September 30, 2021, saw the end of the California eviction moratorium that had been in place for quite some time, extended several times over the last few months. The end of this important legislation has a large impact on landlords and tenants in California:  

  • It allows landlords to begin evictions for tenants who are unable to pay rent due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (with some important exceptions).  
  • It means that tenants who are not protected by the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 will no longer be protected by “just cause”, which means their landlord can evict them without giving a reason after serving them with a 30 or 60-day notice (varies based on length of time tenant has lived in the rental housing).   

Laws surrounding landlord-tenant issues have been ever-changing over the last two years and have been a source of confusion for landlords and tenants alike. San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation has made it a priority to understand California landlord-tenant laws and has been an important resource for SLO County residents, county agencies, local non-profits and more. 

SLOLAF is a local non-profit organization that has been providing free legal assistance for low-income SLO County residents, including seniors and veterans, for almost 30 years. SLOLAF’s mission is to provide legal assistance and resources for people in need. 2020 saw a great need for legal assistance in the housing arena, and SLOLAF has stepped up to the plate, helping hundreds of low-income SLO county residents. If the SLOLAF name sounds familiar, you likely have seen it in the press recently as one of the organizations involved with the successful settlement of the Grand View Apartments habitability class action suit.   

SLOLAF’s services related to housing include:  

  • Landlord/Tenant law
  • Unlawful Detainer (eviction) 
  • Habitability 
  • Fair Housing/Discrimination 
  • Accessibility/Reasonable Accommodation 
  • Foreclosure Prevention 
  • Advice for those affected by COVID-19 

If you or someone you know needs legal assistance in one of these areas, please call the SLOLAF office at (805) 543-5140 or contact us at info@slolaf.org.  SLOLAF may be able to assist through the services of one of its staff attorneys or may refer you to the SLOLAF Landlord-Tenant Clinic, which provides legal information (not legal advice) to both landlords and tenants.  Eligibility requirements do apply, but if SLOLAF is unable to assist you, it will provide you with other resources.