California pet laws could change for millions: What's in the bill

LOS ANGELES - Pet laws in California could change for millions of renters under a new proposal introduced to the California legislature. 

Assembly Bill 2216, authored by Assembly Member Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), would expand the list of things a landlord is not allowed to prevent a tenant from doing. 

Rathern than enact the immediate change if passed, it green-lights the intention of the legislature to draft a bill that does.

"Existing law prohibits a landlord from, among other things, preventing a tenant from posting or displaying political signs, subject to specified exceptions," the bill proposal reads. "This bill would state the intent of the legislature to enact legislation related to a landlord's ability to prohibit common household pets in residential tenancies."

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In a statement, Haney's office said the measure would affect 17 million renters in California, nearly 12 million of whom own pets. 

Additionally, his office found that around 26% of available rental properties in Los Angeles allowed pets, while that figure was lower in San Francisco at 21%. 

Nearly 68,000 pets were surrendered by their owners and ended up in 240 animal shelters statewide, according to Haney's office.