Cal. Civ. Code § 36-96.4

Discrimination in residential real estate-related transactions; unlawful practices by lenders, insurers, appraisers, etc.; deposit of state funds in such institutions.

In Force
Verified 10/22/2026 · Next check 11/21/2026
effective 10/22/2026VirginiaProtected Classes (State/Local)

Operative Text

Cal. Civ. Code § 36-96.4
A. It is unlawful for any person or other entity, including any lending institution, whose business includes engaging in residential real estate-related transactions to discriminate against any person in making available such a transaction, or in the terms or conditions of such a transaction, or in the manner of providing such a transaction, because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, or disability. It is not unlawful, however, for any person or other entity whose business includes engaging in residential real estate transactions to require any applicant to qualify financially for the loan or loans for which such person is making application.
B. As used in this section, the term "residential real estate-related transaction" means any of the following:
1. The making or purchasing of loans or providing other financial assistance (i) for purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing, or maintaining a dwelling or (ii) secured by residential real estate; or
2. The selling, brokering, insuring, or appraising of residential real property. However, nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a person engaged in the business of furnishing appraisals of real property to take into consideration factors other than race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, or disability.
C. It shall be unlawful for any state, county, city, or municipal treasurer or governmental official whose responsibility it is to account for, to invest, or manage public funds to deposit or cause to be deposited any public funds in any lending institution provided for herein which is found to be committing discriminatory practices, where such findings were upheld by any court of competent jurisdiction. Upon such a court's judicial enforcement of any order to restrain a practice of such lending institution or for said institution to cease or desist in a discriminatory practice, the appropriate fiscal officer or treasurer of the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof which has funds deposited in any lending institution which is practicing discrimination, as set forth herein, shall take immediate steps to have the said funds withdrawn and redeposited in another lending institution. If for reasons of sound economic management, this action will result in a financial loss to the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions, the action may be deferred for a period not longer than one year. If the lending institution in question has corrected its discriminatory practices, any prohibition set forth in this section shall not apply.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Va. Code § 36-96.4 prohibits lenders, insurers, appraisers, brokers, and other participants in residential real estate transactions from treating people differently based on characteristics such as race, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, or familial status. The rule covers both the decision to offer a transaction and the terms on which it is offered, while still permitting lenders to apply standard financial-qualification criteria. A separate provision in the same section bars government treasurers from depositing public funds in any lending institution judicially found to be engaging in discriminatory practices, and requires withdrawal of those funds once a court enforces a remedial order.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 22, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Operators involved in residential real estate-related transactions—including financing, brokering, insuring, and appraising—must ensure that none of those activities are conditioned on or influenced by the protected characteristics listed in Va. Code § 36-96.4. Compliant operators apply uniform financial-qualification standards to all applicants and document that underwriting, pricing, and service decisions are based on neutral, non-discriminatory criteria. Training staff and reviewing transaction data for disparate patterns are practices commonly associated with ongoing compliance 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

Va. Code § 36-96.4 gives individuals the right to seek or obtain residential real estate financing, insurance, brokerage, or appraisal services free from discrimination based on race, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, familial status, and related characteristics. Someone who believes they were denied a loan, quoted unfavorable terms, or otherwise treated differently because of a protected characteristic may have grounds to raise a violation under this provision. General enforcement paths include filing a complaint with the Virginia Fair Housing Office, contacting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or reaching out to a tenant-rights or fair-housing 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 October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 22, 2026
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Related Rules

§ 1
Definitions
§ 3
Functions, powers and duties of commission
§ 4
Unlawful practices

Source Information

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Fetched:Oct 22, 2026, 05:16 PM UTC