Contra Costa County supervisors are expected to vote Sept. 22 on whether, and how, to extend protections for residential tenants who can show they are missing rent payments through financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supervisors first approved the eviction moratorium and rent freeze in March, as the pandemic was beginning, and extended them in May and again in July. The county’s current eviction moratorium ends Sept. 30. (A separate county rent freeze runs through Jan. 31, 2021).
In the meantime, Assembly Bill 3088, the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020, was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Aug. 31. This statewide law prohibits unlawful detainer actions against residents with COVID-19-related financial distress for non-payment of rent and other charges due between Sept. 1, 2020 and Jan. 31, 2021.
That bill offers some relief for residential landlords as well, converting back rent payments into “consumer debt” and allowing landlords to pursue collecting that money through small claims courts, beginning in March.
The state law does not address rent increases, which would remain a county supervisors’ function.
On Tuesday, a number of public commenters urged the county board to extend the eviction and rent increase prohibitions, via an “urgency ordinance” they hope will also close some loopholes in the state law.
“The impact of COVID is racially disparate, especially for our essential workers,” Mariana Moore, director of the Ensuring Opportunity Campaign to End Poverty in Contra Costa, told the supervisors.
Many said the people most helped by these moratoriums are often affected
Supervisors essentially agreed, and asked Mary Ann Mason, the county’s chief assistant counsel, to return with a draft urgency ordinance that could be approved Sept. 22, nine days before the county’s current protections expire.
“We should become consistent with the state as the state takes more of a role” in eviction protections, County Supervisor Diane Burgis said.
Supervisor John Gioia also asked that the county become a “clearinghouse of information” about what the county eviction ordinance and the state Assembly Bill 3088 provide for, and don’t provide for, and how they relate to one another.
pelosi decided she wanted to tack on all kinds of garbage to latest covid bill. Expiration of business aid from last one am told was 31 Aug. My oldest Grandson, with a 2 year old son, saw his employer benefits end. Was also told not to expect being called back to work until January 2021.
Why? There is a national hold on evictions passed by executive order.
Or are we just ignoring federal law when it already does something our local politicians wanted to to publicly pander?
The CDC eviction moratorium isn’t set in stone. It could be rescinded, Some people are arguing that the CDC is overstepping its authority in the moratorium, so it could go to court. It doesn’t hurt to have a local moratorium in place, just in case something happens to to the CDC’s ban. A local policy would allow renters to go through local channels, rather than have to reach out to a Federal bureaucracy.
The CDC policy didn’t address rent increases. The local policy does address rent increases.
“Consumer debt,” like credit card and medical debt, can easily be discharged by debtors applying for bankruptcy protection.
Loophole closed. /s
As a landlord with over a dozen properties I make sure to only rent to working professionals like Doctors and lawyers. They can always afford the rent and will never be without a job.
I’m pretty sure from the salaries they earn
that doctors and lawyers can afford to buy
their own houses. They certainly don’t have
to rent from you.
Wow! So glad you’re helping out with the housing crisis!
@proud dem
Owning property and making it available for rent does help this so called crisis. I know quite a few people who use their extra homes for storage because they won’t rent to potential scamming tenants. Evicting people in this state can be a lengthy and stressful process. Now impossible. Not collecting rent or having a home trashed by scumbags is not very appealing. Owners of private property can do whatever they want with it. BTW nice name..🙄
I have three rentals and have the same strategy… rent/lease only to licensed or white collar professionals.
… no visible tattoos, odd piercings, or other indications of non-traditional displays of self expression.
Is that legal? And no, anyone could lose their job, or become sick or disabled and not be able to work.
Does anyone knows a good help adviser (civil case) landlord vs tenant..
http://www.cccba.org/for-the-community/find-a-lawyer/
Beware the pandering politician and the ignorant soul who believes any one of them spends “free” money. Someone else is always paying for it…whether willingly, or through sanctioned thievery. And In the latter case…there will be repercussions.
A Landlord won’t be able to collect back rent in Small Claims Court if the person was out of work for 7 months. Nobody can catch up on that amount of arrears.
Wrong.
You have much to learn about being an adult.
Good. Mass evictions are bad for the economy.
How are they helping the landlords cover their mortgages?
WC, my thoughts exactly. How is this fair or legal?
As a long time landlord who takes care of his propoerties and keeps rents under market to attract and keep high quality tenants, I have determined that it’s probably just not worth it anymore. During COVID I lowered the rent significantly for tenants who lost their jobs, asked them to pay when they could and renewed leases without rent increases. With all the regulation now, I basically MUST raise the rent every year since my costs are likely to go up as it has been determined that I must pay relocation fees to tenants and other things. If you are going to make me pay that, I am going to collect it through increased rents. However, I think it is easier to just sell the units and remove them from already scarce rental housing. The new homeowner will be happy I’m sure since I maintain my properties.
I’ve noticed an increasing number of “for sale” signs in front of apartment buildings. Are politicians discussing whether, and how, to extend protections for landlords? If so, are they also protections for the loan or mortgage holders or will it just be landlords left holding the bag and essentially being forced to provide housing for people without compensation?
As it is, the average tenant’s finances were very much month to month before the shutdown. There’s simply no way they will ever be able to pay the back rent, even if this shutdown had only been for a couple of weeks. The lockdown started March 19th meaning we are coming up on five months. It appears there’s nothing do be done to end the lockdown other than to watch various numbers and hope that they fall or rise to whatever the goalposts of the day are. Watching numbers will not make the virus go away meaning politicians need to start thinking about the forever plan, which I assume can’t include rent protections for tenants.