Frequently Asked Questions
You have rights under an order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well state, county and city laws. Under the CDC order and California state law, landlords are prohibited from evicting any tenant for not paying rent or without a valid reason. To be protected against eviction, you are required to submit a declaration form stating your inability to pay due to COVID-19 related loss of income of increased expenses. To find out more about these laws and their requirements, as well as other tenant protections in your area, click here.
Stay Housed L.A. County is a collaboration between community organizations, legal service providers, and the L.A. County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs to provide L.A. County renters with information about their rights as tenants. Stay Housed L.A. County is also offering free and low-cost legal assistance to tenants to help prevent evictions and keep people in their homes. For more information about your rights and to be connected with a local community organization, click here.
Emergency tenant protections have been enacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the state of Califonia, Los Angeles County, and many of the 88 cities within the county. Your protections will vary based on where you live.
No matter where you live, though, if you’ve lost income or have had an increase in expenses because of COVID-19 that prevents you from paying rent, you have the option of not paying. If you will be unable to pay your rent, you must submit a written declaration to your landlord. You may also want to accompany that notice with evidence of your inability to pay as providing evidence can make landlords less likely to harass you and makes any defense in court easier should your landlord try to evict you. To find out more about tenant protections in your area, click here.
*Note that rents are not cancelled, and any unpaid rent will be due 12 months after L.A. County’s emergency ordinance is lifted.
While evictions for non-payment of rent due to financial hardship caused by COVID-19, as well as a variety of other reasons are prohibited, landlords can still file an eviction lawsuit in court, which tenants must respond to if received. You have rights though! The State of California, Los Angeles County, and cities throughout the county, have put in place emergency tenant protections to keep renters in their homes. Stay Housed L.A. County is here to help with important information about your rights and the legal assistance to back them up.
If you’ve received a notice from the court, it’s important you immediately connect with a legal service provider who can determine your rights based on where you live and help you respond to the court notice effectively to keep you in your home. To find out if you’re eligible for free legal assistance or to be referred to low-cost legal help, click here.
If you have not received a notice from the court but want to know more about your rights, join us for a virtual tenant workshop and legal clinic where community organizations will share important information about emergency laws and programs in your area to prevent evictions to keep people in their homes. Sign up, here!
The federal government’s eviction moratorium, which only applied to those living in federally subsidized housing, expired on August 24. This has been replaced by an order from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC that prohibits landlords from evicting tenants for non-payment of rent through the end of 2020. Tenants should know that the CDC order has many requirements and state and local county and city laws may offer greater protection. To find out more about emergency tenant protections in your area, click here.
While your landlord can still file an eviction, you have rights! Los Angeles County, and cities throughout the county, have put in place emergency tenant protections to keep renters in their homes. Stay Housed L.A. County is here to help with important information about your rights and the legal assistance to back them up.
If you’ve received a notice from the court, it’s important you immediately connect with a legal service provider who can determine your rights based on where you live and help you respond to the court notice effectively to keep you in your home. To find out if you’re eligible for free legal assistance or to be referred to low-cost legal help, click here.
If you have not received a notice from the court but want to know more about your rights, join us for a virtual tenant workshop and legal clinic where community organizations will share important information about emergency laws and programs in your area to prevent evictions to keep people in their homes. Sign up, here!
You have rights under criminal and civil laws! It’s a crime to evict and lock someone out of their home without a court order. It’s also illegal to turn off utilities. If you’re being harassed or threatened with utility shutoffs or an illegal lockout, click here to be connected to a local community organization and join us for a virtual tenant workshop and legal clinic.
You have rights under criminal and civil laws! It’s a crime for a landlord to turn off a tenant’s utilities. If you are experiencing a utility shut-off by your landlord click here to be connected to a legal service provider who can determine if you’re eligible for free legal assistance or can refer you to low-cost legal aid.
You are under no obligation to give your landlord your unemployment benefits, but you are required under the new state law to submit a declaration form stating that you are unable to pay rent due to financial hardship caused by COVID-19. To find out more about your rights and tenant protection requirements in your area, click here.
All emergency tenant protections enacted by the County Board of Supervisors – and by cities across the county – apply regardless of immigration status.
Cities throughout the county have set up rental assistance programs. The County of Los Angeles is also providing rental assistance for those who live in unincorporated areas of the county. To find out more about programs that might be available to you call 211. And to find out more about your rights and ensure you’re able to stay in your home if you cannot pay rent, sign up to attend a virtual tenant workshop and legal clinic here.
If you’ve received an Emergency - 5 Day Sheriff Lockout Notice, a Summons and Complaint or an Unlawful Detainer (UD) Courtesy Notice from the Court it’s important you immediately connect with a legal service provider who can determine your rights based on where you live and can help you respond to the summons effectively to keep you in your home. To find out if you’re eligible for free legal assistance or to be referred to low-cost legal help, click here.
If you received a Notice to Quit, Pay Rent, Cure or Quit, a Notice of Termination (30-, 60- or 90-day), a letter from your landlord, or a letter from a government agency (HD, HCID, Section 8), it’s important for you to know your rights, so you can protect yourself from eviction and stay in your home. To learn more, sign up here to join us for a virtual tenant workshop and legal clinic.
Our virtual tenant workshops and legal clinics are conducted online via zoom and by phone to provide renters with information on emergency tenant protections available during the COVID-19 crisis as well as permanent tenant protections that may be available, based on where you live. They are also an opportunity to be connected to legal service providers who can determine if you’re eligible for free legal assistance or refer you to low-cost legal help, if you’re facing housing issues, such as an inability to pay rent or need repairs that your landlord is refusing to make. To learn more about your rights sign up for a workshop here.
Stay Connected
Sign Up For UpdatesYour Privacy Is Important:
Any information you provide will only be used to connect you with information and resources that applies to your residence. Your information will not be sold and will only be shared with our community-based partners and legal service providers to be able to further assist you.