California’s eviction moratorium expires on Thursday, Sept. 30th. After this date, landlords will gain back rights to evict tenants for nonpayment. Renters who struggle can apply for relief through the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief program, designed to assist income-eligible households with rent and utilities for past due and/or future payments. The state will accept applications for relief through March 2022.
How does this affect tenants?
Beginning with missed October rent payments, tenants may again face 3-day eviction notices with tight deadlines to pay what's due. However, families can head off displacement by applying for rental assistance through the state at Housing is Key or various local programs.
A tenant can pause legal action by showing a landlord that they've applied for aid. An approved aid application will stop an eviction for nonpayment. However, lawyers can move ahead if a tenant’s aid application gets denied.
How does this affect landlords?
Landlords will continue to be allowed to remove tenants for circumstances such as grievous bad behavior, health or safety concerns, plans to sell the property, or if they have a family member that will be moving in. In addition, beginning October 1st, nonpayment of October rents and beyond will also be grounds for eviction. Landlords can sue in small claims court to recover rent not paid between March and August 2020.
How can I get help?
Both renters and landlords can apply for assistance at Housing is Key at https://housing.ca.gov/covid_rr/index.html (Note: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all funds have been allocated, so it's important to apply as soon as possible).
The state's housing website also has a search tool that allows you to search for local, county-level organizations and aid groups that offer assistance for renters.
You can also apply to have your utilities paid for here