San Francisco Mayor Breed Announces Extension Of Commercial Eviction Moratorium
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Mayor London Breed on Tuesday authorized a 60-day extension of San Francisco's commercial eviction moratorium during the coronavirus pandemic, pushing the expiration date from September 30 to November 30.
Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order allowing local jurisdictions to continue banning evictions of commercial tenants impacted by COVID-19. That action gave San Francisco officials the ability to extend the moratorium beyond September 30. Mayor Breed and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, including Supervisor Aaron Peskin, had advocated for the State to extend the moratorium.
"Even as we work to reopen and help our economy recover, we know that businesses are barely hanging on. That's why we pushed for the ability to extend our local commercial eviction moratorium and why we're issuing a further extension through the end of November," Breed said in a press release. "This gives businesses greater certainty and the ability to focus on safely reopening and getting back on their feet. I want to thank Governor Newsom for continuing to give local governments the ability to take these protective actions. We'll do everything we can to support and protect our small businesses as we make it through this pandemic together."
"The Mayor's approach has been remarkably successful for San Francisco at large, and now it's incumbent upon us to do everything we can to ensure small businesses survive this pandemic," added Peskin. "For me and my colleagues who are fighting to revive our neighborhood commercial corridors, we now have some breathing room to ensure that everyone recovers."
Newsom's order provides localities the ability to continue extending the commercial eviction moratorium as needed until the end of March 2021. Tuesday's extension will provide businesses additional security through Thanksgiving, when a further extension of the moratorium may be implemented as needed.
The extension announcement comes as San Francisco moved to the state's orange COVID-19 restriction tier, with city officials moving forward on reopening more businesses, including places of worship and restaurants for indoor dining for the first time since March.
San Francisco's commercial eviction moratorium now applies to rent due from March 17 through November 30, prohibiting evictions for late rent payments. The moratorium does not waive the obligation to pay missed rent. Additionally, it provides a process for landlords to seek waivers from the moratorium by demonstrating significant financial hardship such as a default on debt or a similar enforceable obligation.
The Mayor's Order also clarifies that no missed rent is due until the expiration of the moratorium. Tenants and landlords are encouraged to negotiate repayment plans that work for both parties.
For questions about how to access support, or any other questions about the commercial eviction moratorium, tenants and landlords are encouraged to visit Office of Economic and Workforce Development's COVID-19 website or contact the City's Small Business Assistance Center.
