Eviction Moratoriums and COVID-era Tenant Protections: What Remains in California

California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation

California’s COVID-era eviction protections have largely expired — but their legacy continues to affect tenant rights in specific ways, and some local protections that emerged during the pandemic remain in effect. Understanding what protections remain and what has sunset is essential for California tenants navigating the current legal landscape.

What Has Expired

California’s statewide COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act protections expired on June 30, 2022. The state’s requirement that landlords apply to the Housing Is Key rental assistance program before filing evictions, the prohibition on evictions for COVID-related nonpayment for tenants who met specific criteria, and the extended notice periods that applied during the moratorium period have all sunset. Landlords can now pursue standard eviction procedures without waiting for rental assistance determinations.

What May Still Protect You

Several pandemic-era protections have become permanent or extended. AB 1482 statewide just-cause and rent cap protections, enacted before the pandemic, remain fully in effect and are the primary ongoing protection for tenants in covered units. Some local jurisdictions — including Los Angeles and other cities — extended local eviction protections beyond the state expiration and may have additional ongoing protections that apply in your city. Consult your local rent board or housing authority for current local protections.

COVID Rental Debt

Tenants who accumulated rental debt during the moratorium period and were protected from eviction for that debt may still owe that debt to their landlords, even though they cannot be evicted for it. Landlords can pursue unpaid COVID-period rent through civil debt collection — small claims court or regular civil court — even though they cannot use it as grounds for eviction if the debt accumulated during the protected period. The distinction between eviction protection and debt obligation is important: protection from eviction is not the same as forgiveness of the debt.

Current Tenant Protections in Effect

The current landscape of California tenant protections — AB 1482, local rent control, habitability rights, anti-retaliation protections, and security deposit law — provides substantial ongoing protection for most California tenants regardless of the pandemic-era programs’ expiration. The Justice Foundation kit covers the current California tenant protection landscape as of 2026.