California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Friday officially mandating a statewide moratorium on evictions through May 31.
This order follows an order from March 16 that authorized local governments to halt evictions but did not mandate any statewide action. In Friday’s order, Newsom prohibited landlords, law enforcement and courts from evicting tenants for nonpayment or legal order. Tenants must, however, declare in writing that they cannot pay all or part of their rent due to COVID-19, the coronavirus, no more than a week after the original payment deadline.
Tenants must also retain documentation of their financial hardship due to COVID-19 but do not have to submit it to their landlords. According to the order, tenants who take advantage of this moratorium on evictions are still obligated to pay their full rent “in a timely manner” and could face eviction after May 31.
The moratorium is to go into effect immediately.
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