In August 2020, State law was enacted to provide eviction and foreclosure protections for many tenants and property owners suffering from economic hardship due to COVID-19. Under the legislation, no tenant can be evicted before Feb. 1, 2021 as a result of rent owed due to a COVID-19 related hardship accrued between March 4 – Aug. 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 Sept. 1, 2020 – Jan. 31, 2021, tenants must also pay at least 25 percent of the rent due to avoid eviction.
However, tenants are still responsible for paying unpaid amounts to landlords, but those unpaid amounts cannot be the basis for an eviction. Landlords may begin to recover this debt on March 1, 2021, and small claims court jurisdiction is temporarily expanded to allow landlords to recover these amounts. Landlords who do not follow the court evictions process will face increased penalties under the law.
In October 2019, the State of California enacted Assembly Bill 1482, the State Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482), which took effect Jan. 1, 2020. AB 1482 caps rents at 5% plus inflation, as well as enumerates specific "just causes" that are required for a landlord to serve a notice to vacate.
On Feb. 18, 2020, the Long Beach City Council enacted Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) Chapter 8.99 as an emergency ordinance, which took effect immediately. This Ordinance codifies the provisions of AB 1482 into the City Code and strengthens the State Tenant Protection Act by requiring landlords to include a copy of all issued building rehabilitation permits and include detailed information regarding the scope of the improvements before they can issue a notice to terminate a tenancy for a no-fault just cause of demolition or substantial rehabilitation. LBMC 8.99 also voids all pending notices of termination served between Jan. 1, 2020 and Feb. 18, 2020 that were served for no-fault just cause of substantial rehabilitation or demolition of the unit. All voided notices are of no force or effect and must be re-issued under the new requirements of LBMC Chapter 8.99.
LBMC 8.99 - Just Cause for Termination of Tenancies
Please note that the City does not provide legal assistance and does not mediate in tenant and landlord disputes. Either party may seek legal action against the other to enforce the provisions of these laws.
