Beginning in July, California renters were supposed to pay their rent or risk being evicted. Now, though, they have more time, as the state’s moratorium on evictions has been extended, which also gives tenants more time to seek and secure rent relief.
The current ban was set to expire June 30, although San Diego renters had until Aug. 14 to pay up under San Diego County’s eviction ban. The state will protect struggling Californians from getting evicted for unpaid rent, however, for at least another three months, until Sept. 30.
The state is also planning to pay off all back rent owed as well as some future rent for eligible tenants.
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“Anyone who has been impacted by this pandemic and cannot pay rent, 100% of that rent will be paid for -- not 20%, not 80% -- 100% will be paid for under the rent deal,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said when announced the extension in late June.
California banned evictions for tenants soon after the state went into lockdown last March. Now, the state plans on using $5.2 billion in federal rental assistance to pay for the extension through Sept. 30. To qualify, renters must sign a declaration that their finances were hurt by the pandemic, and they must have paid at least 25% of what they owe by June 30. Renters get a 15-day notice of eviction in the state, though, and the money owed can be paid at that time as well.
The state's increase in rental relief will also help landlords, since they'll get 100% of the rent owed to them.
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Meantime, the county’s eviction ban -- which prevents landlords from evicting tenants so that they can move into the home themselves and limits what a landlord can argue is just cause for an eviction -- is being challenged in court. A judge will hear both sides July 19.
