On September 26th, 2012, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB1229 barring landlords from forcing renters to declaw or devocalize their pets to cut down on noise and property damage.
The bill does not stop landlords from adopting a “no pets” policy however; SB 1229 does prevent owners from the following:
• Requiring potential tenants with pets whose claws are intact, or those that bark to have these procedures.
• Advertising a vacancy in a way that discourages renters whose pets have claws or vocal cords.
• Rejecting tenants who refuse to have their pets undergo these surgeries.
Landlords who violate this will face civil fines
of up to $1,000 for each incidence.
Animal advocates say the procedure is cruel and unnecessary. City Council members of nine California cities agreed, and made their opinions law when declawing was banned in their cities in 2010. West Hollywood was the first to ban the practice in 2002.
Landlords who accept pets are encouraged to charge a security deposit of up to two month’s rent for an unfurnished apartment and three month’s rent for a furnished apartment to cover the cost of any damage to their property that a pet may cause.