Lynwood — Ch. 54 Human Relations § 54-89
Discrimination against the disabled
Operative Text
(a) It is unlawful to make an inquiry to determine whether an applicant for a dwelling, a person intending to reside in that dwelling after it is sold, rented, or made available, or any person associated with that person has a disability, or to make inquiry as to the nature or severity of a disability of such a person. (b) However, this section does not prohibit the following inquiries, provided these inquiries are made of all applicants, whether or not they have disabilities: (1) Inquiry into the applicant's ability to meet the requirements of ownership or tenancy; (2) Inquiry to determine whether an applicant is qualified for a dwelling available only to persons with disabilities or to persons with a particular type of disability; (3) Inquiry to determine whether an applicant for a dwelling is qualified for a priority available to persons with disabilities or to persons with a particular type of disability; (4) Inquiry to determine whether an applicant for a dwelling is a current illegal abuser or addict of a controlled substance; and (5) Inquiry to determine whether an applicant has been convicted of the illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance. (c) Nothing in this section requires that a dwelling be made available to an individual whose tenancy would constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals or whose tenancy would result in substantial physical damage to the property of others.
Lynwood Ch. 54 § 54-89 makes it generally unlawful for housing providers to ask applicants, prospective residents, or their associates whether they have a disability or how severe that disability is. The rule carves out specific, narrow exceptions — such as asking whether someone qualifies for disability-priority housing or whether they have a disqualifying drug-related conviction — but only when those questions are posed uniformly to all applicants. The provision also preserves the ability to decline housing to someone whose tenancy would pose a direct threat to others' health, safety, or property.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Lynwood Ch. 54 § 54-89, compliant housing operators generally avoid any screening question that probes whether an applicant has a disability or the nature and severity of one. The permitted exceptions — such as verifying eligibility for disability-designated units or asking about controlled-substance convictions — must be applied consistently to every applicant, not selectively. Operators typically document that their screening criteria are applied uniformly and that any denial based on a direct-threat determination is grounded in objective, individualized evidence rather than assumption.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Lynwood Ch. 54 § 54-89 gives applicants and prospective residents the right to be free from disability-related inquiries during the housing application process, with only narrow, uniformly applied exceptions. If a housing provider asks about your disability status or its severity outside those exceptions, that conduct may constitute a violation of this provision. General enforcement paths include raising the violation as a defense in a housing proceeding, filing a complaint with a relevant fair-housing agency, or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for guidance on available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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