Jerry Brown signs bill to give renters facing eviction some relief

SACRAMENTO >> California tenants served with eviction notices on a Friday will have at least two more days to respond — or move out — under a proposal Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law on Wednesday.

State law requires landlords to give tenants three days to pay rent or pack up, and allows tenants five calendar days to respond to an eviction lawsuit. Assembly Bill 2343 will stop the clock on Saturday, Sunday and other court holidays.

The bill originally aimed to give renters even more time to challenge their evictions, but was narrowed in response to landlord concerns. The powerful California Apartment Association, which represents landlords and developers, withdrew its opposition after the changes.

Still, the bill’s author and other supporters argue the law will help protect struggling renters amid the state’s housing crisis — especially those hit with an eviction notice just before the start of a long weekend.

“Tenants in California are facing unprecedented hardships and constantly living under the threat of eviction,” Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, said in a statement Wednesday. “A few extra days can be the difference between staying in their home or becoming homeless.”

One of the only renter-protection bills to pass out of the Legislature this session, AB 2343 takes effect Sept. 1, 2019. It was championed by the Western Center on Law & Poverty and the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.

“This bill makes sure all tenants have a meaningful opportunity to resolve issues before they are evicted,” said Alexander Harnden, an advocate with the Western Center. “Landlords will no longer be able to game the system by serving an eviction notice or complaint right before a long weekend or a holiday, and tenants will be better able to fix a problem with a rent payment or get help complying with an eviction notice and remain in their homes.”