{"id":436,"date":"2026-02-10T21:25:33","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T21:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/future.tenantstogether.org\/?page_id=436"},"modified":"2026-06-17T19:40:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T19:40:43","slug":"immigration-tenant-protections","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tenantstogether.org\/es\/resources-for-tenants\/know-your-rights\/immigration-tenant-protections\/","title":{"rendered":"Immigrant Tenant Protections"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: CALIFORNIA TENANTS & IMMIGRATION STATUS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

California law protects ALL tenants\u2014regardless of immigration or citizenship status. This includes people who are undocumented, people perceived to be undocumented, and people associated with them (like family members or roommates). Here\u2019s what you need to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd12 YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAFE, STABLE HOUSING<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Landlords CANNOT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Ask about your immigration or citizenship status<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Demand a Social Security number, visa, green card, or other immigration documents<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Require that you sign any document or make any statement about your immigration status<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Threaten to report you, your family members, or anyone associated with you to immigration or law enforcement<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Landlords MUST NOT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Harass, intimidate, or threaten you in an effort to make you move out<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Enter your home without proper notice, except in true emergencies<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Shut off utilities, change the locks, or remove doors or windows to force you out<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      These actions are illegal under California law, regardless of your immigration status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u26a1 IF YOU STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS, LANDLORDS CAN\u2019T RETALIATE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      You\u2019re protected from retaliation if you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Report code violations or poor housing conditions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Join or organize with a tenant union – File a complaint or take legal action to protect your rights<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Retaliation is illegal for 180 days after any of these actions. Retaliation includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Raising your rent<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Decreasing your services<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Threatening eviction<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Reporting (or threatening to report) you to immigration<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          You can sue for actual damages and up to $2,000 per retaliatory act, plus attorney\u2019s fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \ud83d\udcc4 YOU CAN TAKE LEGAL ACTION<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n

          If your landlord violates your rights, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • File a lawsuit and seek injunctions to stop illegal behavior<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Recover financial penalties and damages<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • File complaints through legal aid or a nonprofit on your behalf<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            If your landlord reports you to immigration to scare you or make you move out, the court can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • Fine them 6\u201312 times your monthly rent<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Order them to stop<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Notify the District Attorney for further investigation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              \ud83d\udea8 IMMIGRATION STATUS IS NOT A REASON TO EVICT<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n

              Landlords cannot evict you based on: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              • Not having a Social Security number<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Not showing a driver\u2019s license or passport<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • A suspicion about your immigration status<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                Even if you\u2019re not on the lease, if the landlord approved you to live there and then tries to evict you using your status, the court will assume they are doing so illegally unless they prove otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u2696\ufe0f IMMIGRATION STATUS USUALLY CAN\u2019T BE USED IN COURT<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n

                In housing-related court cases, landlords cannot ask about or use your immigration status, unless:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                • You raise it yourself as part of your defense, and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • They show it\u2019s absolutely necessary under federal law<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  Just defending your right to stay is not a reason for immigration status to come up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \ud83e\uddfe EXCEPTIONS (WHEN LANDLORDS CAN ASK ABOUT DOCUMENTS)<\/h3><\/div>\n\n\n\n

                  Landlords can ask for identity or financial documents only to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n
                  • Verify income or credit when considering a rental application<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • Comply with federal rental assistance programs, court orders, or legal subpoenas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    They cannot use this as a way to get around the law or to intimidate you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

                    \n
                    \n
                    \n

                    \ud83c\udf10 NEED HELP?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
                    \n

                    If your landlord is threatening, harassing, or trying to evict you because of immigration status, contact:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                      \n
                    • Your local Legal Aid organization<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • A tenants\u2019 rights nonprofit<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    • An immigration advocacy group<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                      YOU ARE PROTECTED. You have the right to live free from fear, harassment, and discrimination in your home\u2014no matter your immigration status.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

                      \n
                      <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      I’m an immigrant, do I have tenant rights? Can my landlord threaten to share my immigration status?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":301,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"know-your-rights":[21],"class_list":["post-436","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","know-your-rights-know-your-rights"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"giantrabbit","author_link":"https:\/\/tenantstogether.org\/es\/author\/giantrabbit\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"I'm an immigrant, do I have tenant rights? Can my landlord threaten to share my immigration status?","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tenantstogether.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tenantstogether.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tenantstogether.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tenantstogether.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tenantstogether.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/tenantstogether.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2858,"href":"https:\/\/tenantstogether.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/436\/revisions\/2858"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tenantstogether.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tenantstogether.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"know-your-rights","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tenantstogether.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/know-your-rights?post=436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}