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California

These resources – like the public health crisis itself – are constantly evolving and are only current as to the date of publication. This page was last updated on September 25, 2020.

For more up-to-date information on the relief programs available in California, we recommend that you visit the Secretary of State's website or the California COVID-19 portal.

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Description of Program and Relief

Eviction Moratorium

To provide relief to residential and commercial tenants financially impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, the City of San Diego has approved a temporary ban on evictions until September 30, 2020.

The ban does not relieve tenants of their obligation to pay rent. Tenants who are protected from evictions by this ban will have up to six months from the date the ordinance is effective (March 25, 2020 to September 25, 2020) or the date Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-28-20 is withdrawn, whichever occurs soonest, to pay their landlords all unpaid rent.

Government or Lead Agency

San Diego City Council

Dates Available

March 25, 2020 to September 30, 2020

Eligibility Requirements/Restrictions

The tenant must provide written notice to the landlord on or before the date rent is due that the tenant will be unable to pay rent due to financial impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample letter can be found here. Written notice may be provided through e-mail or text message.

Within one week of providing written notice, the tenant must also provide documentation or objectively verifiable information showing such financial impacts (e.g., pay stubs or bank statements showing a loss of income, medical bills, termination notice, statement from employer). Tenants must demonstrate a substantial decrease in income—household income for a resident or business income for a commercial tenant—or substantial out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Tenants who do not provide such documentation can still be subject to eviction for non-payment of rent.

Application Deadlines (If Applicable)

Written notice must be provided to the landlord on or before the date rent is due. Within one week of providing notice, the tenant must provide documentation or objectively verifiable information demonstrating the financial impacts of COVID-19.

Contact for More Information

For more information, contact the San Diego Housing Commission at (619) 231-9400.

List of Additional Information

To learn more about the temporary ban on evictions, see the San Diego Housing Commission site.

The final ordinance can be found here.

For press coverage of the moratorium, see here.


© 2021 Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. This does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. In some jurisdictions, this publication may be considered attorney advertising. Past representations are no guarantee of future outcomes.

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