The County of San Luis Obispo and all its cities have suspended evictions by landlords related to any rental property in San Luis Obispo County for failure to pay rent, foreclosure or decrease in household or business income due to COVID-19.
The order applies to both residential and commercial property and stays in effect until May 31, 2020 unless ended earlier or extended.
The order covers all evictions for non-payment of rent or foreclosure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial reasons can include:
- Being sick, or caring for a family or household member who is sick
- A lay-off, loss of hours, or reduction in business income due to COVID-19
- Out-of-pocket medical expenses related to COVID-19
- Child care needs due to school closures
The tenant should notify the landlord in writing (email and texting is OK) within 30 days of when the rent is due, explaining that their lost income or inability to pay full rent is due to financial impacts of COVID-19. Tenants should also provide proof in writing to their landlords to document the specific reasons that they could not pay the rent on time.
The tenant will still owe the unpaid rent, which will need to be paid within six months after the local emergency expires.
The local emergency order can be found at:
The County has an enforcement line which can be reached at (805) 788-2222, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It is recommended that providers avoid giving specific advice to clients about evictions and instead contact a legal resource when possible. Low-income residents who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents can call California Rural Legal Assistance at (805) 544-7994 with housing/eviction questions. SLO County residents age 60 and over, regardless of immigration status, can call SLO Legal Assistance Foundation at (805) 543-5140.
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