You have rights under state, county, or city laws, as well as under an order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Under California state law and the CDC order, landlords are generally prohibited from evicting any tenant for not paying rent due to COVID-19-related financial distress or without a valid reason. To be protected against eviction, you must submit a declaration stating you cannot pay rent because of COVID-19 related loss of income or increased expenses, among other requirements. To find out more about how these laws work and about other tenant protections in your area, click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Stay Housed L.A. County is a partnership between community organizations, legal service providers, and the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs. We provide Los Angeles County renters information about their rights as tenants and legal assistance to eligible 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.
Temporary emergency protections have been passed by the State of California, as well as the County of Los Angeles and many of the 88 cities across the County. Your protections will vary based on where you live.
If you’ve lost income or have increased expenses because of COVID-19, and you can’t pay rent, you can defer payment. If you cannot pay your rent, you should tell your landlord in writing either before rent is due each month, or within 7 days after the due date. We recommend you use the SB91 Declaration to get the protection under both laws. Even if it’s not required by your area’s tenant protection laws, we recommend all communication with your landlord be in writing.
You don’t have to give your landlord proof of decreased income or increased expenses, but you might want to do so anyway. It may make your landlord less likely to harass you. Evidence also makes your defense in court easier if your landlord tries to evict you. If you do not provide proof to your landlord, you should still collect and keep copies of any proof you may have. To find out more about emergency tenant protections in your area, click here.
*Note that rent is not cancelled, and any unpaid rent will need to be repaid. Additional details about repayment of unpaid rent and rental assistance through SB91 can be found here.
Most of our emergency measures do not prohibit eviction filings. They provide defenses to those evictions. California law SB91 requires a landlord to recover any rent you did not pay due to COVID-19 in small claims court as long as you send this declaration to your landlord and pay 25% of rent owed by June 30, 2021.
A a landlord can still choose to file in eviction court and say that you are lying in your declaration. Landlords can also file a lawsuit in eviction court for other reasons. If an eviction lawsuit is filed against you, you have rights! The State of California, Los Angeles County, and cities throughout the county have passed emergency tenant protections to keep renters in their homes. But you must respond to the lawsuit and prove that these protections apply. Stay Housed L.A. County is here to help with important information about your rights and the legal help you need to back them up.
If you’ve received any kind of notice (written or verbal) from the court or your landlord, it’s important you immediately connect with a legal service provider. They can determine your rights based on where you live and help you best respond to the court notice 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 anything in writing but have questions about your rights and want to know more, join us for a virtual tenant workshop. Community organizations will share important information about emergency laws and programs in your area to prevent evictions and keep people in their homes. Sign up here!
A Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order went into effect on September 4, 2020 and prohibits landlords from evicting tenants for non-payment of rent or for “no fault” reasons. The CDC Order is currently in effect through June 30, 2021. Tenants should know that qualifying for protection under the CDC order may be difficult. The required declaration has many mandatory actions and requirements and should not be signed without the advice of a lawyer. It should only be signed if state, county, or city laws do not offer you protection.
The CARES Act, which also imposed a federal eviction moratorium, only applied to those living in federally subsidized housing (public housing, Section 8 vouchers, subsidized housing, and in housing where the loan is insured by the Federal Government. It expired on August 24.
To find out more about emergency tenant protections in your area, click here.
Yes. Your landlord can still file an eviction, but you still have rights! Los Angeles County, and cities throughout the county, have passed 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 help to back them up.
If you’ve received any kind of notice (written or verbal) from the court or your landlord, it’s important you immediately connect with a legal service provider. They can determine your rights based on where you live and help you best respond to the court notice 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 anything in writing but want to know more about your rights, join us for a virtual tenant workshop. Community organizations will share important information about emergency laws and programs in your area to prevent evictions and keep people in their homes. Sign up here!
You have rights under criminal and civil laws! It’s a crime to lock someone out of their home without a court order. It’s also illegal to turn off someone’s utilities to harass them into moving out. 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. In the case of an emergency requiring that advocates come to your home immediately to either help you get back in because you have just been locked out or because the owner is about to lock you out, please call 213-340-4714. This is a 24-hour emergency number that will activate a response from community-based organizations that will come to your home to help you.
You have rights under criminal and civil laws! It’s a crime for a landlord to turn off a tenant’s utilities to harass them into moving out. If your landlord has shut-off any of your utilities illegally, click here to be connected to a legal service provider. They can determine if you’re eligible for free legal assistance or can refer you to low-cost legal aid.
You do not have to give your landlord your unemployment benefits. You are also generally not required to show your landlord your bank account statements or provide other proof that you are affected by COVID-19. You are required under the state law SB91to submit a declaration form stating that you are unable to pay rent because of COVID-19 financial hardship. You may also need to provide proof of inability to pay rent in court. To find out more about your rights and tenant protection requirements in your area, click here.
All emergency tenant protections – including those enacted by the State of California, Los Angeles County, and cities across the county – apply regardless of immigration status.
Cities throughout the county have set up rental assistance programs. The County of Los Angeles was also providing rental assistance for those who live in unincorporated areas of the county. SB91 also provides a new rental assistance program. To find out more about county programs that might be available to you, call 211. For the state program, call 833-422-4255 or visit https://landlordtenant.dre.ca.gov/. And to find out more about all 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 here.
If you’ve received any notice from the court, it’s important that you immediately connect with a legal service provider who can determine your rights based on where you live and help you best respond to keep you in your home. If you were in eviction proceedings before the COVID-19 emergency, you must get help immediately.
The court’s Notice of Unlawful Detainer (Eviction) Filing alerts you that a lawsuit for eviction has been filed. A Summons and Complaint for eviction requires a response within 5 working days. And a Sheriff’s 5-Day Notice to Vacate requires that you go to court within days to stop the Sheriff from locking you out. DO NOT delay. 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 (Local Health Department, Los Angeles Housing Community Investment Department, Section 8), it’s important for you to know your rights and connect with a legal service provider, so you can protect yourself from eviction and stay 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.
Our virtual tenant educational offerings are conducted online via Zoom and by phone to provide renters with information on emergency tenant protections available during the COVID-19 crisis. The workshops also cover permanent tenant protections that may be available, based on where you live.. Staff can determine if you’re eligible for free legal assistance or for low-cost legal help if you’re facing housing issues, such as an inability to pay rent or a need for repairs that your landlord is refusing to make. To learn more about your rights, sign up for a workshop here.
Many local cities and the County of Los Angeles are encouraging landlords and tenants to agree to a repayment plan. We recommend you seek legal help before entering into any such plan.
If you’ve received a notice from the court, it’s important you immediately connect with a legal service provider. They can determine your rights based on where you live and help you best respond to the court notice 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.
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