CA SB1017

Landlords or their agents who violate tenant protections related to abuse or violence are liable to the tenant for actual damages and statutory damages of $100 to $5,000.

Prohibits landlords from terminating or failing to renew a tenancy based on an act of abuse or violence against a tenant, immediate family member, or household member unless the perpetrator is a tenant in the same unit or poses a documented physical threat after a 3-day notice to correct.

A landlord's violation of these protections serves as an affirmative defense in unlawful detainer proceedings based on abuse or violence.

When a tenant raises this affirmative defense with documentation of abuse or violence and the perpetrator is another occupant, the court may issue a partial eviction removing only the perpetrator while preserving the tenancy for the victim.

Landlords must not disclose tenant information about abuse or violence to third parties except with written consent or court order, and cannot refuse to rent to prospective tenants based on prior exercise of these rights.