California governor signs eviction relief bill amid virus

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Californians who haven't paid their rent since March 1 because of the coronavirus can stay in their homes through at least Jan. 31 under a new state law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed late, late Monday – one day before statewide eviction protections were set to expire.

The bill does not halt foreclosures for landlords whose tenants have stopped paying rent, but it does extend some state protections to rental properties of four units or less – protections previously only available to owner-occupied homes.

The pandemic has devastated California’s economy, causing millions of people to lose their jobs as the government ordered businesses to close for months to slow the spread of the disease. In April, the Judicial Council of California – the rule-making authority for the state’s court system – halted most eviction and foreclosure proceedings during the pandemic.

But those protections end on Wednesday, meaning landlords could resume eviction proceedings on tenants who haven't paid their rent.

Monday – the final day of the legislative session – state lawmakers approved a bill that would ban evictions for tenants who did not pay their rent between March 1 and Aug. 31 because of the pandemic. The bill would also ban evictions for those same tenants through Jan. 31, but only if the tenants pay at least 25% of the rent owed during that time.

The legislation does not forgive the missed payments. Tenants will still owe the money. Landlords can ask a judge to order the tenant to pay it back, but they can't ask a judge for an eviction solely for not paying rent in full.

Tenants would have to sign a document, under penalty of perjury, that says they have experienced a financial hardship directly related to COVID-19. Wealthy tenants – defined as earning a salary of at least $100,000 or 130% of the area’s median income, whichever is higher – would have to show proof that they cannot pay.