The Sacramento City Council adopted an ordinance on March 17 to establish a temporary ban on evicting residential tenants unable to pay rent due to a loss of income caused by COVID-19. City Council extended this ordinance on March 24 to include commercial tenants and to waive late fees.
“It is vital for us to protect residential and commercial tenants during this tenuous time,” said Assistant City Manager Michael Jasso. “The temporary ban on evictions is part of the City’s efforts to address the financial impacts of the disease on residential and local business renters.”
Below are the details for the temporary ban on evicting residential and commercial tenants:
Who does this ordinance apply to?
- This temporary ban applies to residential and commercial tenants within the limits of the City of Sacramento.
- All residential tenants regardless as to when the rental unit was built. Single family residences and condominiums that are rented are included in this ordinance.
- All commercial tenants are protected.
What do tenants need to do?
- Residents must provide proof that they were economically impacted because they were sick with COVID-19 or had to care for someone with COVID-19; experienced lay off or pay cut due to COVID-19; complied with government recommendation to stay at home to self-quarantine; or missed work to care for a home-bound school-age child.
- Commercial tenants must provide proof of loss of income due to the tenant’s closure of, operating restrictions placed upon, or other loss of patronage of the tenant’s business directly resulting from the state-declared emergency, locally declared emergency, or county stay-at-home order; or any other emergency declarations or orders related to COVID-19.
- Tenant must provide notice to the landlord on or before the day rent is due.
- Tenant must show documentation and valid reasoning for the inability to pay their full amount due for rent.
- Tenants must pay the remaining portion of rent owed that the tenant is able to pay based on the amount of income received. For example, if the tenant owes $1,500 in rent and the tenant suffered a $500 wage loss in March, the tenant would pay the landlord $1,000 for April rent.
- To help, the City’s Tenant Protection Program created a commercial and residential “Tenant Delay of Rent Payment” form that tenants may complete and provide to their landlord as written notification of loss of income.
How long does this program last?
- Tenants who are given eviction protection will have up to 120 days after May 31, 2020, per the Governor’s Executive Order N-28-20 (unless extended), to pay their landlord all unpaid rent.
- During that 120-day period, the protections against eviction apply for such tenants.
- No late fees will be owed.
What else do landlords and tenants need to know?
- This ordinance does not apply to those who were late paying their rent prior to when this ordinance was adopted.
- The ordinance does not relieve a tenant from the obligation to pay rent or restrict the landlord’s ability to recover rent that is due.
This is a temporary measure adopted to assist tenants during this time of need in the community.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the Tenant Protection Program at 916-808-8121 or via email at tpp@cityofsacramento.org.
You can also visit www.cityofsacramento.org/TPP.
Updated March 24, 2020