It is common to drive through local neighborhoods during an election year and find political signs of every shape and size supporting different parties, planted in front of some of the yards in town. In some areas, these signs are difficult to not notice as they are stapled hanging from balconies, grouped together on street corners and even on telephone posts.
According to Zillow, in California, a new law was passed on Jan. 1 that protects the rights of tenants and homeowners to display their political yard signs without getting complaints from management, or rental owners. This new law, the California Civil Code §1940.4, states that a landlord may not prohibit a tenant from posting or displaying political signs related to any of the following: an election or legislative note, including an election of a candidate to public office, the initiative, referendum or recall process, issues that are before a public commission, public board or elected local body for a vote.
In addition, these signs may be posted or displayed in windows and on doors in multi-family homes, from the yard, window, door, and balcony or outside wall of a single-family home, Zillow reported.
However, managers and rental owners do have some control over this. Confirmed by Zillow, managers and rental owners can require the sign only remain on displayed for a certain amount of time, typically 90 days prior to the election and 15 days after the election. They can also ban signs of the following: signs larger than 6 square feet, if the posting or display would violate a local, state or federal law, if the posting or display would violate a lawful provision in a common interest development.
This new law applies to local, regional and national tenants in California. This is also an act to protect the voting rights and first amendment of homeowners.
