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California eviction moratorium

California Eviction Moratorium Ends, L.A. Renters Still Protected

California Eviction Moratorium Ends, Renters Have Protections

The California eviction moratorium ends September 30.  Foreclosures have spiked as those moratoriums ended. Student loan deferment ends January 2022. But for renters, there are still options, particularly locally with Los Angeles County and City of Los Angeles moratoriums on evictions.

How We Got Here: September 30 Deadline

Bill Signed

Back in June, California governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation extending the California eviction moratorium.  While federal eviction protections ended last month, California was still protected. The end date for Calif renter protections is September 30, 2021.

Legislature on Break

The COVID-19 Delta variant is running rampant. You’d think that the California state legislature would pass a bill extending the deadline. In June, legislators beat the deadline with days to spare before June 30. However, now, there are just hours to go.

The legislative session ended weeks ago on September 10. So the people California sent to Sacramento are not there to extend the moratorium.

Regardless, it appears that state representatives don’t have the will to extend the protections again. “I believed our eviction protections for tenants should be extended beyond September 30. The Delta variant and the end of many unemployment benefits make that more urgent. Unfortunately, some of my colleagues feel differently, and there’s not consensus for that,” said David Chiu of San Francisco.

So, California’s legislature is out of the picture. This leaves Gov. Newsom as the last hope to extend the landlord restrictions. However, earlier this week, Newsom signed an affordable housing package.  Missing in that and his statement was any indication he’d extend the protections.

What Renters Can Do When California Eviction Moratorium Ends

Los Angeles County Eviction Moratorium

First, the Los Angeles County moratorium on evictions is still in place. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors extended it to January 31, 2022.

City of Los Angeles Moratorium on Evictions

Also, there’s an LA eviction moratorium protecting renters in the City of Los Angeles until August 1, 2022.

Court Protections for Some California Renters

Further, California renters still have hope.  A renter can submit a declaration that they’re unable to pay the full rent.  City of Los Angeles renters can apply for relief of 100% of rent and utilities owed.  Statewide, beginning Oct 1 and going through March 31, 2022, renters earning 80% of the area median income will be protected by a process through the courts . If facing eviction in state court, renters will need to show evidence they applied for rental assistance, so this is a key step.

Bankruptcy Can Protect Renters in Some Cases

Finally, if there’s the ability to make some sort of monthly payment on back-rent, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy can maybe be an option. Because landlords are sacred cows in bankruptcy, renter protections are thin. But it could mean working out a deal if you have enough income to make normal rent payments, cover living expenses, and still have money left over for catching up quickly.

In short, while not perfect, it seems the best shot for CA renters with the looming end of the California eviction moratorium is the state program. This is not a guarantee that this will protect renters from a future eviction if taken to court. However, it’s at least one measure California renters can take to try to have a defense.

 

eviction moratorium california

Eviction Moratorium 2021, California, and Supreme Court

Eviction Moratorium 2021, the Supreme Court, and California

Supreme Court Rules on Eviction Moratorium

Sept 30 Update:  There are still some renter protections now that the California eviction moratorium ends today. Click for more details.

In 2021, eviction moratorium by the CDC has been in place since for about a year-and-a-half. It’s been protecting people and keeping them in their homes during a global pandemic. You probably heard that the Supreme Court ruled on the eviction moratorium, ending the protection. What does the Supreme Court ruling mean, and especially to California renters?

The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 opinion that the eviction moratorium was not constitutional, with the three liberal justices dissenting.  A key part of the ruling said

“It would be one thing if Congress had specifically authorized the action that the CDC has taken. But that has not happened. Instead, the CDC has imposed a nationwide moratorium on evictions in reliance on a decades-old statute that authorizes it to implement measures like fumigation and pest extermination. It strains credulity to believe that this statute grants the CDC the sweeping authority that it asserts.”

Bottom line is that the Supreme Court said that if the eviction ban were to continue, the right way to do it would’ve been through Congress, not the CDC.

What about the Eviction Ban and California?

The good news is that the eviction moratorium in California is still in place, for now. Back in June, California governor Gavin Newsom extended the existing California eviction ban until September 30, 2021.

After yesterday’s ruling , the California governor wrote, “California renters will NOT be impacted by this news, the state’s eviction moratorium remains in effect. We’re focused on ensuring tenants and small landlords get the rent relief they need under California’s renter assistance program, the largest in the country.”

As a result, despite the Supreme Court ruling, the California eviction moratorium protects Californians until September 30, 2021. Given Governor Newsom’s statement yesterday, it seems that he’s ready to extend protections for California renters into October and beyond.

READ MORE: Successful court ruling for Los Angeles eviction moratorium

Bankruptcy and Evictions

When the California eviction moratorium ends, it’s not clear if bankruptcy can provide much help. In some cases, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy could help cure rental arrears. However, debtors must repay the arrearages for executory contracts and unexpired leases  “promptly” in the Chapter 13, per 11 USC 365(b)(1).

Here’s where it gets interesting. Most Chapter 13 cases are 5-year terms. That doesn’t seem very “prompt.” Given the nature of rental agreements, five years isn’t a reasonable time to cure a one-year lease. Experience shows that it sometimes can be done in six months.

Most landlords don’t want vacant property, or to have to go find a new renter. Sometimes some money is better than none. A 6-month period has worked in some Los Angeles bankruptcy cases, but it needs to get the consent of the landlord. Unfortunately, there’s nothing to compel the landlord to be reasonable. Each case is different, so it may be worth contacting a local bankruptcy attorney for a consultation.