CA Real Estate Fair Housing Laws 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which California law prohibits discrimination by all business establishments in the state, including housing providers?
- The Rumford Fair Housing Act
- The Unruh Civil Rights Act (Correct answer)
- The California Fair Employment and Housing Act
- The California Civil Rights Act
Correct answer: The Unruh Civil Rights Act
The Unruh Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination by all California business establishments, providing broad civil rights protections including in housing transactions.
Question 2: California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) adds which protected class that is NOT found in federal fair housing law?
- Race
- Disability
- Source of income (Correct answer)
- Familial status
Correct answer: Source of income
California's FEHA includes source of income as a protected class, meaning landlords cannot refuse to rent to Section 8 voucher holders solely because of their payment source.
Question 3: Under California law, which of the following is a protected class in housing that is NOT protected under federal fair housing law?
- National origin
- Marital status (Correct answer)
- Familial status
- Sex
Correct answer: Marital status
California law protects marital status as a class, preventing landlords from refusing to rent to single, married, or divorced individuals based on their marital status.
Question 4: The Rumford Fair Housing Act in California prohibits discrimination based on protected characteristics in:
- Only residential rentals
- Only home sales
- Both sales and rentals of most housing (Correct answer)
- Only federally-assisted housing
Correct answer: Both sales and rentals of most housing
The Rumford Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in both the sale and rental of most housing in California, making it broadly applicable.
Question 5: A California landlord discovers a prospective tenant receives Section 8 housing assistance. Under California law, the landlord:
- May refuse to rent based on this fact alone
- May not refuse to rent based on this fact alone (Correct answer)
- Must verify the amount of assistance before deciding
- Is only required to accept Section 8 if the property participates in the program
Correct answer: May not refuse to rent based on this fact alone
Under California's FEHA, source of income is a protected class, so refusing to rent solely because a tenant uses Section 8 housing assistance is illegal discrimination.
Question 6: Which California agency is primarily responsible for enforcing fair housing laws in the state?
- California Department of Real Estate (DRE)
- California Civil Rights Department (formerly DFEH) (Correct answer)
- California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers
- California Department of Consumer Affairs
Correct answer: California Civil Rights Department (formerly DFEH)
The California Civil Rights Department (formerly the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, DFEH) is the primary state agency enforcing California's fair housing and anti-discrimination laws.
Question 7: Under California law, sexual orientation is a protected class in housing. This protection is provided by:
- The federal Fair Housing Act
- The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) (Correct answer)
- The Americans with Disabilities Act
- The Equal Credit Opportunity Act
Correct answer: The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)
Sexual orientation is protected under California's FEHA, providing broader protections than federal fair housing law, which does not include sexual orientation as a protected class.
CA Real Estate Fair Housing Laws 2
Which California law prohibits discrimination by all business establishments in the state, including housing providers?