San Diego City Council adopted a new eviction moratorium that limits homeowners and landlords from removing renters, halting some evictions for several months.
The ordinance passed with a 5-1 vote from the city council in favor of a “no-fault” eviction moratorium. The vote comes after California extended its moratorium until June 30, allotting more time to distribute rental funds.
A no-fault eviction can happen when a property owner evicts a tenant because the owner wants to move themselves or a family member back into the home. It also applies to a property owner who wants to put the property on the market or vacate it so they can remodel.
Under the San Diego moratorium, a landlord is allowed to make significant repairs to their property, but all tenants must be removed at the same time.
San Diego’s law would allow an owner to remove a tenant once a lease ends if they wanted to move back into their own property. It also would allow an owner to move in with parents, grandparents, children, or grandchildren.
The landlord must give the renter 90 days’ notice.
Council President Sean Elo-Rivera proposed the moratorium. During the video conference, he said COVID-19 is not going away and stressed the importance of keeping people in their homes.
Councilmember Chris Cate opposed the ordinance, and said the moratorium was difficult to understand, and “no one is going to know how to comply with this”.
Councilmembers Raul Campillo and Joe LaCava recused themselves from the vote because they owned rental properties, or had family members who did. Councilmember Jennifer Campbell was absent after testing positive for COVID-19.
According to the San Diego Housing Commission, San Diego has about $4 million left in its rent relief program, and households that have already applied will receive the funds. The city has distributed $191.7 million to 16,656 qualifying households.
The ordinance requires a second vote before it becomes law, likely at the April 18 meeting, and then must be signed by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.
