Contra Costa County and the cities of Richmond and San Pablo have passed additional protections for renters impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Tuesday, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an urgency ordinance extending a ban on evictions for residential tenants, small businesses and nonprofits in the county through July 15. A property owner cannot evict for failure to pay rent if a tenant demonstrates loss of income or out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19.
The ordinance, which applies to both unincorporated areas and cities, also continues a moratorium on certain residential rent increases through July 15. 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, according to the county.
In addition, the cities of Richmond and San Pablo recently extended the grace period for when renters must pay back any rent they couldn’t afford during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place period to one year from the previous six months. Countywide, the grace period for past due rent ends Nov. 15.
For more information on the county’s moratorium, visit Contra Costa County at www.contracosta.ca.gov. For COVID-19 updates, visit Contra Costa Health Services here.
