Manhattan Beach City Council to End Residential Eviction Moratorium Effective February 18th

Industry News,

On Tuesday, January 18th the Manhattan Beach City Council adopted an ordinance to end the City’s local residential eviction moratorium. The ordinance goes into effect in 30 days on February 18, 2022.  The commercial eviction moratorium continues to remain in effect, however.

In 2020, the City adopted a residential and commercial eviction moratorium. The expiration of the eviction moratorium was tied to the expiration of the City’s local emergency. The residential eviction moratorium prohibited evictions based on non-payment of rent if the renter demonstrated that they were unable to pay rent due to financial impacts related to COVID-19 and provided supporting documentation, or no-fault eviction unless necessary for health and safety because of a hazardous condition affecting other renters, neighbors or the rental housing provider. The ordinance also provided a rent repayment period for unpaid deferred rent owed of within six (6) months from the expiration of the City’s local emergency.

Based on the City’s recent action, renters will be required to pay current monthly rent due on March 1, 2022, and repay deferred rent owed after March 17, 2020 on or before September 1, 2022.

It is important to note that while the City’s eviction moratorium will expire in 30 days, based on the Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors’ contention, at this time, the County’s eviction moratorium remains applicable Countywide (unincorporated areas and incorporated cities) including Manhattan Beach through January 31, 2022, unless further extended.

The Los Angeles County COVID-19 residential eviction moratorium includes prohibitions on evictions based on nuisance, unauthorized occupants and pets, a renter’s denial of entry to an owner, and no-fault evictions with a very limited allowance for an owner or the owner’s family member to move-in to their single-family home, but it currently no longer prohibits evictions due to non-payment of rent.  The Board of Supervisors will be discussing the County’s moratorium and any further extension thereof at their January 25th Board meeting.

If you have any questions regarding your property or specific tenancies in Manhattan Beach and the applicability of the recent local law changes and/or Los Angeles County’s Eviction Moratorium please consult with an attorney.