Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California

A landlord can deny your application for any reason that isn't illegal discrimination (for example race, national origin, disability, etc.) Every landlord is different. Some are more thorough in checking credit and references than others. Some are managed by real estate companies and some are mom-and-pop operations. If I were you I would shop for rental properties by taking two months rent in a roll of $100 bills and showing it to the prospective landlord. Of course, this doesn't prove your creditworthiness, but it works.

You can be refused for ANY reason. Look for a landlord that wants you.

Nelson is WRONG. Discrimination in housing based on protected status is illegal. Unfortunately for you, unless you are the landlord, being unable to verify references and/or providing suspicious references is not protected.