Renters & Landlords

The City of San Rafael has adopted a variety of policies and programs to support landlords and tenants. You can use this page to find out more about these resources.

UPDATE: Eviction moratorium extended through September 30, 2022 in City of San Rafael

On Tuesday June 21, 2022, the San Rafael City Council adopted an urgency ordinance to bar evictions of residential tenants for nonpayment of rent due to the on-going impact of the Public Health Emergency arising from COVID-19 from July 1 through September 30, 2022. This Resolution applies to renters in the City of San Rafael. See the Staff Report and Urgency Ordinance.

The local urgency ordinance applies to all renters experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19, and provides a 90-day repayment period for any rent past-due.

Visit the California Courts website for the latest laws applying to eviction cases.

If a landlord is attempting to evict a tenant for nonpayment of rent, they must first provide a 15-day notice which includes required noticing language (Español), and a blank declaration of financial hardship form (Español, Tiếng Việt, русский, فارسی). Under this Resolution, “COVID-19 financial distress” is defined as:

• Loss of income caused by the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Increased out-of-pocket expenses directly related to performing essential work during the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Increased expenses directly related to health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Childcare responsibilities or responsibilities to care for an elderly, disabled, or sick family member directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic that limit my ability to earn income;
• Increased costs for childcare or attending to an elderly, disabled, or sick family member directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Other circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic that have reduced income or increased expenses.