The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to extend its eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021, where not preempted by state bills AB3088 and SB91 which provide eviction protections to residential tenants unable to pay rent due to financial distress related to COVID-19.

The action extends county protections that go beyond the state legislation, including commercial evictions; no-fault evictions; prohibiting evictions for unauthorized occupants, pets, nuisances; or for tenants who reasonably deny entry to their landlords during the public health crisis.

Without this extension and related state legislation, hundreds of thousands of County households could face eviction because of the inability to pay rent caused by lost or reduced income during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am heartened by recent reductions in cases and deaths caused by COVID19 and hopeful that the end of the pandemic may be coming into view, but we are not out of the woods yet and neither are renters,” said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, author of the motion. “No one should be threatened with eviction or made homeless by this pandemic, so, once again, we are acting to make sure that no one loses their home as a result of this prolonged public health crisis.”

The Supervisors’ action today also adopted a structure for violations that included up to $5000 per violation, per day, for violations of the tenant harassment and retaliation protections; and $10,000 per day if harassment is directed at a senior or disabled tenant. The motion also authorizes the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs to waive payment of the Annual Rent Registration Fee paid annually by landlords and mobile home park owners.

“We are beginning to turn a new chapter with vaccines now being distributed to protect against COVID-19,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis, Supervisor to the First District. “However, we must be cognizant that there are still households and businesses struggling to weather this pandemic. Los Angeles County’s eviction moratorium has served as a safety net for our most vulnerable residents, and the passage of today’s motion will continue to protect rent-burdened households from falling into homelessness, as well as provide a lifeline to local small businesses who have been hardest hit by the economic fallout.”

Read the full motion here.