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Rent Regulations

Cal. Civ. Code § 2.04

Housing Discrimination in Credit Services or Rental Accommodations--Applicable Law

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 9/30/2026MassachusettsFair Housing & Anti-Discrimination

Operative Text

Cal. Civ. Code § 2.04
M.G.L. c. 151B, § 4, subsection 10 prohibits discrimination in the furnishing of credit services, or
            in the renting of accommodations against an individual who is a recipient of federal, state or local
            assistance.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under 804 Mass. Code Regs. 2.00 § 2.04, Massachusetts law (M.G.L. c. 151B, § 4, subsection 10) prohibits discrimination against people who receive federal, state, or local public assistance when they seek to rent housing or obtain credit services. This means that a person's status as a recipient of government assistance—such as housing vouchers or other public benefits—cannot lawfully be used as a basis for denying or limiting access to rental accommodations or credit. The provision applies broadly to any individual whose income includes assistance from a government source.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 30, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers operating in Massachusetts should be aware that 804 Mass. Code Regs. 2.00 § 2.04 reflects a prohibition on treating applicants or tenants differently because they receive public assistance, including housing vouchers or other government benefits. Compliant operators generally evaluate rental applicants using criteria that do not single out the source of income as a disqualifying factor. Policies, screening practices, and advertising that explicitly or effectively exclude assistance recipients may be reviewed for consistency with this provision.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Under 804 Mass. Code Regs. 2.00 § 2.04, tenants and applicants who receive public assistance—such as Section 8 vouchers or other government benefits—have a right not to be discriminated against when seeking to rent housing or access credit services in Massachusetts. If a landlord refuses to rent or applies different terms based on your status as an assistance recipient, that conduct may constitute a violation of M.G.L. c. 151B. General enforcement paths include filing a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for information about 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 September 30, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Sep 30, 2026
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Related Rules

§ 5.106
§ 5.106 Equal access in accordance with the individual's gender identity in community planning and development programs.
§ 5.109
§ 5.109 Equal participation of faith-based organizations in HUD programs and activities.
§ 2
Policies; recommendations

Source Information

Source:https://www.mass.gov/doc/804-cmr-2-discrimination-in-housing/download
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