Relief Measures for Residents and Local Businesses

• California
• Pasadena
• Business
• Housing

The City of Pasadena has enacted a moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent if a residential or commercial tenant has been unable to pay due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The evictions moratorium applies to all residential and commercial landlords.

The City of Pasadena is also providing several additional measures to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residents and businesses, including:

• Suspension of new late fees and penalties for City-provided services, including water, power and garbage pickup;

• Suspension of utility shutoffs for nonpayment;

• Allocation of $150,000 to provide meals to senior citizens as well as disabled and other vulnerable citizens;

• Modification of certain parking policies, including:

• Temporary suspension of metered parking enforcement to facilitate delivery and curbside pickup zones for food from restaurants (All metered parking spaces will be temporarily converted to 20-minute parking to facilitate delivery and pick-up of food from restaurants. The 20-minute limit on these spaces will be enforced);

• Temporary suspension of non-critical vehicle impounds; o Temporary suspension of impounds of vehicles with five (5) or more past-due parking citations or expired registrations;

• Suspension of enforcement of the overnight parking ordinance;

• Suspension of enforcement of time limits in residential neighborhoods;

• Suspension of daytime street sweeping restrictions; and

• Suspension of payment at all curbside parking spaces;

• The City of Pasadena is encouraging individuals looking to park long-term to park in parking garages and walk to their destination.

Government or Lead Agency

City of Pasadena, City Manager’s Office

Dates Available

Currently in force, with no announced end date.

Eligibility Requirements/Restrictions

Evictions Moratorium:

• To receive the protections of the evictions moratorium, a residential or commercial tenant who is unable to pay rent due to the financial impacts related to COVID-19 pandemic must notify his or her landlord in writing, within 30 days after the date that rent is due, of lost income and inability to pay full rent, and provide documentation to support the claim.

• “In writing” includes email or text communications to a landlord or the landlord’s representative with whom the tenant has previously corresponded by email or text.

• “Financial impacts related to COVID-19” include, but are not limited to, (1) for residential tenants, lost household income as a result of any of the following: (a) being sick with COVID-19, or caring for a household or family member who is sick with COVID-19; (b) layoff, loss of hours, or other income reduction resulting from business closure or other economic or employer impacts of COVID-19; (c) compliance with a recommendation from a government health authority to stay home, self-quarantine, or avoid congregating with others during the state of emergency; (d) extraordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses; or (e) child care needs arising from school closures related to COVID-19; and (2) for commercial tenants, lost business income from full or partial closure of the business (voluntarily or by mandate) to prevent or reduce the spread of COVID-19.

• The tenant is not relieved of liability for the unpaid rent. The landlord may seek any unpaid rent after the expiration of the local emergency declaration, and the tenant must pay the balance of unpaid rent within six months of the expiration of the emergency declaration.

• A landlord may not charge or collect a late fee for rent that is delayed due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, nor may a landlord seek rent that is delayed due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic through the eviction process.

Application Deadlines (If Applicable)

A residential or commercial tenant seeking the protections of the moratorium on eviction for nonpayment of rent due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic must notify his or her landlord in writing of loss of income and inability to pay full rent within 30 days after the date that rent is due.

Contact for More Information

General updates from the City of Pasadena regarding the COVID-19 pandemic are available at cityofpasadena.net, on Twitter at @PasadenaGov, on Instagram and Facebook at @CityOfPasadena, or by phone at the Citizen Service Center from Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at (626) 744-7311.

Specific updates on the relief programs described above may be included in the City of Pasadena general updates on the pandemic.

List of Additional Information

https://www.cityofpasadena.net/city-manager/covid-19-updates/

For further discussion of the measures approved by City Council during its March 17 meeting, click here.

For a copy of the City Council’s resolution establishing the moratorium on evictions, click here.

For information about Pasadena’s modification to its parking policy, click here.