The California Apartment Association this week published compliance materials to help housing providers navigate San Jose’s new rent-freeze ordinance.

On Feb. 2, the San Jose City Council unanimously prohibited rent increases for residents in rent-controlled apartments who have experienced COVID-related financial hardships. The ordinance will run through June 30 unless extended.

To qualify for the rent freeze, these residents must give their landlords a declaration of COVID-19 related financial distress. CAA members will find links to the proper forms for the declarations in the association’s newly updated Industry Insight: City of San Jose Moratorium on Evictions & Rent Increases.

Note, CAA members will find one form to be used only if a rent increase was pending but not yet in effect as of Feb. 2, and another form if no rent increase was pending.

CAA worked with the city on requiring the hardship declaration. San Jose’s previous rent freeze, which expired Dec. 31, 2020, applied to all tenants in rent-controlled housing, regardless of COVID hardship.

In addition to compliance material about San Jose’s rent freeze, CAA’s compliance team this week published a Q&A on the interaction between the city’s eviction moratorium and the state’s COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act, which was renewed with the recent passage of Senate Bill 91.