California Commercial Eviction Moratorium Extended To March 2021
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday allowing cities and counties across California to pause evictions for coronavirus-affected commercial tenants through March 2021.
Offering stability to commercial tenants is key to stemming the financial impacts of the pandemic and a public health issue, allowing businesses to make decisions based on worker and customer health instead of concerns about making rent, Newsom’s order said. The previous order was set to expire this month.
Rebounding from the mandatory closures hasn't been easy for the state's businesses. Closure data from Yelp shows that as of this month, 7,500 businesses in the LA metro area remain temporarily closed, with another 7,500 shuttered for good. San Francisco has approximately 3,300 temporarily closed businesses and at least 2,900 that won't be reopening.
The state's action sets a baseline for local jurisdictions, which can choose to take those protections further. The city and county of Los Angeles have their own commercial anti-eviction measures in place.
The county has said it would extend its safeguards, which apply to unincorporated areas within county lines, on a month-to-month basis as needed. Los Angeles' anti-eviction measures are in effect for the duration of the city's local emergency period, which is ongoing.
