San Diego Housing Discrimination Attorney

Rental unit owners and landlords in San Diego have a legal obligation to be fair and unbiased when renting apartments and homes to San Diego residents. Under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), property owners may not discriminate against potential renters based on their natural characteristics, traits, or disabilities. A landlord retains the right to deny housing to those without the financial means to pay rent, but cannot discriminate against a potential renter because of their protected characteristics.

If you feel that you were denied housing due to a protected characteristic like race, gender, or age, call to speak to a San Diego employment lawyer at Browne Employment Lawyers in San Diego about your rights.

Why Choose Our Housing Discrimination Attorney In San Diego?

The San Diego housing discrimination attorneys at Browne Employment Lawyers have dedicated their careers to advocating for victims of discrimination in California, including in employment and housing. We handle even the most complex cases with diligence, perseverance, and respect for our client’s human dignity. We offer the following advantages to your housing discrimination case in San Diego:

• We collect no upfront fees or charges but offer free case consultations and contingency-based payment so we only charge a fee after we recover financial compensation for you in your case
• We are a team of legal minds dedicated to promoting and preserving every client’s civil rights in California
• We are tireless, assertive advocates who will safeguard your rights to fair treatment under California’s anti-discrimination acts as well as federal law
• We take the time to get to know our clients and maintain open communication and availability so no client remains in the dark about the progress of their case
• Our proven results and history of six and seven-figure settlements and jury awards for our clients put a powerful California legal voice behind your housing discrimination case

No one should have to suffer discrimination in today’s world, particularly in vital matters of employment and housing for themselves and their families. The civil rights, employment, and housing attorneys at Browne Employment Lawyers are ready to aggressively argue your case and recover compensation and a sense of justice.

What Are Protected Characteristics Listed Under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act?

In addition to federal laws against discrimination under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) of 1968, California has state laws in place safeguarding residents from experiencing discrimination due to immutable characteristics or disabilities due to age, injury, or medical conditions. Examples of protected characteristics under FEHA in California include the following:

• Race or skin color
• National origin or ancestry
• Sex or gender
• Sexual orientation or gender expression
• Disability
• Pregnancy
• Military or veteran status
• Marital or family status
• Primary language
• Religion
• Source of income

The law protecting those with any of the above characteristics includes protection from discrimination in renting, financing, or selling a home, apartment, or other rental unit. It is also unlawful for a housing provider to use criminal history screenings to eliminate specific portions of the population, such as only screening the criminal backgrounds of certain racial or ethnic groups or treating those with protected characteristics differently from others when they have comparable criminal histories.

Under California law, a landlord or other housing provider may be in violation of the law if they discriminate against someone they perceive as having any of the above-protected characteristics even if they do not. 

Who Is Subject to Lawsuits for Housing Discrimination Acts Under FEHA in San Diego?

California’s California’s fair housing laws compel landlords, rental unit owners, and others associated with the housing market to comply with the state’s anti-discrimination laws, including the following entities:

• Property owners and landlords
• Homeowners associations
• Property management companies
• Real estate agents
• Homeowners
• Public housing officials
• Tenant screening agencies
• Mortgage lenders
• Builders
• Property insurance companies

The law applies to all housing-related entities and related services, including preventing government agencies from discriminating during zoning planning or making decisions on land use. The law also prohibits property owners and rental agencies from posting advertisements for available rentals if their ad uses discriminatory language. They may not provide lower-quality housing to some renters due to a protected characteristic, harass or evict a renter due to discrimination, or retaliate against an applicant who files an anti-discrimination claim against them.

What Do I Do If I’ve Been the Victim of Housing Discrimination in San Diego?

Property owners and rental agencies do not have the right to discriminate. If they do so, the person discriminated against has the legal option to hold them accountable. A successful housing discrimination complaint requires proving that the landlord or property manager (defendant) denied the plaintiff housing because of discrimination against a protected characteristic.

If you’ve been victimized by discrimination while seeking housing, you can take action by immediately documenting the dates and times of your encounters as well as what was said during your interactions with the defendant. Preserve any evidence you have of unfair treatment. 

Then, report the discrimination to the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing at (800) 233-3212 to ensure that your complaint is on official records. You may also report the discrimination to the California Civil Rights Department at (800) 884-1684 or through their website. By reporting your suspected housing discrimination case, it becomes a matter of record that may later help you in your legal action to recover monetary compensation in a San Diego housing discrimination case.

How Can a Housing Discrimination Attorney in San Diego Help?

California requires property owners, landlords, and sellers to respect a potential tenant’s right to fair housing. If you meet the income level and other requirements listed, they may not refuse your right to housing based on an innate characteristic or medical condition.

If you feel that you’ve been discriminated against while trying to rent or buy a home, you may be entitled to compensation by holding the property owner or rental agency financially accountable for violating your rights. A successful case also results in fines and penalties for the landlord who violated your civil rights. Call or contact the housing discrimination attorneys at Browne Employment Lawyers to set up a free evaluation of your case.