "my" representatives to the legislature in the rolls of shame.