Civil Rights Department Releases New Resource to Help Protect Tenants Against Harassment and Discrimination
November 24, 2025
For Immediate Release
publicaffairs@calcivilrights.ca.gov
916-938-4113
A recent statewide survey showed that nearly 1 in 20 adults in California had experienced housing discrimination within the previous two years
SACRAMENTO – As part of the state’s ongoing efforts to combat housing insecurity, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) today released a new factsheet to help inform tenants of their rights and steps they can take to protect themselves against unlawful harassment and discrimination. The factsheet focuses on tenants’ rights in the face of harassment by other tenants and reminds housing providers of their obligations to address it. In 2024, a statewide survey showed that nearly 1 in 20 adults in California had experienced housing discrimination within the previous two years, including instances of harassment committed by neighbors.
“Landlords, property managers, and other housing providers all have a role to play when it comes to protecting the rights of tenants,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish. “Whether it’s threats of deportation or sexual harassment, California law requires housing providers to take action when tenants are being targeted because of who they are. Everyone is entitled to feel safe at home.”
What Is Tenant-on-Tenant Harassment?
In the civil rights context, tenant-on-tenant harassment can include words or behavior directed at a tenant by another tenant because of a protected characteristic, such as their race, sexual orientation, or immigration status. Harassment can become unlawful if it is so severe or frequent that it gets in the way of a person’s use and enjoyment of their home or common spaces. Regardless of intent, harassment can be threatening, intimidating, or demeaning to the person or people experiencing it.
Under California law, housing providers generally must act quickly to correct and end harassment by another tenant when they know or should have known about it and have the authority to take protective steps. The power to correct and end harassment by a tenant can be found in many leases and other housing contracts in the form of anti-harassment policies or rules. Leases in California also contain an “implied covenant of quiet enjoyment” that requires housing providers to take action to stop harassment that substantially interferes with a person’s use and enjoyment of their home.
What Can Tenant-on-Tenant Harassment Look Like?
Tenant-on-tenant harassment can become unlawful in a number of circumstances. Some examples include:
- A tenant repeatedly refers to another tenant using unwelcome racial slurs.
- A tenant paints a hate symbol on the door of another tenant based on their perceived religion.
- One tenant tells another that they will report them to immigration authorities unless they agree to let them have their parking space.
- A tenant often makes loud and offensive comments about another tenant’s disability at an apartment complex’s pool, which results in the tenant no longer using it.
Knowing Your Rights Helps Protect Your Rights
A key part of CRD’s mission to enforce the state’s robust civil rights laws and reduce discrimination is ensuring Californians have accurate and timely information about their rights and responsibilities. CRD does this through a range of proactive outreach efforts, including conducting trainings and presentations, publishing and disseminating guides and factsheets, and working directly with community partners to identify and respond to civil rights challenges faced by Californians across the state. Many of CRD’s webinars and trainings can also be watched at any time on the department’s YouTube channel.
You can learn more about tenant-on-tenant harassment by reading CRD’s new frequently asked questions document. Housing providers can also learn about their responsibilities by reading the department’s harassment prevention guide. If you or someone you know has experienced housing discrimination, CRD may be able to assist you through its complaint process.
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The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) is the state agency charged with enforcing California’s civil rights laws. CRD’s mission is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and state-funded programs and activities, and from hate violence and human trafficking. For more information, visit calcivilrights.ca.gov.