Appropriate (legal) response to section 8 inquiries and service dogs - Los Angeles California

[Francis A.]

Hi,

I received an inquiry asking if I accepted section 8 tenants and service dogs.  I understand it is a process to qualify one's rental to be section 8 ready so to speak. We weren't planning on pets but I understand "service animals" are under a different category.

I'm not sure if fair housing laws vary from state to state but with regards to California…

What is the correct legal verbiage to use in a phone call to say..

A: We aren't Section 8 approved

B: No pets allowed.

Interestingly enough, Craigslist flagged using "no pets" in the body of the text. However in a landmark decision, in West Hollywood pets are now considered "family".

Thanks!

Francis

[Karen Margrave]

@Francis A. This is California and there are some cities that have very different rules and regulations. Check with an attorney that knows the laws in your area. I personally don't see anything wrong with your wording. Though you might need to change it to "pets are not allowed" for craigslist (after making sure your city doesn't consider them family)