(a) Before April 1, 2022, a notice for a residential rental property that demands payment of COVID-19 recovery period rental debt and that is served pursuant to subdivision (e) of § 798.56 of the Civil Code or paragraph (2) or (3) of Section 1161 shall be modified as follows:

(1) The time period in which the tenant may pay the amount due or deliver possession of the property shall be no shorter than three days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and other judicial holidays.

(2) The notice shall include all of the following:

(A) The amount of rent demanded and the date each amount became due.

(B) The telephone number and internet website address of the pertinent government rental assistance program.

(C) The following bold text in at least 12-point font:

“IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA – YOU MUST TAKE ACTION TO AVOID AN EVICTION: As part of the state‘s COVID-19 relief plan, money has been set aside to help renters who have fallen behind on rent or utility payments.

If you cannot pay the amount demanded in this notice, YOU SHOULD COMPLETE A RENTAL ASSISTANCE APPLICATION IMMEDIATELY! It is free and simple to apply. Citizenship or immigration status does not matter.

DO NOT DELAY! IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE WITHIN 15 BUSINESS DAYS, YOUR LANDLORD MAY BE ABLE TO SUE TO OBTAIN A COURT ORDER FOR YOUR EVICTION.

You can start your application by calling 1-833-430-2122 or visiting http://housingiskey.com.”

(D) If the landlord was required, pursuant to § 1632 of the Civil Code, to provide a translation of the rental contract or agreement in the language in which the contract or agreement was negotiated, the landlord shall also provide the text of the notice in subparagraph (C) to the tenant in the language in which the contract or agreement was negotiated. The Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency shall make available on the http://housingiskey.com internet website an official translation of the text required by subparagraph (C) in the languages specified in § 1632 of the Civil Code by no later than September 15, 2021.

(b) On or after April 1, 2022, and before July 1, 2022, a notice for a residential rental property that demands payment of COVID-19 recovery period rental debt and that is served pursuant to subdivision (e) of § 798.56 of the Civil Code or paragraph (2) or (3) of Section 1161 shall be modified as follows:

“NOTICE FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA:

If you completed an application for government rental assistance on or before March 31, 2022, you may have protections against eviction. For information about legal resources that may be available to you, visit lawhelpca.org.”

(c) (1) A notice that demands payment of COVID-19 recovery period rental debt that does not meet the requirements of this section is not sufficient to establish a cause of action for unlawful detainer or a basis for default judgment.

(2) The court, upon its own motion or upon a motion by a defendant in the case, shall dismiss a cause of action for unlawful detainer that is based on a notice that demands payment of COVID-19 recovery period rental debt if the notice does not meet the requirements of this section.

(3) A defendant may raise the insufficiency of a notice pursuant to this section as a complete defense to an unlawful detainer.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 13, Sec. 3. (AB 2179) Effective March 31, 2022. Repealed as of September 30, 2024, pursuant to Section 1179.15.)