Your Rights as a Tenant in San Diego County

If you can’t pay your rent because of COVID-19 financial hardship or are being threatened with eviction for any reason, do not move out of your home. Only a court can order you to leave. You have rights and are protected by Federal, State, and local laws. To understand these laws, please attend one of our workshops here.

This page provides a brief summary of the current protections and a link you can click to review your rights in detail.

Note: laws and protections change rapidly and this page will be updated as often as possible. Please click the links below to find out the most current information.

Tenant Rent Relief

1. Senate Bill 91 (SB-91)

SB 91 extends the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act (AB 3088, 2020) until June 30, 2021, and creates a state government structure to pay up to 80 percent of past due rent to landlords.
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Eviction Moratorium San Diego

2. Temporary Ban on Evictions

Tenants throughout the State of California (State), including City of San Diego (City) residents, cannot be evicted for nonpayment of rent related to COVID-19 until at least June 30, 2021. This includes unpaid rent that was due between March 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.
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Covid 19 Eviction

3. Declaration of COVID-19 Distress

Tenants are required to fill out and deliver this declaration to their landlord within 15 days of receiving an eviction notice.
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California Tenant's Guide

4. California Tenants’ Guide - English | Spanish

Click to download a guide to residential tenants' and landlords' rights and responsibilities.
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Tenant Protections San Diego

5. New Tenant Protections & Guidelines Fact Sheet

Essential, easy-to-read info on the latest protections and guidelines for tenants.
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Have more questions? Check our FAQ page here, then sign up for a workshop to learn more and ask questions.

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Disclaimer

The information expressed in the resources above should not be construed as representing the opinions or policy of Housing Help San Diego. To ensure the document is useful for the vast majority of readers, we have endeavored to balance the competing objectives of providing accurate, current, and complete information of the law without overwhelming readers with nuanced detail and legalese. As a result, not every subject is addressed with the same level of detail.

The resources above are intended for informational purposes only and are not legal advice. To the extent that readers have questions or need further guidance, readers should consult an attorney (sign up for a workshop here), Legal Aid Society of San Diego (LASSD.org), landlord association (California Apartment Association or Southern California Rental Association), or tenant advocacy group (ACCE and Tenants Together websites) for advice in particular cases, and should also read the latest, most relevant statutes and court decisions when relying on cited material.