Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Again Extend Eviction Protections

On Tuesday, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors agreed for a second time to extend the eviction protection and rent freeze ordinance.

The extension will now run until September 30, 2020 while the grace period to pay back rent is now January 30, 2021. The Board was also provided with a list of California Statewide bills that are currently in Sacramento that address eviction protection, rent forgiveness or rent freezes

Back in May, the Board of Supervisors had extended the Eviction Protection and Rent Freeze Ordinance through July 15. That extension was made after the original order by the Board of Supervisors was set to expire on May 30.

The ordinance temporarily prohibits evictions of residential tenants in Contra Costa County impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The eviction moratorium also applies to tenants who are small businesses or non-profit organizations. A small business is an independently owned and operated business that is not dominant in its field of operation, has its principal office in California, has 100 or fewer employees, and has average annual gross receipts of $15 million or less over the previous three years.

This law applies to properties in all 19 cities in the County and in all unincorporated areas. To the extent that a city has adopted a law on the same subject matter, then its provisions would apply in that city.

Protections granted to residential renters and small businesses include:

• Prohibition on Evictions Due to Unpaid Rent – A property owner cannot evict a residential tenant or small business tenant for failure to pay rent if a tenant demonstrates loss of income or out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19. This prohibition lasts through Sept. 30, 2020.
• Ban on No-Fault Evictions – A property owner cannot evict a residential tenant or small business tenant for any “no-fault” reason except to protect the health and safety of the owner or another tenant, or to allow the owner or their immediate family to move into the residential unit. This ban lasts through Sept. 30, 2020.
• Grace Period to Pay Back Rent – Residential tenants or small business tenants who demonstrate loss of income or out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19 have until January 30, 2021 to pay past due rent. This does not relieve a tenant of their obligation to pay rent.
• No Late Fees – A property owner may not charge or collect late fees for unpaid rent from a residential tenant or small business tenant who demonstrates loss of income or out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19. This ban on late fees extends until Sept. 30, 2020.
• Moratorium on Residential Rent Increases – A property owner may not increase rent on a residential property through Sept. 30, 2020.  State law prevents this freeze from applying to commercial tenancies and to certain residential properties, including residences built within the last 15 years and single family homes.

For information and resources, visit Contra Costa County at www.contracosta.ca.gov.

For COVID-19 updates, visit Contra Costa Health Services at https://cchealth.org/coronavirus. If you have questions about the coronavirus, contact Call Center 1-844-729-8410, open daily from 8 am to 5 pm (available in English and Spanish). For assistance after hours in multiple languages, please call 211 or 800-833-2900 or text HOPE to 20121.