COVID-19 Information

Home Evictions in San Francisco Temporarily Stopped

Updated: August 23, 2021

California and San Francisco have enacted state and local moratoria (temporary prohibitions) on home evictions. This means that most renters who lost income because of the coronavirus cannot currently be evicted.

The eviction moratorium also protects renters against certain other kinds of evictions too – not just evictions due to non-payment of rent or non-payment of a settlement agreement (aka stipulation).

Note: Landlords may still evict for:

  • Violence or threats of violence, and
  • Health and safety concerns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who does the moratorium protect?

The moratorium protects you if you live in a…

  • Single-family home
  • Apartment rental unit, including:
  • Living with a Section 8 voucher
  • A private MOHCD* or DHSH unit
  • Garage
  • Room rental
  • Illegal unit

The moratorium does NOT protect you if you live in…

  • A rented room in the same unit as your landlord, and you are the only tenant
  • A hotel, motel, inn, tourist house, rooming or boarding house, unless you have lived there for at least 32 days in a row
  • A hospital, convent, monastery, extended care facility, or asylum
  • A residential care or adult day health care facility for the elderly
  • A school or college dorm
  • A unit in a non-profit cooperative

* Mayor’s Office of Housing & Community Development

Department of Homelessness & Supportive Housing

Questions about your unit?

When does the moratorium end?

The moratorium on nonpayment evictions related to COVID financial impact currently runs through September 30, 2021.

For all other types of evictions except nuisance cases and Ellis Act evictions, there is a local moratorium through September 30, 2021.

I live in a garage, an illegal rental unit, or rent a room. Does the moratorium protect me?

Yes. The moratorium covers garages, room rentals, and illegal units.

Note: Landlords may still evict for other reasons, such as:

  • Violence or threats of violence
  • Health and safety concerns

I rent a room at my landlord’s home. I am the only tenant. Am I protected?

The moratorium may not cover you. That is because you are technically a lodger, and not a renter.

I am undocumented. Does the moratorium protect me?

Yes. The moratorium is not about your immigration status. It is about the type of unit you live in. If you live in a unit covered by the Rent Ordinance or regulated by the MOHCD, you are protected.

AB 3088, SB 91, and the San Francisco Tenant Protection Act protect all residential tenants, including undocumented renters.

I pay rent to a master tenant. Does the moratorium protect me?

Yes.   If you can’t pay your rent, notify the master tenant in the same way you would notify the landlord. See below section on “Special Rules for Renters Who Cannot Afford Their Rent Because of COVID-19”.

I have a Section 8 voucher. Does the moratorium protect me?

Yes. If you can’t pay your rent, notify your landlord as explained below.

I live in federally subsidized housing. Does the moratorium protect me?

Yes. If you can’t pay your rent because of COVID related financial hardship, notify your landlord as explained below.

I got a 60-day notice of “termination of tenancy” before the moratorium because the owner wants to move in or remodel. Do I have to move if the moratorium is still in place?

No. The moratorium protects you. You do not have to move out yet.

Note: If you would like more information about your specific situation with a 60-day notice, contact the Eviction Defense Collaborative.

Special Rules for Renters Who Cannot Pay Rent

I lost income because of COVID, and now I am behind on my rent. Can I be evicted?

No, your landlord cannot evict you. But you must follow the rules for these time periods:

  • March 1, 2020 – August 31, 2020
    If you couldn’t pay rent from March-August and you were served a 15-day Notice to Pay or Quit, you were also served a Declaration. To avoid getting evicted, fill out the Declaration and return it to your landlord within the 15-day period.
  • September 1, 2020 – September 30, 2021
    Every time your landlord serves you a 15-day Notice to Pay or Quit, you must fill out the attached Declaration, and return it to your landlord.
    You also must pay 25% of your rent for every month that you cannot afford to pay the full rent. This payment can be made monthly or in a lump sum all at once before September 30, 2021. Include a statement that explains you are paying 25% of the rent, and which months your payment covers and keep a copy.
  • October 1, 2021 onward
    You must resume paying 100% of the rent to avoid eviction. However, if you are unable to pay rent due to COVID financial hardship, rental assistance may be available.

 

I still have a job, but my hours are reduced. What should I do if I can’t pay my rent?

(See answer above.)

What if I had to miss work to care for a sick family member?

(See answer above.)

How should I return my Declaration to my landlord?

You can:

  • Deliver it in person if you have your landlord’s address. Your landlord must sign a receipt. (Keep the receipt.)
  • Email it if you have your landlord’s email address. Make a folder on your computer to keep a record of this sent email.
  • Mail it. Before you mail it, take a picture of the Declaration next to the envelope. Also ask the Post Office for proof of mailing.
  • Send it the same way you pay your rent. Keep proof that you have done this.

I live in an illegal unit or rent a room in a house. Am I protected if I can’t pay my rent because of financial problems caused by COVID?

Yes. The moratorium protects all residential tenants, no matter what kind of unit they live in or how long they have lived there.

Can my landlord evict me if I return my Declarations?

Your landlord may not evict you for unpaid rent if you:

  • Return a Declaration each time you are served a 15-day Notice to Pay or Quit, and
  • Pay 25% of your September 2020-September 2021 rent.

Do I have to pay my missed rent payments?

Yes. You still owe unpaid rent. Although you cannot be evicted for not paying the rent, your landlord can sue you to collect this debt in Small Claims Court, no matter how much you owe. However, there are government funded rental assistance programs which may help pay this rent debt.

Does my landlord have to wait to sue me?

If your landlord wants to sue in Small Claims Court, he or she must wait until November 1, 2021 to start the case. But your landlord can start a case in regular civil court at any time.

I signed a payment plan with my landlord prior to February 1, 2021. Do I still have to make those payments?

Probably not. The new law (SB 91) says that any agreement that gives tenants less time to pay than they would have under the new law is not valid. Please get legal advice.

Does the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) Order protect me?

No longer. The CDC Order expired as of July 31, 2021.

Can my landlord evict me for other reasons during the pandemic, besides not paying?

Yes. Your landlord can evict you if:

  • You are a health or safety risk to others, or
  • Your landlord uses the Ellis Act (120 Notice) to go out of the business of renting.

Can my landlord evict me for a no-fault reason during the pandemic in San Francisco?

No. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors extended the moratorium on no fault evictions until September 30, 2021. The only exception is for landlords who want to stop being landlords.

Can my landlord evict me without giving me a reason?

No. AB 832 says the landlord must have a “just cause” (valid, legal reason) for any eviction until September 2021.

What if I returned my Declarations, but my landlord says I am going to get locked out anyway?

Get legal help. Landlords that try to evict tenants who have given them their COVID Declarations can be charged and fined under state and federal law.

When must I resume paying full rent?

You cannot be evicted between now and September 30, 2021, if you submit a Declaration of COVID Financial Hardship and pay at least 25% of the rent. Starting October 1, 2021 if you don’t pay, your landlord can serve you a Notice to Pay or Quit and start an eviction case against you. You must pay your full October 2021 rent to keep this from happening.

Do I need to attach proof to my COVID Declaration?

No. Unless you are high-income, you do not need to attach proof of your financial problems. “High-income” means a household income of $100,000 or more.
If your landlord has proof that your household is high-income, the landlord can require you to attach proof of financial problems to your COVID Declaration.

What proof do I have to show if the landlord says I am “high-income”?

You can show your landlord any of these:

  • Tax returns or W-2s
  • A written statement from your employer that states your income
  • Pay stubs
  • Unemployment Insurance records
  • Documents showing regular distributions from a trust, annuity, 401K, or pension

Can my landlord share my financial information with anyone?

No. AB 832 says that the landlord must keep this information private.

Can my landlord charge me late fees?

No. The moratorium prohibits a landlord from charging late fees.

Does the court process eviction cases during Shelter-in-Place?

Yes. Earlier in the COVID pandemic, the court delayed eviction cases. But now eviction cases are going forward.

Changes at the San Francisco Superior Court

Is the court processing eviction cases?

Yes. The Court resumed processing eviction cases in June 2020.

Can landlords file new eviction cases at court?

Yes. The emergency rule preventing court filings has expired.

Temporary Rent Increase Freeze

May my landlord increase my rent?

Yes. There was a rent freeze previously in place, which applied to any rent increases effective between April 7, 2020 and October 21, 2020. It expired on October 1, 2020 and has not been extended. However, there is an argument that during the state of emergency which has been declared, any rent increase in excess of 10% is illegal price gouging.

I received a rent increase during the period of the rent freeze and I paid the increase, do I get a refund?

Yes. You should write to your landlord and say there is a temporary freeze on rent increases and that your landlord should refund you the amount you paid that reflected the increase.

Rental Assistance

How do I apply for rental assistance?

To apply for State of California rental assistance for the period April 2020 – March 2021, go to https://housing.ca.gov/.  For local San Francisco rental relief, for assistance for the period April 2021 and after go to https://sfrenthelp.com/.

This information is intended to provide accurate, general information regarding legal rights relating to tenants’ and/or homeless rights in California. Yet because laws and legal procedures are subject to frequent change and differing interpretations, Eviction Defense Collaborative cannot ensure the information in above is current nor be responsible for any use to which it is put. Do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney or the appropriate agency about your rights in your particular situation.

Need Help?

If you get an eviction notice or a summons and complaint for unlawful detainer, contact the Eviction Defense Collaborative right away here, by email, or call (415) 659-9184.

Additionally, for more up-to-date information, please download/take a look at these resource guides provided by SF Service Guide in both English and Spanish.

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