Victory Alert: Pasadena City Council Votes NO on 1-Year Eviction Moratorium
Victory Alert
Pasadena City Council Votes NO on 1-Year Eviction Moratorium
By Janet M. Gagnon, Esq.
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and SVP, Government Affairs
On March 3rd, the Pasadena City Council voted against the Pasadena Rental Housing Board’s recommendation for a 1-year City eviction moratorium. AAGLA zealously opposed the City passing a moratorium that would create unnecessary confusion with the new countywide eviction moratorium (a/k/a, eviction defense) passed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on February 25th and that is currently in effect and applies all 88 incorporated cities as well as the unincorporated areas.
AAGLA submitted a formal letter to the full City Council in advance of the meeting as well as providing public comments and sending out a Red Alert to our members. Fortunately, there was a significant turnout of rental housing providers In-Person at the City Council meeting on March 3rd that helped to ensure that the City Council would not pass a 1-year eviction moratorium and instead would mirror the County’s eviction moratorium for February 1, 2025 through July 31, 2025 with a repayment period of 12 months.
In order for renters to qualify for the County’s eviction defense based on the wildfires, a renter must: (i) have an income of 150% Area Median Income or below, (ii) have reduced average monthly income of at least 10% due to the wildfire, (iii) be actively seeking new/additional work, applied for rental assistance or applied for unemployment benefits and (iv) provide written notice under penalty of perjury to the owner or their agent within 7 days of their rent being due that they are unable to pay due to being financially impacted by the wildfires.
While defeating a 1-year eviction moratorium is a major success, the City Council will be coming back with a draft ordinance to mirror the County’s resolution on March 17th. We will notify our members when this item has been officially listed on the City Council’s agenda, so that you can send in emails to the City Council reminding them to keep their promise to mirror the County’s provisions to avoid unnecessary confusion.
This article is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions regarding your property or specific leasing issues and the requirements of any legal changes described herein, please consult with an attorney.