Cal. Civ. Code § 237
Discrimination in leases with respect to bearing of children
Operative Text
§ 237. Discrimination in leases with respect to bearing of children. Any person, firm or corporation owning or having in charge any apartment house, tenement house or other building or mobile home park used for dwelling purposes who shall, in any lease of any or part of any such building or mobile home park, have a clause therein providing that during the term thereof the tenants shall remain childless or shall not bear children, shall be guilty of a violation.
Under N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 237, any lease clause that requires tenants to remain childless or to refrain from having children during the tenancy is prohibited in New York. This rule applies to apartment buildings, tenement houses, other residential buildings, and mobile home parks. A landlord or owner who includes such a clause in a lease commits a violation under New York law.
Plain English — not legal advice.
N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 237 makes it a violation for owners or managers of residential buildings and mobile home parks to include lease provisions that restrict tenants from having or bearing children. Compliant operators review their lease templates to ensure no such language appears, whether as a standalone clause or embedded within broader occupancy terms. Property managers who use standardized lease forms sourced from third parties generally verify that those forms also conform to this requirement.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 237 gives tenants the right to be free from lease clauses that condition their tenancy on remaining childless or not having children. If a tenant encounters such a clause in their lease, they may consider raising it as a violation with local housing authorities or a rent board if one applies to their building. Tenant-rights organizations in New York can help explain what options are generally available when a lease contains language that may conflict with this provision.
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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