The California Apartment Association has worked with the city of San Jose to require that tenants declare COVID-related financial hardships before qualifying for the city’s new rent freeze.

The new rent freeze ordinance, approved unanimously by the City Council Tuesday, took effect immediately and will run until June 30.

The rent freeze will apply only to tenants in rent-controlled units who give their landlords a declaration of COVID-19 related financial distress.

This latter requirement, secured by CAA, sets the new ordinance apart from San Jose’s previous rent freeze, which expired at the end of 2020. That ordinance applied to all tenants in rent-controlled apartments, regardless of whether the pandemic affected them financially.


More Northern California news

Sonoma County supervisors consider expanding eviction ban

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider banning nearly all evictions in the county. Under the ordinance, landlords would be unable to terminate tenancies for lease violations, for owner move‐ins, or even to quit the rental housing business under the Ellis Act. Read more

Marin County supervisors consider rent freeze

The Marin County Board of Supervisors will consider adopting a rent freeze in two census tracts with significant impacts from COVID-19. Read more


Southern California news

L.A. asks waste haulers to review COVID-19 impacts

The city of Los Angeles wants its waste haulers to reconsider the timing of a significant fee increase on rental property owners and other customers. Read more