Board of Supervisors approves enhanced tenant protections for Sonoma County renters

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday tentatively approved a set of tenant protection measures that, if approved on second reading, will provide new rights to renters in the unincorporated areas of the county.

The ordinance would go into effect 30 days after the second reading, which is scheduled for the Sept. 17 Board of Supervisors meeting.

The new County protections augment the California Tenant Protection Act, a 2019 state law that limits rent increases and requires landlords of many types of rental units to have a just cause to evict a tenant who has lived in a property longer than one year. Just-cause evictions are allowed for such things as nonpayment of rent, lease violations or criminal activity.

The state law preserves the right of local jurisdictions to enact increased tenant protections. Under the new rules tentatively approved by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, covered tenants would be protected by just-cause requirements as soon as they begin renting, and state law exemptions for subsidized housing from just-cause protections would be removed.

The changes also:

• Protect a tenant from eviction for nonpayment unless more than one month of rent is overdue. A tenant will be allowed to use this protection only up to two times per year.
• Prohibit evictions in most cases during a declared emergency.
• Require dissemination of tenant rights information in English and Spanish when tenants are asked to vacate a property or when eviction proceedings begin.

“The Board of Supervisors took a critical step toward maintaining housing stability for some of our most vulnerable residents, building upon existing state law,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, vice chair of the Board.

The board also approved a $34,100 outreach campaign to explain the new rules to county residents. Through a series of town halls, webinars and advertisements, County staff will work to ensure that renters understand their rights including the new rules adopted by the County.

More information about the tenant protections is available here.