Last week, the El Monte City Council passed a Coronavirus/COVID-19 eviction moratorium.  The City Council updated the moratorium this week.  Now, El Monte tenants are protected as follows:

El Monte tenants are protected from evictions related to Coronavirus/COVID-19 income disruptions. During the Coronavirus/COVID-19 state of emergency, El Monte landlords cannot evict a tenant for non-payment of rent due to financial disruption related to Coronavirus/COVID-19.  Further, the El Monte COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium Ordinance includes a 45 prohibition on all no-fault evictions.

To qualify for eviction protections, El Monte tenants must:

  1. Demonstrate that they have suffered a substantial loss of income related to the Coronavirus/COVID-19;
  2. Provide the landlord with written notice of their inability to pay rent resulting from the Coronavirus/COVID-19 related loss of income, with supporting documentation.

Under the El Monte Coronavirus/COVID-19 eviction moratorium, a substantial loss of income impact may result from any of the following:

  1. Job loss;
  2. A reduction of compensated hours of work;
  3. Employer’s business closure;
  4. Missing work due to a minor child’s school closure; or,
  5. Other similarly-caused reasons resulting in a loss of income due to Coronavirus/COVID-19.

Under the El Monte Coronavirus/COVID-19 eviction moratorium, El Monte tenants must provide supporting documentation to gain eviction protections.  Documents demonstrating a Coronavirus/COVID-19 impact include, but are not limited to:

  1. Letter from employer citing Coronavirus/COVID-19 as a reason for reduced hours or termination;
  2. Employer paycheck stubs; or,
  3. Notification from a school declaring a school closure related to Coronavirus/COVID-19.

The El Monte Coronavirus/COVID-19 eviction moratorium applies to tenants and owners in mobilehomes.

The El Monte Coronavirus/COVID-19 eviction moratorium enumerates just cause reasons to terminate a tenancy. Under the moratorium, El Monte landlords may terminate a tenancy for one of the following reasons:

  1. Non-payment of rent where the tenant has not been impacted by the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic;
  2. A material or habitual violation of the tenancy;
  3. Substantial damage to the rental unit;
  4. Refusal to agree to a like or new rental agreement;
  5. Nuisance behavior;
  6. Refusing to access the unit;
  7. Unapproved holdover subtenant;
  8. Substantial rehabilitation of the unit;
  9. Ellis Act eviction;
  10. Owner Move-In or Relative Move-In eviction;
  11. Government Order to Vacate;
  12. Vacation of Unpermitted Unit; or,
  13. Criminal Activity.

The El Monte Coronavirus/COVID-19 eviction moratorium shall remain in effect for as long as El Monte is in a state of local emergency.

El Monte joins numerous other California cities that have, or will soon pass, Coronavirus/COVID-19 eviction moratoriums, including San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Santa Monica, Culver City, Stockton, Sacramento, San Diego, Alameda, Burbank, Pasadena, Vallejo, Inglewood, Glendale, El Monte, South Pasadena, Richmond, Emeryville, Ojai, Palo Alto, Clearlake, Palm Springs, Goleta, Santa Ana, San Louis Obispo County, West Sacramento, Watsonville, Woodland, Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Benicia, Camarillo, San Leandro and Los Angeles.

Click here to read the unabridged El Monte Coronavirus/COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium.

If you are a El Monte tenant with questions about your rights under the El Monte Coronavirus/COVID-19 eviction moratorium or have questions about California Rent Control (AB 1482), contact Astanehe Law to speak with a tenant attorney.