Edwards said he sympathizes with the financial burden small landlords have faced during the pandemic. Find him taking walks around town; he is always looking for story tips. The law limits rent increases for rent-controlled tenants. This protection applies even. The order is a blow to landlords who sued Oakland and Alameda County this year, but the case is not over. We think the order is functionally useless, and it is certainly not a moratorium. Fifes supporters held signs that showed the impacts of lynching and other images of slavery. Oakland City Council Approves July 15 End to COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium By NBC Bay Area staff Published April 18, 2023 Updated on April 19, 2023 at 6:29 am NBC Universal, Inc. Alameda County and Oakland eviction bans now are among the stiffest local renter protections remaining in the state. I Cant Pay Rent Right Now How Does the Moratorium Work for Me? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Who Can I Contact in Oakland for Help If My Landlord Is Still Trying to Evict Me? In March 2020, Councilmembers Bas and Kalb authored and passed the residential eviction moratorium in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to promote housing stability, encourage compliance with shelter-in-place orders, prevent transmission of COVID-19, and avoid unnecessary displacement and increased homelessness. Future protection never expires for tenants who cannot pay rent during the State of Emergency due to COVID-19. Oakland COVID eviction moratorium to end in July evidence or get into facts of the case. The moratorium protects you in two ways. As in past meetings, landlords showed up in large numbers to detail financial hardships caused by the three-year moratorium. 2) The eviction is because the tenant is an imminent health or safety risk to other occupants. In recent weeks, political drama around the eviction ban engulfed Councilmember Carroll Fife, who at a previous meeting rebuked several landlords for suggesting they had effectively become slaves to their tenants because of the moratorium. Like many cities, Oakland has had an eviction moratorium in place since . There is no special exception for single family homes. letter from your current or former employer, a letter from your childs school, or medical records. reason. Credit scores go flat, They said it: Nowhere for the water to go, Total dominance: Steph Curry breaks NBA Game 7 record, leads Warriors over Kings. If none of those are an option for you, you could have a friend or coworker testify in court. Oakland will consider winding down over the next year an eviction . Many property owners said they resented how tenants have painted them as money-hungry villains. | Eastmont Mall's history | OUSD union negotiations | We're now publishing free obituaries. If at that time you prove that you couldnt pay rent because of COVID-19, you will win the eviction lawsuit. View more videos and watch CBS News, a live news stream featuring original CBS News reporting. If I Live in a Single Family Home, Does the Moratorium Apply to Me? (Oakland residents only) 510-251-2846 FOR HOMEOWNERS 629, Legal Assistance for Seniors - (510) 832-3040, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach - (510) 251-2846, Causa Justa Just Cause - Tenant Hotline: (510) TENANTS (836-2687) (general advice for tenants in, English & Spanish); (510) 763-5877 (main number, tenant organizing), Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment - (510) 269-4692 (tenant organizing), Oakland Tenants Union - (510) 704-5276 (tenant counseling). With this phase out, the Oakland Council and our Rent Adjustment Program staff stand prepared to assist both property owners and tenants navigate this next step.". East Bay COVID eviction bans will stay for now, judge rules While some cities and counties in the Bay Area tied their phase outs of pandemic-related eviction protections to the end of the states COVID-19 state of emergency, the policy as proposed by Council members Nikki Fortunato Bas and Dan Kalb will allow the city to help tenants and property owners transition out from under the moratoria. Today, Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas and Council President Pro Tempore Dan Kalb published amended legislation to phase out the COVID-19 eviction moratorium in a responsible manner. Beelers order is in response to a court hearing in late September, where lawyers for the landlord group sought summary judgment, asking the judge to declare the moratoriums unconstitutional without having to proceed to trial. Whether or not you pay rent right now is a personal matter that depends on what choices and resources you and your family have available to you. Oakland officials decided early Wednesday to end an eviction moratorium enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic amid increased pressure from landlords who say theyre owed thousands of dollars in rent. The legislation was co-authored by Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas and Council President Pro Tempore Dan Kalb, who also co-authored the 2020 eviction moratorium. What Kind of Proof Do I Need to Show That I Cant Pay Rent Because of COVID-19? If approved, the proposed ordinance would phase out the eviction moratorium, allowing certain evictions to resume from May through the end of August, then ending the eviction moratorium on Sept. 1. Those protections include providing legal defense for tenants evicted for nonpayment of rent due to COVID and prohibiting landlords from evicting a tenant who owes less than a month of what the federal government defines as fair market rent. Council Member Noel Gallo, who wanted the eviction moratorium to end at the end of May,voted against the proposal. The ban on most evictions lasts as long as Oaklands State of Emergency, which currently is retroactive to March 9 and ends on May 31. Legal Assistance for Seniors - (510) 832-3040. Downtown S.F. Protection Against Future Evictions for Nonpayment of Rent. After extensive lobbying by property owners, however, Bas and Kalb compromised on the earlier date. Tenants living in the same unit as their landlord (sharing a bathroom or kitchen). Gov. The building you live in was constructed in 1996 or later the continued application and enforcement of the eviction moratorium is an . Which City Officials Supported the Oakland Evictions Moratorium? For folks who are saying that this is slavery, shame on you. It also prohibits charging late fees associated with the back rent. 629. We amplify community voices, share information resources, and investigate systems, not just symptoms. However, you An earlier proposal by Bas and Councilmember Dan Kalb had sought to phase out the moratorium gradually beginning in September, and it would have forced landlords to prove that their lease-violating tenants caused substantial actual damage.. We're in the middle of our spring fundraising drive, and every dollar you give directly supports the journalism you rely on. How dare you, Fife, who is Black, had said. City of Oakland | Understanding Evictions in Oakland For evictions based on non-payment of rent that accrued between March 9, 2020 and July 14, 2023, tenant will have a defense if the rent was unpaid due to financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a discussion lasting over four hours during its Tuesday night meeting, the council decided to gradually . . The only exception is if your landlord petitions the Oakland Rent Board for a fair return. Reach out If you are unable to pay rent during the State of Emergency, and it is because of COVID-19 or some situation caused by COVID-19, you are protected from being evicted in the future for failure to pay that rent. However, you may wish to send some kind of notification to your landlord about your rent payments. The City of Oakland Police Station at 455 7th Street in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. 2) Even after the State of Emergency ends, it protects Oakland tenants financially . In 2020, the Councilmembers authored and passed the residential eviction moratorium in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to promote housing stability, encourage compliance with shelter-in-place orders, prevent transmission of COVID-19, and avoid unnecessary displacement and increased homelessness. The blanket ban on almost all evictions lasts as long as Oaklands State of Emergency. Photo by Anders Holm-Jensen on Unsplash. Oakland to phase out eviction moratoriums in mid-July There are also extra protections for nonpayment evictions in the future. He previously reported in Contra Costa County and before joining the Bay Area News Group he worked in Eureka and Santa Barbara. Williams said his tenant's nonpayment has placed a significant financial strain on him. Amended Legislation To Phase Out Oakland COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium the Oakland Moratorium. during the State of Emergency, and it is because of COVID-19 or some situation caused by COVID-19, "It needs to get phased out now -- tomorrow -- not over a period of time," said John Williams, an Oakland resident and landlord. Another resident said, Our lives should be worth more than somebody elses profit., Bas said in a statement that Tuesdays legislation allows for outreach, education, and support to tenants and property owners; provides a clear end to the moratorium on July 15; and adds new permanent tenant protections to help avoid a surge in evictions.. This legislation will keep Oakland families housed as we move up and out of the pandemic, said Leah Simon-Weisberg, Legal Director for ACCE Institute. Oakland Eviction Moratorium FAQs - East Bay Community Law Center and co-sponsored by Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker. This moratorium disallows those types of increases. Breach of lease (noncompliance with the terms of the lease) Will you support us today? Box 7737, Oakland, CA 94601, Oakland Office: 1419 34th Ave., #203, Oakland, CA 94601 | 510.763.5877 (p) 510.763.5824 (f), SF Office: 4804 Mission Street, Suite 231, San Francisco, CA 94112 | 415.487.9203 (p) 415.487.9022 (f), Oakland Tenant Services/Servicios para inquilinos de Oakland, San Francisco Tenant Services / Servicios para inquilinos de San Francisco, Report ICE Activity // Reporta actividad de la migra, INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY CELEBRATES IMMIGRANTS AND FIGHT FOR JUSTICE. BACKGROUNDCurrent Oakland Eviction Moratorium (in effect): Applies to all properties covered by the Oakland Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance, Measure EE. The federal eviction moratorium was in place until August 2021, and the state's eviction protections ended in June 2022. Files an eviction lawsuit against you using an eviction notice that expires during the State of Emergency. No individual city can pass a law that says otherwise. Causing substantial damage to the premises This amended proposal addresses concerns weve heard, and I hope my council colleagues will support it. OAKLAND EVICTION MORATORIUM FACT SHEET - Causa Justa Just Cause ends, your landlord could try to evict you for not paying the rent accrued during the emergency period, but It is retroactive to You could use pay stubs, a letter from your current or former employer, a letter from your childs school, or medical records. In Oakland, it's landlords who are unhappy with a plan to end eviction ban Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Alameda County Eviction Moratorium Ends, But Not Lifted in All Cities On March 27, he issued an order on evictions that we think is deeply unhelpful to tenants. Keith Manson on LinkedIn: #cbreeastbaymultifamilyteam #mansonteam #cbre