Coronavirus: Ban On Tenant Evictions Extended Through June For LA County Renters

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A moratorium preventing Los Angeles County property owners from evicting their residential or commercial tenants because of the lockdown orders brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has been extended through the end of June.

By a 3-2 margin, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to extend the moratorium until June 30. It had been set to expire at the end of this month. It applies to all unincorporated areas in the county.

Under the moratorium, tenants are given up to six months after the moratorium expires to repay missed rent.

The vote came at the same meeting where L.A. County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer told the board that some form of stay-at-home restrictions will likely remain in place through August. The current safer-at-home orders were set to expire on Friday.

The city of L.A., meanwhile, has gone even further in its effort to provide rent relief to struggling Angelenos. Along with also halting evictions and giving tenants up to 12 months after the safer-at-home order expires to repay back rent, the L.A. City Council last month voted to move forward with a plan to freeze rent increases for a period of about one year for older apartments that are protected by the city's rent stabilization ordinance.

Last October, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law which caps annual rent increases at 5 percent for any housing that is 15 years or older.