The California Apartment Association has launched a website to educate Alameda County renters on their rights and protections under state and local laws.

AlamedaRentersRights.com debuted in advance of the April 29 scheduled end date of the Alameda County eviction moratorium. Earlier this year, the Board of Supervisors confirmed the moratorium would end on that date.

The moratorium was established to aid renters financially affected by the COVID pandemic. However, it did not specify eligibility criteria or require proof of COVID-19-related financial difficulties. As a result, some tenants who could afford to pay rent opted not to, causing significant strain on housing providers who are now seeking county assistance to recover their losses.

Opponents of lifting the moratorium argued that it would leave renters without rights and protections. However, Joshua Howard, the executive vice president of local public affairs for the CAA, countered this claim.

“Renters in Alameda County have rights, as California and many cities within the county offer some of the strongest renter protections in the nation,” Howard said.

He added that the website’s purpose is to ensure all renters in Alameda County are aware of the laws protecting them, including the California Tenant Protection Act of 2019, recognized as the most comprehensive statewide tenant protection legislation in the United States.

Here are some of the rights and protections highlighted on the site:

  • Protection from eviction for unpaid rent during the eviction moratorium period.
  • Just cause requirements to evict a tenant and protections against landlord retaliation and harassment.
  • Limits on rent increases.
Joshua Howard, CAA’s executive vice president of local public affairs, talks about the website with KCBA radio.