AB 3088

On August 31, 2020, Assembly Bill (AB) 3088 or the Tenant, Homeowner, and Small Landlord Relief and Stabilization Act of 2020, was signed into law.  AB 3088 extends eviction protections to residential tenants  who face financial hardship because of COVID-19 until January 31, 2021.

Specifically, AB 3088 ensures:

These protections apply to all residential tenants, including mobile home tenants, regardless of immigration status.

Tenants must provide a signed declaration of COVID-19-related financial distress to their landlord within 15 days of receiving a notice to pay or quit (vacate).  Financial distress means that tenants must have reduced income or increased expenses due to COVID-19 that make them unable to meet their monthly rent or other obligations under your lease (e.g. loss of income caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, increased expenses directly related to performing essential work or due to health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, childcare or responsibilities to care for other family members directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic that may limit the ability to earn income etc.)

Note that back rent will still be due to the landlord.  Under AB 3088, tenants will have to pay the full amount of rent to be protected from eviction.  Moreover, beginning March 1, 2021, landlords can take tenants to small claims court to recover unpaid rent debt regardless of how much the tenant owes.

AB 3088 does not preempt existing eviction moratoriums by local governments, which remain in place until they expire.

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