The San Diego City Council extended protections for residential and small business renters from being evicted as a result of not being able to pay rent due to COVID-19 impacts.

The move comes as existing moratoriums on evictions were due to expire in the City. New Mayor Todd Gloria proposed the two ordinances to help both residential and commercial tenants.

Beginning February 1st, residential tenants will be protected for 60 days after the state emergency COVID-19 declaration ends, and commercial tenants are covered until the state declaration ends or June 30th, whichever comes first.

The new protections, like the previous eviction moratoriums, only restrict landlords from ending tenants’ rentals, but the tenants will still owe all back rents. Renters must contact their landlords with a week of a rent payment due date to be protected under the program, and landlords have a week to ask for proof of economic hardship. Residential renters will then have two weeks to provide documentation, but commercial tenants will only have one week to respond.

Other cities and the County of San Diego have similar moratoriums in place to protect renters.

A statewide eviction moratorium is pending signature by Governor Gavin Newsom that would extent protections until July 1st.