San Francisco Eviction Moratorium Extended Another Three Months

The San Francisco eviction moratorium is set to continue past its current expiration date on June 30, 2021. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to extend the city’s residential eviction ban until September 30, 2021.

California COVID-19 Tenant Protections

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, California state law protects tenants from eviction for nonpayment of rent if they meet certain requirements. To qualify for protection, renters must pay at least 25 percent of their rent and meet other criteria. While the state mandate is set to expire on June 30, 2021, it may also be extended.

San Francisco Eviction Moratorium Gives Additional COVID-19 Tenant Protections

At the start of the pandemic, the Board of Supervisors banned San Francisco landlords from certain types of evictions. However, the ordinance did not cancel rent. Instead, it prohibited landlords from using missed rent payments as grounds for eviction during certain time periods.

An additional city proposal may extend those protections through the end of the year. The Board of Supervisors is considering a package that would prohibit landlords from evicting residential tenants for non-payment of rent. This would cover rent that was due between July 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021. 

As with state law, the unpaid rent must be related to financial hardships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To qualify for protection, the tenant must pay least 25 percent of the rent owed and meet other requirements. In addition, it would prohibit landlords from imposing late fees, penalties, or similar charges on tenants. 

Through two pieces of legislation, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is looking to extend its version of the state protections even longer. The first emergency ordinance would take effect before July 1 and would last sixty days. The second order would further extend tenant protections to December 31, 2021.

San Francisco Rent Assistance Program

Additionally, city assistance is available to help tenants who are at risk of homelessness or housing instability. The San Francisco rent assistance program provides rent help using approximately $90 million in federal funds. 

The program provides up to six months of rent assistance for those who qualify. Applicants must demonstrate they have suffered financial hardship during the pandemic, among other things.

100% California Rent Relief 

Small rental property owners who depend on rental income have felt the impact of unpaid rent during the COVID-19 pandemic. To assist both renters and the landlords, the state announced plans for 100% rent relief for unpaid rent. This covers the period from April 2020 through March 2021. Although the state legislature has not yet provided all the details, there are plans for up to one year of assistance. 

In like manner, Bay Area cities including San Francisco, Oakland and Fremont have specific rent relief programs to help tenants and landlords with compensation for unpaid rent.

As Northern California’s trusted landlord-tenant attorneys, Steven Adair MacDonald & Partners is here to help landlords and tenants navigate the hardships of COVID-19. To schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys, please call 415-956-6488.