New California Law Further Protects Renters From Evictions and Rent Hikes

Confronting California’s housing crisis, lawmakers passed the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 to provide renters more stability by limiting rent increases and tightening eviction rules. But advocates for the homeless found that many tenants remained vulnerable. Senate Bill 567, which took effect April 1, builds on the 2019 law by expanding protections against eviction and laying out a stiff penalty for landlords who defy the cap on rent increases. With the new law, authored by Sen. María Elena Durazo and called the Homelessness Prevention Act, a significant obstacle to any “no-fault, just-cause” eviction arises when the property owner wants to move into the residence, or when the landlord plans to displace the tenant for a major renovation....