COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020 Notice Requirements

MOBILEHOME PARK OWNERS AND MANUFACTURED HOUSING COMMUNITY OWNERS – PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: By September 30, 2020 you need to mail or serve residents/tenants who owe rent or utilities from March 1, 2020 – August 31, 2020 with a 1179.04(a) Notice. This 1179.04(a) Notice summarizes the residents’/tenants’ rights under the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act 2020 as it relates to nonpayment of rent and utilities during this time period.

Mobilehome Park Owners/ Manufactured Community Housing Owners are required to send this 1179.04(a) Notice only to residents who have past due rent or utilities owed during March 1, 2020 – August 31, 2020. This Notice is not required to be sent to all residents by September 30, 2020.

You will, however, need to send this 1179.04(a) Notice in the future, if any residents/tenants become late in all or part of their rent or utilities owed between September 1, 2020 – January 31, 2021, but there is no September 30, 2020 deadline to serve the Notice for this period. You are also able to serve this 1179.04(a) Notice concurrently with a 15 Day Notice for non-payment of rent/covenants, as long as it is served on or before September 30, 2020.

Also, mobilehome park owners/landlords may now send notices for failure to pay rent or utilities during March 1, 2020 – August 31, 2020 (“Protected Period”), as well as for September 1, 2020 – January 31, 2021 (“Transition Period”), but the usual 3 Day Notices to Pay Rent/Covenants or Quit are now replaced with a 15 Day Notice to Pay Rent/Covenants or Quit.

Depending on which period the amount of rent/utilities are owed: the “Protected Period” or “Transition Period”, different language will be required on each of the 15 Day Notices. Both types of 15 Day Notices require a blank Resident/Tenant 1179.02(d) Declaration of COVID-19 Related Financial Distress to be sent along with the 15 Day Notice to allow the resident/tenant to verify under penalty of perjury that they suffer a COVID-Related hardship (if applicable).

Please feel free to contact our mobilehome park attorney if you have any questions regarding the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act 2020 or your responsibilities under this new law. Also, copies of all notices and declarations can be obtained by contacting my office.