How to Screen Tenants in Long Beach, CA (2026 Landlord Guide)

Tenant Screening Rules in Long Beach, CA

When you screen tenants in Long Beach, you need to understand that the seventh-largest city in California with a substantial rental market, and landlords must navigate a combination of California state law and several important local ordinances. While Long Beach has not enacted a Fair Chance Housing ordinance restricting criminal background check timing, it has adopted its own Tenant Protection Act with just cause eviction requirements and relocation assistance obligations that significantly raise the stakes of every screening decision.

Long Beach Tenant Protection Act (LBMC Chapter 8.99)

The Long Beach Tenant Protection Act provides protections beyond AB 1482 for many Long Beach tenants:

• Just cause eviction: Landlords must have a legally recognized reason to terminate a tenancy for covered units. At-fault causes include nonpayment, lease violations, and nuisance. No-fault causes include owner move-in, substantial rehabilitation, and withdrawal from the rental market.
• Relocation assistance: For no-fault evictions, landlords must pay relocation assistance to qualifying tenants. The amount varies based on household composition and can exceed $4,500.
• Rent registry: Landlords must register their rental units with the city, which tracks rental rates and tenancy history.
• Anti-retaliation: Strong protections against retaliatory actions following tenant complaints about habitability or code violations.

Because eviction is restricted and expensive once a tenant moves in, screening is your primary tool for ensuring you place qualified, reliable tenants.

Source of Income Protections

Long Beach enforces both California’s SB 329 (Gov. Code §12955) and its own local non-discrimination ordinance. You must accept:

• Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
• VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) vouchers
• CalWORKs benefits
• SSI/SSDI payments
• Child support, alimony, and spousal support
• Any other verifiable, lawful source of income

You must count voucher payments toward the tenant’s income for income-to-rent ratio calculations. Advertising “No Section 8” or refusing to process Housing Authority paperwork is a violation at both the state and local level.

Application Fee Rules

Cal. Civ. Code §1950.6 caps application fees at actual screening costs (approximately $62.02 for 2026). You must provide an itemized receipt on request and refund unused portions. AB 2559 (effective January 1, 2025) requires acceptance of tenant-provided screening reports less than 30 days old.

Criminal Background Checks

Long Beach does not have a local Fair Chance Housing ordinance, so you are not required to delay criminal background checks until after a conditional offer. You may include criminal history screening in your standard process. However, California state law and HUD guidance still require individualized assessment — no blanket bans, and arrests without conviction cannot be used as a basis for denial.

FCRA Compliance

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. §1681 et seq.) applies to all Long Beach landlords using consumer reporting agencies.

Before Running Reports

• Obtain written authorization from the applicant (15 U.S.C. §1681b(a)(2))
• Disclose that consumer reports may factor into your rental decision
• Confirm a permissible purpose (active rental application)

Adverse Action Requirements

Under 15 U.S.C. §1681m, every denial based on a consumer report requires an adverse action notice including:

1. The specific reason(s) for denial
2. The name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting agency
3. A statement that the CRA did not make the decision and cannot explain the denial
4. Notice of the applicant’s right to a free copy of the report within 60 days
5. Notice of the right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information

Send adverse action notices within 3 business days. Retain all documentation for at least 3 years (5 years recommended given Long Beach’s active tenant advocacy community).

What Long Beach Landlords Can and Cannot Screen For

Criminal History

• No local Fair Chance restriction on timing. You may run criminal background checks as part of your standard screening process in Long Beach.
• No blanket bans. HUD 2016 guidance prohibits “no criminal history” policies due to disparate impact on protected classes.
• Individualized assessment required. Evaluate the nature of the offense, time elapsed, evidence of rehabilitation, and relevance to the tenancy.
• Arrests without conviction cannot be used. Only convictions may factor into your decision.
• California FEHA applies. State fair housing law adds protections beyond federal requirements for criminal history screening.

Source of Income

• Must accept all lawful income sources (SB 329 + local protections)
• Count voucher payments toward income-to-rent ratio
• Cannot advertise restrictions on income source
• Cannot charge higher deposits or impose different terms on voucher holders
• Dual enforcement (state CRD + Long Beach) means faster complaint resolution

Credit History

• Credit reports are permissible screening tools
• Do not use credit score as the sole basis for denial
• Review full report for context — payment patterns matter more than the score number
• Medical debt collections carry less predictive weight for rent default
• Thin credit files warrant alternative verification, not automatic denial
• FCRA adverse action procedures apply when credit factors into denial

Setting Your Screening Criteria

Step 1: Define Written Standards

Criteria	Recommended Threshold	Long Beach Notes
Income	3x monthly rent (gross)	Include voucher value; enforce dual SOI compliance
Credit score	620+ (with full report review)	Never sole basis for denial
Rental history	2+ years, no evictions	TPA just cause makes this critical
Criminal history	Individualized assessment	No local Fair Chance, but HUD/FEHA apply
Employment	Currently employed or verifiable income	Port/maritime workers may have union income structures

Step 2: Collect Complete Applications

Gather: full legal name, DOB, SSN, current and previous addresses (2+ years), landlord references, employer details, income documentation, number of occupants, pet information, and signed authorization for screening reports.

Step 3: Run All Three Core Reports

Credit, criminal, and eviction checks for every applicant. Budget $30–$45 per applicant. Since Long Beach does not restrict criminal check timing, you can run all three reports simultaneously as part of your standard process.

Step 4: Verify Income and References

Call previous landlords (not just the current one). Verify income with pay stubs, bank statements, or tax returns. For voucher holders, verify the voucher amount with the Housing Authority and factor it into your income calculation.

Step 5: Document Your Decision

Whether approving or denying, document the specific criteria that drove your decision. For denials, send FCRA-compliant adverse action notices within 3 business days. Keep all records for at least 5 years.

Related Long Beach Screening Resources

• Long Beach tenant screening laws — full local ordinance breakdown
• Denial checker tool — verify your denial complies with FCRA and California law
• How to screen tenants in Los Angeles, CA — compare LA’s Fair Chance Ordinance
• How to screen tenants in San Diego, CA — Southern California state-law-only market
• How to screen tenants in Oakland, CA — compare Bay Area just cause and Fair Chance rules

Bottom Line

Long Beach combines California’s statewide screening rules with a strong local Tenant Protection Act that adds just cause eviction requirements and relocation assistance obligations. While there is no local Fair Chance Housing ordinance restricting criminal check timing, the cost of a screening mistake is substantial once a tenant is in place. Write your criteria before listing, accept all lawful income sources, conduct individualized criminal assessments, and document every decision — the Tenant Protection Act means your screening process is your first and best line of defense when you screen tenants in Long Beach.