On April 1, 2020 City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, acting as the Director of Emergency Services, issued an emergency regulation that temporary halts rental evictions for residential and commercial tenants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant economic impacts and has caused unanticipated hardships for our residents and businesses,” Farrell Harrison said. “This Regulation will avoid the displacement of residential and commercial tenants.”

On March 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that authorized cities to prohibit the evictions of residential and commercial tenants experiencing significant financial impacts as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. On March 27, 2020, Governor Newsom issued a further executive order restricting residential evictions. However, the City believes that stronger protections are necessary for residential tenants and for commercial tenants in the City of Costa Mesa.

The emergency regulation is intended to use the authority granted by the Governor’s executive order to provide maximum protection to all tenants in Costa Mesa. The temporary eviction moratorium protects residential or commercial tenants who are unable to pay part or all of their rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Regulation took effect on April 1, 2020 and will remain in effect until May 31, 2020, including any extensions of the Governor’s executive order.

Under the moratorium, landlords are prohibited from initiating proceedings or otherwise taking steps to evict a tenant for non-payment of rent from any residential or commercial unit within the City of Costa Mesa.
If a tenant is unable to pay rent, the tenant must demonstrate their inability to make rent payment due to substantial financial impacts caused by COVID-19.

The tenant must notify the landlord in writing, within 30 days after rent is due, of the substantial COVID-19 related financial impacts and provide documentation of decreased income or increased medical expenses due to COVID-19.

Landlords are prohibited from evicting residential and commercial tenants for non-payment during the term of the State’s declared emergency and allows tenants 120 days after the end of the emergency to pay back rent.
Landlords are encouraged to reach out to their tenants proactively to open a dialogue regarding rental issues during these difficult times

For more information on the City’s eviction moratorium, please visit costamesaca.gov/eviction-moratorium