On or after October 1, 2021, and before July 1, 2022, in an unlawful detainer action pertaining to residential real property and based, in whole or in part, on nonpayment of rental debt that accumulated due to COVID-19 hardship, all of the following shall apply:

(a) A court shall not issue a summons on a complaint for unlawful detainer that seeks possession of residential real property based on nonpayment of rental debt that accumulated due to COVID-19 hardship unless the plaintiff, in addition to any other requirements provided by law, also files any of the following:

Terms Used In California Code of Civil Procedure 1179.11

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.

(1) Both of the following:

(A) A statement verifying, under penalty of perjury, that before filing the complaint, the landlord completed an application for government rental assistance to cover the rental debt demanded from the defendants in the case, but the application was denied.

(B) A copy of a final decision from the pertinent government rental assistance program denying a rental assistance application for the property at issue in the case.

(2) A statement, under penalty of perjury, verifying that all of the following are true:

(A) Before filing the complaint, the landlord submitted a completed application, as defined in § 50897 of the Health and Safety Code, for rental assistance to the pertinent government rental assistance program to cover the rental debt demanded from the defendants in the case.

(B) Twenty days have passed since the later of the following:

(i) The date that the landlord submitted the application as described in subparagraph (A).

(ii) The date that the landlord served the tenant with the three-day notice underlying the complaint.

(C) The landlord has not received notice or obtained verification from the pertinent government rental assistance program indicating that the tenant has submitted a completed application for rental assistance to cover the rental debt demanded from the defendants in the case.

(D) The landlord has received no communication from the tenant that the tenant has applied for government rental assistance to cover the unpaid rental debt demanded from the defendants in the case.

(3) A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the rental debt demanded from the defendant in the complaint accumulated under a tenancy that was initially established, as described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) of Section 1179.09, on or after October 1, 2021.

(4) A statement, under penalty of perjury, that a determination is not pending on an application, filed prior to April 1, 2022, for government rental assistance to cover any part of the rental debt demanded from the defendants in the case.

(b) A statement under penalty of perjury described in subdivision (a) shall be made on a form developed or revised by the Judicial Council for this purpose if the Judicial Council determines that this requirement is necessary to accomplish the purpose of the statement.

(c) (1) In an action filed before April 1, 2022, judgment or default judgment shall not issue in favor of the plaintiff unless the court finds, upon review of the pleadings and any other evidence brought before it, that both of the following are true:

(A) Before filing the complaint, the plaintiff completed an application to the pertinent government rental assistance program for rental assistance to cover the rental debt demanded in the complaint.

(B) The plaintiff’s application for rental assistance was denied because of lack of eligibility, lack of funding, or the application remained incomplete due to the tenant’s failure to properly complete the portion of the application that is the responsibility of the tenant for 15 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and other judicial holidays, after the landlord properly completed the portion of the application that is responsibility of the landlord.

(2) In an action filed on or after April 1, 2022, and before July 1, 2022, a judgment or default judgment shall not issue in favor of the plaintiff unless the court finds, upon review of the pleadings and any other evidence brought before it, that one of the following is true:

(A) Both of the following:

(i) Before April 1, 2022, the plaintiff completed an application to the pertinent government rental assistance program for rental assistance to cover that portion of the rental debt demanded in the complaint that constitutes rental debt that accumulated due to COVID-19 hardship.

(ii) The plaintiff’s application for rental assistance was denied because lack of eligibility, lack of funding, or the application remained incomplete due to the tenant’s failure to properly complete the portion of the application that is the responsibility of the tenant for 15 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and other judicial holidays, after the landlord properly completed the portion of the application that is responsibility of the landlord.

(B) A determination is not pending on an application, filed prior to April 1, 2022, for government rental assistance to cover any part of the rental debt demanded from the defendants in the case.

(3) In making its findings pursuant to this paragraph, the court may take judicial notice of information available to the court pursuant to Section 1179.12.

(d) In addition to the summons, the complaint, and any other required document, the plaintiff shall serve the defendant with copies of the statement and final decision filed with the court pursuant to subdivision (a). The absence of these copies shall be sufficient grounds to grant a motion to quash service of the summons.

(e) If the defendant contests whether the plaintiff has met the requirements of subdivision (c), the plaintiff shall bear the burden of proving to the court that the plaintiff has met those requirements.

(f) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) For rental debt that accumulated due to COVID-19 hardship that was incurred on or after October 1, 2021, and before April 1, 2022, a landlord must be compensated for all of the unpaid rent demanded in the notice that forms the basis of the complaint in order to prevent an unlawful detainer judgment based on that complaint.

(2) That for rental debt that accumulated due to COVID-19 hardship that was incurred on or after September 1, 2020, and before September 30, 2021, a landlord must be provided 25 percent of the unpaid rent demanded in the notice that forms the basis of the complaint before October 1, 2021, in order to prevent an unlawful detainer judgment based on that complaint.

(g) A summons on a complaint issued pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) shall not be construed to subject the complaint to the requirements of this chapter.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 13, Sec. 4. (AB 2179) Effective March 31, 2022. Repealed as of September 30, 2024, pursuant to Section 1179.15.)

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