Tenants & Landlords

Residential Eviction Moratoriums

On June 28, 2021 the State of California passed Assembly Bill (AB) 832 which further extends a statewide moratorium on residential evictions until September 30, 2021 if tenants take the following steps:

1. Tenants must sign and return a declaration of COVID-19 financial impact within 15 days every time they get an eviction notice AND
2. Tenants must pay at least 25% of total rent owed between September 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.

COVID-19 Rental Housing Recovery Act

Tenants experiencing COVID-19 related hardships may be protected from eviction through March 31, 2022, if they established tenancy prior to October 1, 2021. Tenants must continue to pay at least 25% of their total rent owed to be qualified for this provision.

AB 832 includes $5.2B in rental assistance to cover 100% of all accumulated past-due rent on or after April 1, 2020, as well as utility bills, for low income-qualified tenants. See the links at the bottom of this webpage for more information on how to apply for either the Milpitas Rent Relief Program or the State of CA COVID Rental Relief program.

START HERE –> Santa Clara County Guidance: Which rent assistance program to apply for and information on whether a tenant is income qualified.

For more details on how AB 832 impacts both landlords and tenants, please visit the following resources:

• State of CA guidelines on AB 832 for Tenants
• State of CA guidelines on AB 832 for Landlords

Questions? Call Project Sentinel at (408) 720-9888 or Toll Free at (888) 666-7172 or email info@housing.org. Case managers are available to answer questions and to help resolve disputes between landlords and tenants.

Rental and Utility Assistance Programs:

• City of Milpitas Rent Relief Program
• Sacred Heart COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program
• Utility Assistance Programs (Home Energy Assistance Program and PG&E CARE)
• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) debuted a new look up tool (consumerfinance.gov/renthelp) that allows renters and landlords to find information on rental assistance in their area

State of CA COVID-19 Rental Relief: 

All attached flyers are available in English, Spanish, 中文, ngôn ngữ tiếng Việt, Tagalog, & 한국어.

• Program Flyer
• 80/20 Assistance
• Renter Checklist
• Landlord Checklist
• Do I Qualify?

Stakeholder Input

Tenant Protection Task Force (2018-2019)

Rent Review Ordinance:

The Rent Review Ordinance has created additional requirements to each tenant and landlord when a rent increase notice is delivered:

• Tenants receiving a rent increase above 5% are entitled to request rent review. The request for rent review must be requested within 15 days of receiving the rent increase notice.
• Landlords must provide specific noticing forms to tenants along with any notice to increase rents. The link below contains a link to the noticing form.
• Tenants and/or landlords are encouraged to contact the City’s designated service provider (Project Sentinel) at 408-946-6582 or RentReview@housing.org.

For more details on the ordinance, including a full breakdown of the rules and regulations, a copy of the noticing form, landlord noticing requirements, tenant obligations, and potential penalties for non-compliance, click here.