Housing – COVID-19 Issues

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San Diego Law Library

On October 5, 2020, a new state law on evictions allows landlords to start filing residential eviction cases for failure to pay rent or other financial obligations. This law provides protections for renters who are given an eviction notice because they are unable to pay their rent or other charges between March 1, 2020 through January 31, 2021, due to COVID-19-related financial distress. To read more about this update and new forms, check out this page of the California Court’s website.

There are also federal protections in place and many cities and counties have local ordinances that were developed to extend special protections to renters during the COVID-19 emergency.

On August 31, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill No. 3088 under which no tenant can be evicted before February 1, 2021 as a result of rent owed due to a COVID-19 related hardship accrued between March 4 – August 31, 2020, if the tenant provides a declaration of hardship according to the legislation’s timelines. For a COVID-19 related hardship that accrues between September 1, 2020 – January 31, 2021, tenants must also pay at least 25 percent of the rent due to avoid eviction. For more, check out this resource.

Are you a tenant looking for help to explain to your landlord that your are having trouble paying your rent because of COVID-19 / Coronavirus? One tool that can help is hellolandlord.org. The website has sample letters you can use and modify to explain your situation to your landlord.

Tenants throughout the State of California (State), including City of San Diego (City) residents, cannot be evicted for nonpayment of rent related to COVID-19 at least until October 1, 2021 – https://www.sdhc.org/evictionban/