The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors issued an executive order Tuesday which expands an existing temporary rent freeze and moratorium on evictions in unincorporated Los Angeles County, such as Castaic and Stevenson Ranch, in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The new order expands the temporary eviction moratorium to cover all residential and commercial tenants in Los Angeles County, except those who live or conduct business in cities that have already enacted their own eviction moratoriums, according to County documents.

The City of Santa Clarita has a similar eviction moratorium approved by the City Council on April 1.

The moratorium includes a ban on evictions for nonpayment of rent, if the tenant can show they have been financially impacted by the health emergency, such as owner/relative move-in or Ellis Act evictions, violations due to additional occupants, pets or nuisance related to COVID-19.

The expanded temporary rent freeze now prohibits owners of mobile home parks in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, including Castaic, Val Verde and Stevenson Ranch, from increasing the space rent for their tenants during the moratorium period, according to County officials.

These actions, which are retroactive from March 4 to May 31, 2020, unless extended, are the latest in a series of protections the board has enacted to protect renters in Los Angeles County, many of whom have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A partial list of Tuesday’s actions includes: Renters are expected to have 12 months after the moratorium ends to pay any back rent, which was previously six months. Landlords may not impose any new passthroughs or charge interest or late fees for unpaid rent during the moratorium period.

Landlords may not attempt to collect interest and late fees incurred during the moratorium period after the Executive Order is terminated for renters covered by the Rent Stabilization Ordinance and the Mobilehome Rent Stabilization Ordinance Payment.

Plans that allow landlords to accept partial payments from tenants during the moratorium are encouraged, according to the County.

Tenants may provide self-certification of their inability to pay rent, and landlords must accept this as sufficient notice.

Landlords may not harass or intimidate tenants who choose to exercise their protections under this moratorium, according to the County.

The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA), at the directive of the Board of Supervisors, is expected to work to educate renters and property owners of these new rules.

“Renters in Los Angeles County have faced extraordinary financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 health emergency. Many tenants simply cannot pay their rent on time and desperately need the additional protections the Board of Supervisors have issued today in order to remain housed,” said Joseph Nicchitta, director of DCBA. “Our department knows landlords are struggling too. We are expanding our L.A. County Disaster Help Center services by providing foreclosure protection to assist mom-and-pop landlords in L.A. County.”

For more details about the board’s recent actions and other landlord-tenant issues, contact the L.A. County Disaster Help Center by calling (833) 238-4450 or email [email protected].

Additional information can also be found by clicking here.

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