Cal. Civ. Code § 199A
Unlawful practices in selling, renting, or leasing premises containing lead in paint, plaster or materials
Operative Text
Section 199A. (a) It shall be an unlawful practice for purposes of chapter one hundred and fifty-one B for the owner, lessee, sublessee, real estate broker, assignee, or managing agent of any premises to refuse to sell, rent, lease or otherwise deny to or withhold from any person or to discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions or privileges of the sale, rental or lease of such premises, because such premises do or may contain paint, plaster or accessible structural materials containing dangerous levels of lead, or because the sale, rental or lease would trigger duties under sections one hundred and eighty-nine A to one hundred and ninety-nine B, inclusive, or regulations promulgated thereunder, or because a person chooses to exercise any right under said sections one hundred and eighty-nine A to one hundred and ninety-nine B, inclusive, or regulations promulgated thereunder. Any person claiming to be aggrieved by an alleged unlawful practice as herein defined may file a complaint pursuant to section five of chapter one hundred and fifty-one B and all provisions of said chapter shall be applicable to such complaints. (b) Refusing to rent to families with children in violation of paragraph eleven of section four of chapter one hundred and fifty-one B shall not constitute compliance with the lead law and regulations. (c) Refusing to renew the lease of or evicting families with children shall not constitute compliance with the lead law and regulations. Such evictions shall also constitute a violation of section two of chapter ninety-three A and section eighteen of chapter one hundred and eighty-six.
Mass. Gen. Laws c. 111 § 199A makes it an unlawful practice under Massachusetts anti-discrimination law for owners, lessees, brokers, or managing agents to refuse to sell, rent, or lease a property—or to impose different terms—simply because the property contains or may contain lead-based paint, plaster, or materials, or because a transaction would trigger lead-law compliance duties. The provision also makes clear that a landlord cannot use the presence of lead as a justification for refusing to rent to families with children, declining to renew their lease, or evicting them. Attempting to sidestep lead-law obligations through such refusals or evictions can expose a housing provider to liability under multiple Massachusetts statutes simultaneously.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Mass. Gen. Laws c. 111 § 199A, compliant property owners and managers generally treat the existence of lead hazards as a compliance obligation to be addressed—through inspection, remediation, or other lead-law measures—rather than as a basis for screening out prospective tenants or buyers. Operators who document their lead-law compliance efforts and apply consistent rental criteria regardless of a unit's lead status are better positioned to demonstrate that their practices align with this provision. Because § 199A ties violations to Chapter 151B's anti-discrimination framework as well as Chapter 93A and Chapter 186, housing providers typically work to ensure that lease renewal and eviction decisions are grounded in documented, non-discriminatory reasons unrelated to lead-law duties.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Mass. Gen. Laws c. 111 § 199A gives tenants and prospective tenants—particularly families with children—the right not to be turned away, charged different terms, denied a lease renewal, or evicted simply because a unit has or may have lead hazards or because the landlord wants to avoid lead-law obligations. A person who believes they have experienced this type of discrimination may file a complaint under Chapter 151B with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination; an eviction carried out in violation of § 199A may also implicate Chapter 93A consumer-protection remedies and Chapter 186 tenant-protection provisions. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices familiar with Massachusetts lead and fair-housing law can help individuals understand the complaint process and available remedies.
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 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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