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...